and celebrating their five decades at the same time. Founding member Emilio Castillo is still steering the ship alongside a cast comprised of musicians that also include long-time contributors Stephen Kupka and Sal Cracchiolo as well as new lead vocalist Marcus Scott. Original bass player Rocco Prestia has unfortunately been sidelined and is competently replaced by Marc Van Wageningen. His presence is still missed, but the band moves forward, as it should, because personalities don't matter. What matters is the groove, relentless and tight.
, Nick Lowe dropped his proto-punk pub-rock power-pop guises and reinvented himself into an understated singer/songwriter. Power chords and frantic beats gave way to low-key acoustic guitars and delicate arrangements.
. 
, that sounds every bit as dirty and evil as you'd expect.
, the soundtrack to their new documentary series. But obviously the crowd was mostly here to hear old classics from Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers)
, which turned twenty five last year. All photogs were asked to leave after three songs, so I am unable to write a proper review of their set (as opposed to De La Soul and Public Enemy which I still managed to hear from the backstage area where I was). But from what I saw, the band was firing on all cylinders.
, a cheap American Led Zeppelin
knock-off offered a few classic rock anthems), sometimes very commercially successful (I Can't Drive 55 or his tenure in Van Halen were blockbusters that still sell today) and always absolutely unremarkable.
, Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul returns with more rollicking soul/rock but when the previous record was comprised of covers and songs Van Zandt had written for other artists, Summer of Sorcery is comprised solely of originals. And while those tunes are meant to be heard in concert, which is where the group excels, the album is a perfect blend of everything we love about the music of the sixties and seventies.
