“I’m having a lot more fun than I thought I would,” said Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followhill, sweat dripping down his newly trim hair into his stern blue eyes. “I thought you like, wouldn’t be here, or, wouldn’t know who were were, or...”
He said this to a crowd of at least 7,000 bellowing fans [...]

By now, this might be ancient history in Internet time; but after the jump, check out a quick preview of the 200+ photos in the full gallery. Plus, I've penned my thoughts on each of the festival acts in two sentences or less. Keep in mind that in my effort to cover every band, I [...]

When that is the most common thing one hears said about a concert, it would seem to indicate that something was left to be desired. It was a stroke of PR genius to make this year's version of the Virgin Festival completely free, after it became clear that the lineup was not going to live [...]

Seeing The Flaming Lips live is an experience rather unlike anything else, and these photos speak for themselves. Be sure to check out Jason Cherkis' interview with Lips frontman Wayne Coyne for more on the band and their forthcoming new album, Embryonic.
Lots of photos after the jump and at the full gallery.

"Where do you get the balls to change your name from Gordon to 'Sting'?" asked the comedian Dana Carvey asked sometime in the mid-90's, when the musician's stage name was still viable stand-up fodder. One might ask the same of John Stephens, who changed his name to John Legend while he was still a small-time act in Chicago. To his credit, Legend's spent the intervening years slowly justifying his ambitious moniker, carving out a niche of the outskirts of pop R&B, not far from its borders with rock and big-band. He brought his horn section, dancing girls, and Clorox-white pants to Merriweather Friday.

Nine Inch Nails (above, Trent Reznor sweating a lot) and Jane's Addiction played to a large, enthusiastic crowd on Tuesday, despite crazy thunderstorms and hail just before the show's start time. After the jump, some images from this very visually appealing show. Full gallery here.

Here's what you need to know about The Decemberists playing The Hazards of Love in its entirety on their current tour: on prog-rock bulletin boards, folks are comparing this show to Genesis performing The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway in the 1970s.
Hazards of Love sounds awfully proggy on record, and live it's got all the [...]

"I don't even like jam bands," the engineer told me at Will Call. "I just come to these things to get high."
I nodded at the child strapped to his back. "You folks are in good company, then. The Beautiful People are out in full force tonight."