Holy crap! Has it been a week since my last post? Sorry 'bout that - got food poisoning after being out of town for a week. What a whirlwind. Good thing I'm back to my old self again, just in time for a kickass weekend of music in beautiful downtown Lowell!

It's week four of the Lowell Summer Music Series, and there are four straight nights of music under the stars planned for those of us willing to take it all in. Call it a little something to whet our music appetites for next weekend's Folk Festival. Whatever the case, there's everything from bluegrass to reggae to blues on tap this weekend, starting tonight with a set by Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet, featuring everyone's favorite banjo player, Bela Fleck. But it's a lot more than a banjo affair (although there are two of them in the band). Filling out the band are cellist Ben Sollee and fiddler Casey Driessen. Together, these guys play something akin to chamber music for high-brow bluegrass fans. That's the best I can figure, at least. Show starts at 7:30. Tix are $21 in advance and $25 at the gate.

Tomorrow night (July 18), Bob Marley's former backup band The Wailers will be in town, bringing the reggae sounds that they helped make famous. From their beginnings in Jamaica back in the late 1960s to their more recent collaborations with artists like Sting and Carlos Santana, these guys have sold over 250 million records. I guess you could say they're kind of a big deal. Show starts at 7:30. Tix are $21 in advance and $25 at the gate.

On Saturday night, July 19, R&B legend Jimmie Vaughan will bring his retro blues to Lowell, and who could forget the hits from Vaughan's heyday with the Fabulous Thunderbirds? Admit it - you wanted to be as cool as that lead singer in the beret on the "Wrap It Up" video...with or without the 'stache. Vaughan will be with blues singer Lou Ann Barton, and opening the night will be a set by gospel/bluegrass/country up-and-comers Ollabelle. Show starts at 7:30. Tix are $21 in advance and $25 at the gate.

Finally, on Sunday night, July 20, bluegrass Dobro legend Jerry Douglas will be ripping sounds from his steel-stringed beast at Boarding House Park along with his backup band from Nashville. His show starts at 7:30. Tix are $16 in advance and $20 at the gate. Douglas has lent his trademark slide sound to more than 1,500 albums, and he's also a key player in Union Station, the backup band for Alison Krauss. In true Southern fashion, Douglas is a likable, down-to-earth guy, as I discovered in my interview with him for this week's Lowell Sun Nightlife article.

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Well, it's week 3 of the Lowell Summer Music Series, and the ladies are taking over. On Saturday night, July 12, three-time Grammy winner Lucinda Williams brings her country-tinged R&B sound to Boarding House Park. Although she's been around for almost 30 years, Williams has a less-than-prolific track record, releasing only 8 albums in that span. It was her 1998 album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road that put her on the map, and her three albums since have all been well-received critically. She'll most likely premiere some new songs this weekend from her next album, due later this year. I saw her 7 or 8 years ago in Memphis (the Essence tour) at an outdoor festival, and the music was perfect for the setting. No doubt that will be the case on Saturday as well. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the gate.

First up, though, is an evening with Emily Saliers and Amy Ray, also known as the folk-rock duo Indigo Girls, on Friday night, July 11. After taking things in a new direction on their last album, Despite Our Differences, courtesy of production maestro Mitchell Froom, Ray and Saliers inexplicably found themselves dumped by their brand new label Hollywood Records, even though it was only the first album in their five-album contract (gotta' love those major labels!). It doesn't sound like it phased our fearless heroines too badly, though, as they funded their new album, due in early 2009, themselves. For this week's Lowell Sun Nightlife article, I had the pleasure of interviewing Saliers about what's going on in the Indigo world.

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Daryl Hall plays Boarding House Park tonight, July 3, and to all you music snobs out there - before you start snickering about Hall & Oates and they're quintessential 80s sound, I'd like to give you a little background. The duo were together for years exploring things like Simon & Garfunkel singer/songwriter fare, organic soul, and even some light funk before finding that magical Top 40 sound that made them the most famous duo in music history (look it up), and now the butt of countless jokes the world over.

Researching their history to prepare for my interview with Hall, I not only discovered some hidden gems in the Hall & Oates library, but I also re-discovered some of their hits that I'd hastily tossed aside over the years simply because I thought I was above them (and because of Oates's 'stache). The truth is, there's some great songwriting underneath that electronic 80s sheen.

And Mr. Hall has brought things full circle with a new monthly live webcast called Live from Daryl's House, which strips down those hits and lesser known gems from the 70s and 80s and presents them in an acoustic fashion, recorded live in any one of Hall's houses, which he buys and restores himself (I think he owns like the oldest house in Maine or something). The guy also calls some of his old music pals, like Nick Lowe, and even some up-and-comers, to join him, which has yielded some pretty impressive results.

All this and more is in the article I wrote for this week's Lowell Sun, and included here is my full interview with Hall. I'm actually excited about seeing the guy tonight, not to mention an opening set by local soul queen Jen Kearney and her Lost Onion. Join me if you like to think you have an open mind for music.

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Jo Lily has a unique vocal style that falls somewhere between Tom Waits and Howlin' Wolf. A former member of Boston party band Duke & The Drivers, Lily and his guitarist pal Bobby Keyes put together a supergroup of Boston musicians two years ago and called themselves The Mystix. Combining elements of country, rock, and R&B, the Mystix sound will get your toes tapping and your mouth grinning, with Lily's trademark howl front and center. This Saturday, June 28, the Mystix will invade the Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry, N.H.

For this week's Lowell Sun Nightlife article, I interviewed Lily about the band, its origins, and its bright future.

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Well, folks - it's that time of year again. This Saturday night, June 28, the Lowell Summer Music Series is kicking off yet another impressive season - they're 19th, to be exact. That dynamic duo John Marciano and Peter Aucella at the Lowell National Historical Park just keep outdoing themselves. They're kicking things off right this year with British folk legend Richard Thompson (isn't he a Sir yet?), who will bring his stellar songwriting, unique vocal style, and awe-inspiring guitar chops to Boarding House Park for what could easily be the best performance of the whole season.

I put together the cover story for the Steppin' Out section of this Thursday's Lowell Sun, which focuses on the Series, and my preparation for that story included the opportunity to interview the future Sir Richard Thompson. In an effort to whet everyone's Summer Music Series appetites, I thought I would print that interview for you here. Enjoy.

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In their home town of Seattle, The Starlings have been delivering quality country/folk sounds for seven years. Band founders Joy Mills and Tom Parker are in Gloucester this summer helping out a friend, and we get to benefit from the trip with performances by the husband-and-wife duo all over New England through late August. One of these gigs will be at the Java Room in Chelmsford this Friday night, June 20, beginning at 8 p.m.

For this week's Lowell Sun Nightlife article, I had the chance to interview lead singer Mills about the band's origins, their latest album, and their first trip to the Northeast.

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He may live in New Hampshire, but Mighty Sam McClain was born in the South and raised on the gospel sounds of his mom's church. Sixty-five years later, those roots still shine through in his music, a combination of gospel, blues and old-school soul. Mighty Sam is just one of many acts booked for the Manchester Jazz & Blues Festival this weekend outside the Palace Theater in Manchester, N.H.

Here's the full line-up:

Friday, June 13
Freese Brothers, 5:15-6:30 p.m.
Fat City Band, 7-8 p.m.
Mighty Sam McClain, 8:30-10 p.m.

Saturday, June 14
Deric Dyer, 4:30-6 p.m.
Rico Barr Jump 'n Jive Review, 6:30-8 p.m.
Danny Klein's Full House, 8:30-10 p.m.

For this week's Lowell Sun Nightlife article, I had the pleasure of interviewing the God-fearing and belly-laughing McClain about his upbringing, his hard times on the streets of Nashville and New Orleans, and his subsequent success following a relocation to New England.

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Ask any folkie in the Boston area if they know who Ellis Paul is, and chances are you’ll get more than a “yes” – you’ll probably get a story about how influential Paul has been for them and how much they sincerely love his music. When it comes to singer/songwriters, the guy is top of the heap. This Saturday, June 7, Paul will be closing out the 2007-2008 season at the New Moon Coffeehouse in Haverhill. For this week’s Lowell Sun Nightlife article, I had a chance to chat with the local legend about his new children’s album, his key role in the resurgence of singer/songwriters in the early 90s, and his folk music legacy.

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Chris McDermott was born and raised 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia, and he’s never been able to shake the Philly soul sound he grew up with in the 60s. You can hear it in his latest album, Radio Ghosts. It’s a melting pot of sounds that McDermott has explored over his 25+ years as a top notch guitarist, including stints with blues greats like Eddie Kirkland. Hell, he even recruited former James Brown drummer Clyde Stubblefield to drop some funky nasty rhythms on Radio Ghosts. And it’s that Philly soul sound that connects the dots.

Next Saturday, June 7, McDermott will play the first ever full-scale live music show at the Outlook Restaurant in Westford. In case you’re not sure where that place is, think Nashoba Valley Ski Mountain. The Outlook is in the ski lodge. The cool part about next Saturday is there won’t be a bunch of people clomping around while Chris is playing, there won’t be a hunk of melted snow in the doorways, and the view will probably be pretty spectacular.

For this week’s Lowell Sun Nightlife story, I interviewed McDermott about his education at Berklee, his years on the road, and his latest album.

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Boston’s Eli Reed & the True Loves are bringing back 60s soul. And if you don’t go to the Firehouse Center in Newburyport on Friday night, May 23, you are gonna’ kick yourself later for missing the opportunity. Not unlike Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, James Hunter, and everyone’s favorite train wreck Amy Winehouse, Eli and his wrecking crew dip into Stax soul, Delta blues, and Southern gospel.

Ever since I caught Reed on a Boston Harbor Rock Cruise a couple years back, I’ve been hooked. In a live setting, the guy is in his element. And his three-piece horn section hits you like a freight train. They were listed as one of the top artists to watch from this year's South by Southwest Festival (there are literally hundreds of bands playing the Festival, so this is a big feat), and you'll understand after listening to their new album Roll With You.

For this week’s Lowell Sun Nightlife article, I got to interview Reed and find out where the hell he got all that soul from.

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When I first came upon the Neil Young tribute band Rust Never Sleeps, which plays the Bull Run in Shirley, Mass., on Saturday night, May 17, I was immediately struck by the striking similarity of their covers to Young's earbursting original rockers. I'm personally not all that big on tribute bands, but something about their sound and sincerity struck a chord with me (pun intended). So for this week's Lowell Sun Nightlife story, I interviewed band founder and lead singer Ken Gibson, who turned out to be a really great guy.

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Inanna know a lot about rhythm. They’re a group of five women from Alna, Maine, who have been playing African drum music for almost 20 years. In fact, they met through a drumming class they took together. How convenient.

On Saturday, May 10, Inanna will bring their entrancing beats to the Simple Gifts Coffee House at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua. For this week’s Lowell Sun Nightlife feature, I had a wonderful interview with Inanna percussionist and founding member Tori Morrill (she's the one in the middle).

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It's hard to believe that it's been 25 years since Men at Work capitalized on the video age with their hits "Down Under," "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Overkill." Writing songs that successfully injected both corny humor and insightful honesty, lead singer Colin Hay was a frontman you wanted to sit down and have a beer with.

These days, Hay is writing in a similar style, with more time-weathered wisdom flowing through his lyrics, and music that's scaled back to more of a singer/songwriter style. In the live setting, Hay performs solo with a few acoustic guitars. This Sunday, May 4, he's bringing his show to the Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry, N.H., and for this week's Lowell Sun Nightlife article, I chatted with him about his current tour, his latest album, and the recent announcement of his second stint with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band.

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Jimmy Eat World play the Tsongas Arena in Lowell on Wednesday, April 30. I first saw Jimmy Eat World ten years ago at a tiny club in Memphis called Barrister's. They were opening for one of my favorite emo bands at the time, Jejune, and their energy really caught me offguard. A year later, they released Clarity, a disc that would stay in my CD player for the next six months. I may not have the same level of passion for Jimmy Eat World today that I did in 1999, but their ability to write a killer hook and a great pop song is still undeniable. For last week's Lowell Sun Nightlife article, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jimmy Eat World drummer Zach Lind.

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