2 Much Live Music: Marking Milestones with Muse, Angine de Poitrine in August

I’d seen Sierra Ferrell’s name bandied about as one to watch over the past year or so. Between collaborations with Billy Strings and Sierra Hull, and her opening slots for Mumford & Sons in the U.S. and Europe, she’d done plenty to get her name out there.

Turns out, Sierra’s also got the musical talent to back it up, along with a rotating wardrobe of colorful costumes and a decorative set to fully match the “medicine show” vibes she and her band have been reviving.

Read more about the show and check out my photos on Live For Live Music.

The Skirball’s annual Sunset Concerts series came and went too quickly, but not before celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with an array of roots music. Annie & The Caldwells and The Campbell Brothers brought two different regional brands of Black American sacred music to a Jewish museum.

Read more about the show and check out my photos at 2 Much Live Music.

I’d been waiting for the right opportunity to take my Mom to a concert. That finally arrived when Judy Collins came to town.

I remember seeing Judy’s records in my Mom’s vinyl collection when I was a kid. That same fluttering voice of hers still came through at The Ford

And, well, Mom had a great time.

Find more words and photos from the show at 2 Much Live Music.

Media passes aren’t my only means into shows, of course. I’m also fortunate to have friends who generously share the gift of music with me.

On that note, shoutout to my friends Micah and Megan, along with their families, for inviting me to join them for Counting Crows at the Hollywood Bowl. 

I’d seen a sliver of Adam Duritz and company when they opened for Santana at the Forum in 2023 (more on the latter in a bit), but getting to take in the whole set made for an entirely different experience.

The band’s classics — including “Mr. Jones” coming up third in the setlist and “Hanginaround” in the encore — were excellent. So were their covers of Jackson C. Frank’s “Blues Run The Game,” Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” and a rendition of Taylor Swift’s “the 1” that bled into “A Long December.”

But what really made the show sing was, well, the singer. Beyond his pure skill as a vocalist, Duritz infused so much raw emotion into his performance, as if the songs were extemporaneous expressions of his inner monologue.

The company at the Bowl (and the seats) didn’t hurt, either.

Looking back on it now, those of us who were at the Intuit Dome to see Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire on their Sing a Song All Night Long Tour were lucky that the show went off as smoothly as it did — aside from Lionel’s audio issues at the outset, anyway.

Read more about why, and see my selects from the evening, at 2 Much Live Music.

I had more than a bit of FOMO after missing RUFUS DU SOL at the Rose Bowl in 2025. Fortunately, that evaporated once the Aussies announced an extension of their Inhale/Exhale Tour that included five nights at the Forum.

With no media or photo access to any of their shows, I did the honorable thing…and used the StubHub perk on one of my credit cards to cover the cost of the ticket. That guaranteed I would catch every beat, drop, and ounce of euphoria from songs like “On My Knees,” “Eyes,” “Always,” “New Sky,” and, of course, “Innerbloom.”

The trio of Tyrone Lindqvist, James Hunt, and Jon George made sure to remind the crowd in Inglewood that they’ve been locals for nearly a decade, and would remain such after the end of their roadtrip — which became the highest-grossing EDM tour to date.

Moreover, they made it clear that they’d be back in the studio, working on their next album, as soon as their tour wraps up.

So if you’re hanging out in Venice this fall and happen to hear a mix of vibey synths and Australian accents sifting through the air, there’s a non-zero chance that it’s RUFUS making magic happen somewhere nearby.

Another year, another Oneness Tour for Carlos Santana and his (partially) family band, this time with The Doobie Brothers in tow.

Together, they created a formidable bill to fill the Hollywood Bowl on a Thursday night in August.

This was just my second time catching Santana in person and my first in front of The Doobie Brothers (notwithstanding all the times I watched their Behind The Music episode on VH1 back in the day).

Read more about the show at Live For Live Music.

The Greek Theatre has become the biennial home for Goose in L.A. While fans of the Connecticut-based jam band (like yours truly) would love to see Rick Mitarotonda and company come to town more often, they’ll take the tightly played set that this quartet put together in mid-August whenever it comes through.

(The locals certainly won’t mind seeing Rick with his other new band, Rainbow Body, at the Irvine Bowl in October.)

Read more about Goose’s two spectacular sets at Live For Live Music.

The Hollywood Bowl hosted a full-on Southern rock revue when The Black Crowes’ tour (with Whiskey Myers in tow) collide with that of Tedeschi Trucks Band in L.A.

The joint encore between the co-headliners was superb, but Derek Trucks wailing away on a cover of “Beck’s Bolero” was my favorite moment of the night

Read more about the show and flip my photos at Live For Live Music.

Getting words and photos published in Rolling Stone for any reason would’ve been special. Doing so while covering the viral weirdness of Angine de Poitrine sealed an unforgettable experience.

Check out my RS debut here.

What could be better than blasts from the past by The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and The Eagles on the same night?

How about bringing my Dad along for the fun?

More words and photos from The Guess Who’s triumphant return at 2 Much Live Music.

Keyon Harrold and Macy Gray celebrated Blue Note L.A.’s first birthday with a doubleheader of jazz standards, surprising covers, and beloved originals from their respective catalogs.

Visit 2 Much Live Music for my full recap with photos.

Nine months after catching David Byrne’s groundbreaking Who Is The Sky? Tour at the Dolby Theatre, I got to see essentially the same show at the Hollywood Bowl.

Somehow, despite playing a venue that’s five times bigger, David and his troupe managed to make the experience just as intimate and idiosyncratic as it was at the Dolby Theatre last November.

Read more about how, with photos, at Live For Live Music.

My 20 years of Muse fandom may have peaked with the end of the North American Leg of The WOW! Signal Tour.

Photographing my favorite band and enjoying their show in Chula Vista with the biggest Muse fans I know was a dream. Getting to see Muse light up the Hollywood Bowl two nights later was sweet serendipity.

 Check out my full recap with photos at 2 Much Live Music.

Considering how prominently Muse figured into my live music coverage in August, it’s only right that Matt Bellamy gets the spotlight in The Charcoal Club, as well.

My buddy Jarrod commissioned the original of this piece as part of a Kickstarter I ran at the end of 2024, to support framing all of my art and making it possible to exhibit in public. Fellow photographer Alex Kluft was kind enough to supply the photo of Matt, since I hadn’t yet shot Muse at that point.

You can find prints and posters of this piece in my Etsy shop.

For all the latest updates and to reach out, follow The Charcoal Club on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads and Facebook, and visit our website.

The North Carolina-based rapper takes The Fall-Off World Tour to Inglewood, then returns to Crypto.com Arena on Labor Day, giving equal time to the homes of the Clippers and Lakers.

The famed frontman for The Killers goes solo at The Ford to support his latest release, THRASHER.

The legendary ‘80s rocker — with Axl Rose on vocals and Slash on guitar — make their triumphant return to the L.A. area with a headlining show at the Rose Bowl on their 2026 World Tour.

Kpop takes over Inglewood for two more shows, as part of a four-night stand at SoFi Stadium.

The run of classic rock double bills continues with Chicago and Styx at the Forum in Inglewood.

Female singer-songwriters unite for a night of ‘90s flashbacks on The Flannel and The Fury Tour at the Greek.

The Chicago blues legend who inspired the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Gary Clark Jr., and John Mayer extends his 90th birthday celebration with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram at the Hollywood Bowl.

Jack Antonoff and company trade arenas and amphitheaters for five nights at the iconic, 500-person Troubadour in West Hollywood.

Sturgill Simpson’s latest project brings its Mutiny For The Masses 2026 Tour to Inglewood.

Another double dose of classic rock, this time at Long Beach’s brand-new outdoor venue.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers come to downtown L.A. one last time on their Final Frontier Tour.

Expect funky jams galore from Adam "Shmeeans" Smirnoff, Nigel Hall, Adam Deitch, Erick "Maverick" Coomes, Ryan Zoidis, and Eric "Benny" Bloom.

Phoebe Bridgers isn’t the only member of boygenius who can fill a big venue in Southern California…

From folk to “popera,” the Bowl will host Andrea Bocelli for two nights of soaring vocals in the hills.

Progressive bluegrass makes its way from Tennessee to WeHo.

What’s better than an EDM act with a drummer? How about an EDM act with three drummers, playing two nights in Hollywood?

Marquee acts from across the musical spectrum — from Muse, Weezer, and Smashing Pumpkins, to Snoop Dogg, Goo Goo Dolls, BTS, and Cardi B — gather in Las Vegas for two nights of eclectic sounds on the Strip.

Prepare your purple hats for a night of “Animal Talk” with Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern at the Greek.

Hair metal is alive and well in Long Beach.

For anyone not observing Yom Kippur, Chance The Rapper is an excellent option for a night of earnest, melodic hip-hop.

Lily Allen brings her one-woman show, West End Girl, back to L.A. — this time, at a bigger venue than the Orpheum Theater, where she performed in April.

The Australian psych-rockers — whose beat Kevin Parker used to keep as drummer before Tame Impala took off — are sure to put on a raucous show in downtown L.A.

Beck won’t have to Ride Lonesome, not with 5,700 or so of his fellow Angelenos in attendance at the Greek.

The Swedish pop singer gets Sexistential as her comeback tour pulls into Inglewood for two nights at the Forum.

The singer, songwriter, rapper, and producer takes center stage at the Hollywood Bowl.

Metalheads unite for a hair-thrashing triple bill at Exposition Park.

The face-melting Michigander brings his jamgrass ensemble to Southern California, with Forum ticketholders granted priority access to his more intimate Orpheum show.

Eddie Vedder’s venerable seaside festival welcomes Mana, Tyler Childers, and (of course) Pearl Jam to a stacked bill with Billy Idol, Bad Religion, Alabama Shakes, Jon Batiste, Pixies, and Rilo Kiley on the undercard.

Goldenvoice takes over the sand south of the Santa Monica Pier, with The Killers and Olivia Dean headlining a big-time bill featuring Jack White, Khruangbin, and Sublime.

Those seeking more of an EDM-oriented final weekend of September would do well to migrate up to San Francisco, where Robyn, Dog Blood (Skrillex and Boys Noize), Swedish House Mafia, and Zara Larsson are slated to push the vibes high and keep them there.

…and if you can’t make it to Portola, Tove Lo will make sure to satisfy your Swede tooth.

…and if you don’t get to Ohana Fest, the Hollywood Bowl has your back with a night of Jon Batiste under the stars.

…and if you miss Jack White at Ocean Way, you’ll have two more opportunities, in a more intimate setting, at the Palladium.

The real star of this show will be the visual artist Lauren Halsey, who’s bringing the immersive environment of her 2024 London show emajendat to the Hollywood Bowl.

Bruno Mars kicks off a five-night run of stadium shows near LAX.