Uwe Ochsenknecht

I went to the Demolition Derby as a kid, and loved it. My fiancee wanted to go to the Allentown Fair, and I jumped at the opportunity to go to the demolition derby again to re-live a childhood memory. It was even better than I remembered.

My husband and I went to this event for the first time this year and we had no idea what to expect. I have to say from the food, to the event, to the auction my husband and I had a great time.

The original line up of Further Seems Forever made an unforgettable show for everyone at the Paradise Rock Club. The high energy, the precision, and the sheer beauty of seeing a band that inspired generations of musicians made this night one that everyone will remember for a long time to come, leaving hopes in many (if not all) for a possible comeback, or -- at the very least -- a new album. That's right, FSF played a brand new song that night that the band wrote a few months prior to deciding on the reunion show; they called it Engines. Chris Carrabba brought in a moment to reflect stating: "I don't think we knew what we had till it was gone." He also mentioned that he was also jealous of watching Jason Gleason perform "The Sound," which they played after he finished talking. All in all, the show was absolutely worth whatever means it took to get there (in my case, several hundred dollars). It was great to see a legacy reborn.

What's not to like? Kim, Kelley, Josephine & Jim, the lineup from the band's breakthrough 1993 album "Last Splash" playing that album in its entirety. And if that wasn't enough, they topped it off with a 30 minute encore with their first album "Pod". Kim's voice is still as good now as it was 20 years ago. Her & Kelley's guitar work was top notch, Josephine Wiggs' bass & Jim McPherson's drum anchor the songs (Josephine went behind the drums for "Roi," like she did on the album...had no clue!). Loved the twins' banter with the crowd (Kim kept asking us if we were doing alright, in the sincerest way possible) and each other. They seemed genuinely excited to play for us, on the last night of the tour, and we were head-over-heels for them. Kim & Kelley Deal are like the cool older cousins you always wished you had.

It's too bad there was a small crowd for the show, because it was a wonderful evening. Tom Wopat has great command of his material, and he and his trio were clearly having fun on stage. His self-deprecating humor and the stories he wove in between the songs made the entire concert flow wonderfully. He spent time before and after the show in the lobby meeting with fans, always with a smile.

Killer Mike and El-P destroyed in Atlanta. One of my all time favorite shows. Killer Mike showed lots of emotion for the homecoming.

These two bands by far made up for the fiasco that was act 1 and 2. 2 didn't even show so we were forced to listen again to a mediocre band I can't remember the name of. They were obviously annoyed by the crowd's reaction and made more so by having to repeat their set. I had never heard Manchester Orchestra before the night of the concert but let me say they blew me away! I was so impressed by their stage presence and musical ability. Incubus is just Incubus.. they had me from the first note. This was officially the highlight of my year so far. I was also impressed with the site staff and security, they did a very good job that night.

I am a blues/rock and roller but once I heard Nikolai Baskov on PBS I had to go see him. Not only is his voice "golden" but he also projects emotion that the best blues players and jazz players (Miles Davis, John Coltrane) are able to project. This is a rear commodity in classical music. So when you take this emotion/feel to the most advance singing techniques (operatic singing) that Mr. Baskov possesses, it can only be described as a spiritual experience. To close ones eye's and listen to his sweeping range and interplay with the orchestra and his singing partner, it is truly an amazing experience and it was a phenomenal performance. The orchestra was excellent, as was his singing partner, but the magic starts when he sings. I was amazed that the Beacon wasn't sold out....I can only ascribe this to it being a 3 day week-end, and a lack of the proper amount of advertising. He is surely one of the best soprano's to ever grace a stage, and to have the opportunity to have seen him, would be akin to seeing Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan or Jimi Hendrix. A true great.

I've seen BK live dozens of times, many shows have been at The Bowery Ballroom (Ben Kweller loves the venue). I think this is the first time I've ever seen BK perform in a trio and without a keyboard or an acoustic guitar. He played his well-traveled Gibson SG guitar for the entire concert. Also, there's a new bassist and I wasn't sure whether or not BK's regular drummer, Mark Stepro, was the drummer or if it was someone else. Anyway, BK's trio format at this show was pretty freakin' hot. The song "Gossip" \u2014 my favorite tune off of GO FLY A KITE \u2014 was performed in the electric trio style and that really changed the song into a bluesy give-and-take affair. The entire evening was great.

Was a wonderful night of praise. As always, the music and message were right on target. Would highly recommend to anyone.