Articles By: Travis Sandoval 
Life-long Wisconsinite who has recently made a nest for himself in Portland, Oregon. When not quaffing incredible brew and going to every concert he can, he dreams of Green Bay Packer Super Bowl victories and longs for the day of a return visit to Lambeau Field.
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros Bring Their Alternate Universe Back To Portland
“Come dance with me…” When you’re Alex Ebert, it only takes a simple four word invitation to send an entire audience into a mild frenzy. Arlene Schnitzer Hall, a Portland venue known for sit-down shows and regular visits from the symphony, was temporarily ground zero on Tuesday for the circus-like atmosphere and intoxicating merriment of California band Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. The group’s approach is non-conventional. A wildly energized prophet of a singer at the helm of a [...]
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Double Header At The Oregon Zoo: Robert Randolph & The Family Band and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Few bands have built a reputation for consistently explosive live shows like Robert Randolph & The Family Band and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. So it only made sense that the two groups were billed together for one of the final shows of the Oregon Zoo’s 2012 Summer Concert Series. As the number of sunshine-filled, 70 degree weekends in the Pacific Northwest slowly dwindle, Portlanders could not have asked for a more beautiful Friday evening for an outdoor show. Let [...]
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Zac Brown Band – Uncaged album review
It is probably no secret that most folks are in the market to have a little fun this summer. Well friends, Zac Brown Band is here to provide the good-times soundtrack to accompany your summer merriment. Staying true to the creed of unofficial party spokesmen Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band’s infectiously happy third studio release, Uncaged, reeks of reefer, ice-cold mass produced beer and beach parties. Those familiar with the band know ZBB covers a wide range [...]
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DIIV – Oshin Album album review
In the shoegaze, dream pop world, DIIV‘s debut release, Oshin, has potential to be considered a solid and pretty likeable album. The band follows a similar path as its predecessors of the genre, leaning slightly to a similar style as The Cure and Sonic Youth. But as one delves deeper and deeper into the album, the line has a tendency to blur from one song to the next, making the difference between the first and the last tracks virtually indiscernible. [...]
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Royal Thunder – CVI album review
Hard-rocking Atlanta quartet, Royal Thunder, brings their influence of classic-rock, southern blues and prog-metal to life in their first full length release, CVI. With unmistakable Sabbath guitar riffs and James Hetfield-style vocals, the response from the average metal freak will no doubt be positive. But once the figurative smoke clears from this firestorm of an album, there is potential for the listener to be left with an unsavory taste of déjà vu. There is a theatrical template that Royal Thunder [...]
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Jake Shimabukuro & Leo Kottke At The Oregon Zoo review
Indian poet, Kabir, once wrote, “Music without words means leaving behind the mind. And leaving behind the mind is meditation. Meditation returns you to the source. And the source of all is sound.” Much can be said without using words. Sound, body language and energy can all be as powerful if not more so than the spoken word. When a song abandons words, it must find a way to captivate the listener. And once it succeeds in captivating, holding the [...]
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Leo Kottke and Jake Shimabukuro At The Oregon Zoo This Friday
The Oregon Zoo continues their Summer Concert Series this Friday with Grammy-nominated guitarist Leo Kottke and ukelele master Jake Shimabukuro. The two musicians are playing a few select dates together in the Pacific Northwest before they continue on their solo world tours. Leo Kottke’s innovative finger-picking style and unconventional tuning has always put the artist in a special category of musicians. Widely known as a folk artist, Kottke’s influences from blues to jazz meld together naturally with his own unique [...]
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The Snipes – Psychobitch album review
If one were to do a Google search of “The Snipes,” roughly 12,800,000 results will pop up. “The Snipes + Band” will narrow it down to a mere 1,820,000 results. And if that is too high, “The Snipes + Band + Psychobitch” should bring the figure down to about 27,000. Interestingly enough, less than five pages into your search you will have already found four punk bands in the western hemisphere named The Snipes. All of which, incredibly, are somehow [...]
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Despite Glitches Tedeschi Trucks Band Leaves Everybody Talkin’
Partway through the Kings of Leon’s 2007 performance at Bonnaroo, the sound unexpectedly cut out. Caleb Followill, the turbulent and often unpredictable frontman of the group, threw down his microphone and stormed off stage. The Kings of Leon singer did return eventually but that image of a temper tantrum from one of Rock n’ Roll’s biggest names is forever ingrained in my mind. Tedeschi Trucks Band‘s Sunday night show at Arlene Schnitzer Hall was an amazing display of musicianship. The [...]
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Tedeschi Trucks Band To Play In Portland This Sunday
Portlanders are going to be in for a real treat this Sunday when Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks bring their 11-piece ensemble to Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. What has been hailed as one of the hottest touring acts on the road today, Tedeschi Trucks Band consistently amazes audiences around the world with their extraordinary musicianship and incredible live performances. Despite only being mid-way through, 2012 is already shaping up to be quite the epic year for the husband-wife led band. [...]
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