May 2025 Recap

With Sturgill Simpson, Art-A-Whirl, Teague Alexy, SRB x 4, Twine x 3, and more!

Jan 16, 2026

5.3 Adam Greuel and The Space Burritos at 56 Brewing

Wisconsinite Adam Greuel of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades is also in jam supergroup The High Hawks with Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon and Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth. For this low key gig at the NE brewery, Greuel invited locals Maxaphone and Pert Near fiddle’s player, Chris Forsberg, up for a few. Both rocked some nice solos. I appreciated the twang of the George Strait and Patti Loveless songs and a couple from John Prine. Setlist included:

Angel From Montgomery
Fireman
Blame it on Your Heart
Tumbling Dice

Old Black Water voodoo
Spanish Pipedream
Rumbling and Tumbling

Fixin’ To Die Blues

Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

5.4 Shotgun Ragtime Band at Driftwood

with Art and Jim holding down the Fine and Friends opening slot with:

Back on the Train>
Umdermind
Look at Miss Ohio
Isis
Nothing Compares 2U

And for the main event I have no photos but did take some setlist notes:

MS Half Step

Lazy River

Dark Hollow

West LA Fadeaway

Ramble on Rose 🌹

Cassidy

Just A Little Light

5.6 Sturgill Simpson at The Armory

I've been a big fan of Sturgill's voice since the first time I heard it several years ago, but this was my first time seeing him live. His much raved about show in September at the Roy Wilkins left many of my hard to impress music friends in awe, despite that venue's notoriously bad gymnasium like sound.
As a result, this round of shows was not to be missed.
The first of his two nights at the Armory was sold out and he wasn't joking about the 8pm sharp start time. He shared/cautioned that the band had about three hours of material to play, and they did so without so much as a five minute breather. His setlist was completely unpredictable, which I always appreciate, veering from originals to the UB40 style version of "Red Red Wine" to a nearly unrecognizable version of Eddie Murphy's 1985 classic "Party All The Time", which was of course co-written and produced by Rick James. Also played was “A Whiter Shade of Pale”, and he closed with a stirring tribute to Prince in “Purple Rain”, a song those in attendance at My Morning Jacket’s recent show at the Armory were treated to. This kind of variety is the mark of a sophisticated and well rounded musician, in my opinion, and his band seemed happy to go along for the ride. The band consists of Simpson, another electric guitar, keys (keyboardist played sax a time or two also) drums and bass. Sturgill has remarkable control, emotion, and just the right amount of twang in his voice and I really appreciate his no nonsense attitude. His viral speech/rant/declaration that patriarchy is not cool and we're on the way to something better shortly after the ever so sad re-election of a criminal was one of the first signs of hope in this tragic new era:

“I think that this toxic patriarch energy that we are experiencing right now, this is an age coming to an end. What you are seeing is that energy clinging and clawing for survival because it knows it’s dying, and we are heading towards something very beautiful. And we just gotta go through some dark s— first to get there. Love everybody around you, don’t accept anything other than that, and f— s— up. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

5.6 Twine at Gluek’s

Sturgill after-party time. Snowman’s b-day started at midnight and the show featured my fave Twine jam, “Lou & Luna” as well as The Meters’ “Sissy Strut’ and the Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”.

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”:

5.7 Teague Alexy at 331 Club

featuring:

Old Irish Pirate Song
Sidesteppin' Man
Do Right By Me
Adrianna

Riding On A Ferris Wheel (I love the line “I ain’t no one trick pony, I got at least one up each sleeve”)

5.7 Twine at Bunker’s

Snowman’s b-day! A couple high points of the evening were WSP’s “Fishwater” and JJ Cale’s “Call Me The Breeze”.

5.10 The Stretch with Demitri at Tuttle’s

A fun variety of tunes from Nate E and Co with special guest Demitri:

Cities
TLEO
Sugaree
Wolfman’s
After Midnight
Jolene
Back on the Train
Loving Cup

5.11 Shotgun Ragtime Band at Driftwood

with Jeff Ray and Friends opening

SRB’s set went like:

That's Alright Mama
Fennario
Minglewood
Mama Tried w Jeff Ray
Railroad Blues w JR
Stuck Inside Mobile
Black Throated Wind

'“RR Blues” with Jeff Ray:

JR and Friends:

5.14 Lenz and Frenz at 331 Club

w special guest Ian Alexy on acoustic guitar

Mike Blake on upright bass

Mike Heddig on mandolin sings “Stealin’”

Jay sing Cake’s “Stickshifts and Safety Belts”

Plus a pretty decent version of Fastball’s “The Way”

“The Weight” from Ian and Mike B by request from the guy in the System Of A Down shirt.

5.17 About To Run at Tuttle’s

Art’s Phish tribute was back with, among other songs:

Free
The Lizards
Mango Song
Water in the Sky
Julius
Divided Sky
Theme from the Bottom

“Run Like An Antelope”:

“First Tube”:

5.18 Art-A-Whirl at Indeed with Saltydog, Aby Wolf

Saltydog:

Aby Wolf:

Javier Santiago:

5.18 Shotgun Ragtime Band at Driftwood

#726 - With Jim H and Will E doing the opening set, and Will sitting in with SRB for the opening “Mr. Charlie”. Both Jazz and GR were present on keys so it was the full SRB experience.

Mr. Charlie
El Paso
Beat It On The Line
Just A Little Light
Althea
TN Jed

Man Smart Woman Smarter
Playing In The Band with Mike C.

“Mr. Charlie”: