Every summer there are tours, performances and collaborations that are not to be missed if you love live music. Summertime is all about outdoor concerts and music festivals…unless you live in the South. Down here, it’s 90 degrees and 90% humidity every day. It’s hardly the weather for listening to a bunch of bands in the sun! Big time bands are crisscrossing the country, playing festivals week in and week out. So rather than going month by month, let’s talk about this summer’s gems that played in my neck of the woods and who might wind up in yours!

Although I didn’t attend a festival, I got to see my share of bands. To begin, June brought Yonder Mountain String Band for an outdoor show at the beach, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers at the Music Hall, Slightly Stoopid/ Matisyahu/Tribal Seeds/Hirie outdoors, Wynonna and the Big Noise and two nights with Dead and Company in Charlotte and Atlanta. Come July, it was Terence Young Band, Forty Mile Detour, the SC Blues Alliance, Perpetual Groove acoustic and John Butler trio- all indoor shows! Come August, I was able to take in Tedeschi-Trucks band, Blackberry Smoke and Shovels and Rope outdoors, KISS, Gavin DeGraw, Forty Mile Detour with Chance and Circumstance, Richard Marx, Toad the Wet Sprocket with Terra Lightfoot and Keller Williams!

While many know of my love for everything Grateful Dead, this won’t be all about Dead and Company. While my love for the band and music runs deep, there are many other shows that I saw that delivered memorable performances. What impressed me most this summer was acoustic Perpetual Groove, the John Butler Trio, the Wheels of Soul tour and Keller Williams!

Perpetual Groove or P-Groove to their followers, is a jam band favorite as they perform electronically as a quartet. This summer tour, making a stop at the Pourhouse (SC) I saw them as a trio of two guitars and bass. They delivered two sets of PG favorites and covers of George Michael, Paul Simon, David Bowie, Warren Zevon and the Butthole Surfers, “Peppers.” Their prowess on guitar combined with strong vocals made them an enjoyable performance.

The John Butler trio is popular with many half my age. Butler got his start as a street musician and his ability to command a crowd by himself is commendable. He played a twelve-string acoustic guitar, drawing a unique sound from this instrument. He demonstrated creative songwriting skills and a great voice to complement his lyrics. I knew nothing of his catalog of songs but found many to be delightful tales of life. With a strong ensemble of musicians to back him, he delivered a strong performance that convinced me that I needed to hear more from him! Check out his music on your favorite streaming device and hear for yourself why he is an artist to see if/when he comes to your town.

One outdoor show among my favorites was the Wheels of Soul tour featuring the Tedeschi-Trucks Band, Blackberry Smoke, and Shovels and Rope at the Volvo Car Stadium. This was the make-up show for a rainout in early July. If you’ve ever seen Tedeschi-Trucks, you know that they put on a satisfying show, showcasing every one of the twelve-piece band. With Susan Tedeschi’s sultry, bluesy voice and Derek Trucks’ slide guitar prowess, the show is guaranteed to rock…and get funky! With three back-up singers and a three-piece horn section surrounding Susan and Derek, you get the blues, funk and good old southern rock and roll. Blackberry Smoke is a polished group of musicians who started out as the saviors of southern rock and have matured to become a band of great harmonies and up-tempo rock and roll tunes. Shovels and Rope are local heroes here in Charleston. Michael Trent and Carrie Ann Hearst are rockabilly fans who craft original tunes with crafty lyrics and a rich sound. The duo both sing while playing guitar, drums and keyboards. Check out their music on your favorite streaming service to see why people who see them live become true fans of their sound.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight this solo performer and master of looping and layering sounds. Keller Williams, the artist not the real estate firm, is truly a one-man band. Keller brings infectious energy to every performance and his lyrics and witty and amusing. There are few musicians who can deliver in a solo setting like Keller. He layers bass lines with his acoustic guitar and an electronic percussion kit that lets him create sounds heretofore unheard on a concert stage. You will find him delivering his unique style in small clubs and on the stages of the biggest festivals!

If you aren’t familiar with any of these performers, I urge you to give them a serious listen. I’m going to bet that more often than not; you are going to find new musicians and their music to enjoy!

#PerpetualGroove #JohnButlerTrio #TedeschiTrucksBand #BlackberrySmoke #ShovelsandRope #KellerWilliams #DoYouBelieveInMagic #SummertimeandtheLivingisEasy

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