Miscellaneous

Review and photographs provided by Scott Kepnes. 

Galactic, featuring Jelly Joseph, brought the Funk to Lowell, Massachusetts on July 11, 2025. The concert was part of the Lowell Summer Music Series at Boarding House Park.  The New Orleans based Galactic band members are vocalist Angelika “Jelly” Joseph, guitarist Jeff Raines, bassist Robert Mercurio, drummer Stanton Moore, Hammond organ Richard Vogel, trumpet Eric Gordon, saxophone and harmonica Ben Ellman.

Dispatch came to the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, Connecticut on June 29, 2025. Donavon Frankenreiter, G. Love, and John Butler were all also part of the show. John Butler and Chad Stokes have linked up several times in the past, most notibly for the State Radio and John Butler Trio tour back in 2010. They also linked up at the legendary Madison Square Garden in 2015 for DISPATCH: HUNGER. 

When John Butler hit the stage at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater, he kicked things off with Wade in the Water. He mixed in top JBT songs like Used to Get High, Better Than, and Zebra. We also of course got another amazing rendition of the ever evolving Ocean, as well as his new song Trippin On You. He ended his set with Funky Tonight. 

The Movement and Tribal Seeds brought their Coast 2 Coast Summer Tour to the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis, Massachusetts on June 26, 2025. Mike Love was also on the bill, as he opened things up for the night.  

Pierce the Veil came to the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts on May 30, 2025. They were joined by Beach Weather and Sleeping With Sirens. Kick Me, A Trophy Fathers Trophy Son, Better Off Dead, and If You Can’t Hang were all included in Sleeping With Sirens setlist. This show is part of the I Can’t Hear You World Tour 2025. It was also opening night for the Xfinity Center, starting their season off with a bang. 

Ziggy Marley stopped by Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut on May 25, 2025. This show is one of the few he has scheduled for the summer, before his big run kicks off in September. It was certainly a great way to spend a Sunday night on a long holiday weekend. 

Tank and The Bangas came to the Brighton Music Hall in Allston, Massachusetts on April 12, 2025. The group based out of New Orleans, Louisiana was joined by Elliott Skinner and DJ Zeus. This show was part of The Heart, The Mind, The Soul USA Tour. 

Rolling Quartz played at the Sonia Live Music Venue in Cambridge, Massachusetts on April 4, 2025. They are a five member rock band from South Korea that consists of Jayoung (vocals), Arem (bass), Iree (lead guitarist), Yeongeun (drums), and Hyunjung (guitar). The band is currently on their second US Tour ‘Stand Up US & Canada Tour 2025’ where they started in Toronto on March 30, and will continue until the tour ends in Vancouver on May 23, 2025. 

The Swell Season performed at Boston’s TD Garden on March 19, 2025. This set was part of the Misneach Festival. This new event is an annual global Saint Patrick’s Day music festival, and celebration of Ireland’s musical heritage and culture. This festival is hosted and headlined by Dermot Kennedy. There was also an opening night at Brighton Music Hall the previous night. Before Boston, Misneach hit Sydney, Australia on March 16, 2025 for their first ever show.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats came to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on March 23, 2025. They were joined by The Teskey Brothers, who served as the openers for the evening. They began their set with I Love the Woman, a cover of Freddie King. From there, they mixed in top songs of theirs such as Pain and Misery, So Caught Up, and Rain. They ended their 10 song set with Hold Me.

JZAC just released (March 24, 2025) his seventh album, Breakfast at Jerry’s. The album consists of 10 tracks, three of which have been released early as singles. The first single was Shake The tree, released on March 6, 2025. He followed that up with Fee Fi Fo Fum on March 13, 2025. Finally, he dropped Smelling Salts on March 20, 2025.