Jazz is a uniquely American musical form that requires a lot of skill to play and that you can experience at a small venue, bar, or on a big stage with thousands in attendance. Some dedicated festivals have run annually for decades, with the only interruptions being times of war or due to pandemics. According to Live Nation, more than 145 million fans attended more than 50,000 events in 2023, which can make already great music sound better. Here’s why jazz music sounds best live. Improvisation Makes Each Show Unique When you see a jazz show, you aren’t getting the same musical performance over ..read more

By Matt Morrissette The experience of seeing Philly’s Cosmic Guilt live for the first time is a heady one. With a live lineup featuring as many as 10 musicians decked out in pristine vintage western wear and a sound that’s equal parts Americana, psychedelia and chamber pop, a person could be forgiven for mistaking the band for a very pleasant and talented cult that stumbled into the venue fresh from California’s Laurel Canyon or Bakersfield circa 1970. The band’s leader and primary songwriter is Delaware’s own James Everhart. Perhaps best known for a six-year tenure as Low Cut Connie’s fiery l ..read more

Most locales have several places where people can attend concerts by their favorite bands and solo artists. As summer approaches, so does the height of the annual touring season for musicians. Here are some of the many things that make it great to attend a concert. Shared Experience With Others Most people attend concerts with others, which makes it more of a communal experience that participants can talk about with their friends for many days afterward. The fear of missing out is one of the biggest reasons that people choose to attend concerts, especially when their close friends make plans t ..read more

By Matt Morrissette Any family tree representing the past three decades of local, original music in Delaware would be incomplete without listing Phil Young, Mark Stallard, and Pete Romano. In fact, these Delawareans (currently known collectively under their new moniker, Von Holden) are a musical family tree unto themselves. The three multi-instrumentalists have been stalwarts of the local scene since the ‘90s, playing in some of the best bands the area at such much-missed, legendary venues as The East End Café and its successor, Mojo, in Newark, and The Barn Door in Wilmington. Young was a fou ..read more

By Amy Watson Bish Spring is just around the corner. It’s time to emerge from hibernation and get out and about to enjoy all this time of year has to offer. From music festivals and art fairs, to steeplechases and bike races, to celebrations of nature and toasts to creative cuisine, there is plenty of fun to be had throughout Greater Wilmington. Read on to see for yourself. March Shine A Light on 1984!Saturday, March 2 | The Queen, Wilmington Like, omigod! One of the hottest events of the year returns, featuring 70+ of the area’s best musicians performing bodacious hits from 1984. Proceed ..read more

You likely don’t need anyone to tell you that pop music is a huge trend. Pop is the most popular music genre worldwide, with about 64% of survey respondents stating they listen to it, according to Statista. But have you ever really stopped to wonder why this genre has such an enduring and widespread appeal? There are actually some fascinating reasons behind the incredible success of pop tunes over the past several decades. Pop Songs Are Designed to Be Catchy There’s a reason you find yourself humming pop songs hours after you hear them or even find them stuck in your head for days. Pop music i ..read more

By Roger Hillis Mick Jagger once famously says he’d “rather be dead than sing ‘Satisfaction’ when I’m 45.” That was way back in 1975 when he was a ripe old 31. Fast forward to now, when the 80-year-old Jagger is still rocking with the best of them, and whose summer 2024 stadium tour with his Rolling Stones will likely include that song.  Many of the classic-rock stars of yesteryear find that traveling in private jets, staying in fancy hotels and raking in millions of dollars make up for bickering with their bandmates and having to play their signature songs every night. Unsigned bar bands ..read more

By Ken Mammarella Your input — as a patron of the arts, creator or business that caters to the creative economy — is desired in a groundbreaking survey of Delaware’s creative economy. The Delaware Arts Alliance (DAA), a nonpartisan nonprofit, is running the survey through Oct. 15 at DelawareArtsAlliance.org/survey. The DAA says the survey is the first of its kind in the nation. “Our hope with all this is that we show that the arts won’t exist on an island,” says Neil Kirschling, executive director of the alliance. “This survey could only happen in a place like Delaware, because we’re so s ..read more

Someone has to say it… Time to drop the remote, get off the couch, and come alive again with the one thing that has connected, invigorated, and elevated all of humanity since the dawn of time — live music. We’re talking to everyone who became too comfortable staying at home during the pandemic: Get out, it’s over.  We’re speaking to those saying a $10 cover is too much: Try getting tickets to Bruce Springsteen or Taylor Swift. We’re calling out anyone who questions the quality of bands in our area: We’ve been doing this for 35 years — trust us — the musicianship and collaborative energy i ..read more

By Matt Morrissette Widely acknowledged as the birthday of the cultural movement that has come to be known as hip-hop, August 11, 1973, is the day Clive Campbell (better known as DJ Kool Herc) set up his infamously massive sound system at a back-to-school party in the Bronx. Having noticed enthusiastic response to the musical breakdowns of songs, Campbell mixed the funkiest segments from two records on a loop using two turntables with the modest-yet-noble goal of keeping the energy level of the party up and the kids on the dance floor. Over the past 50 years, that spark has grown into a cultur ..read more