Last night, we kicked up our feet and drank a cold brew, nestled among aged oak trees at Austin, Texas’s newly renovated music venue, Tim’s Porch. We enjoyed the rockin’ bluesy sounds of John Gaar and Malford Milligan at the recently modified site, formerly known as the “Backyard” amphitheatre. The audience, an undoubtedly Austin-esque conglomeration of colorful characters, ranged from to crazy college kids to hippies in their sixties.

The Show:
John Gaar, originally from Louisiana, unleashed his soulful flair for strumming the guitar during the concert, a spicy compliment to Austinite, Malford Milligan’s Al Green-like sound and style. The collaboration was both entertaining and soothing. Everyone rocked out, including a 4-year old girl who burned up the dance floor all night. With multiple decks of comfortable, intimate seating and ample parking, Jaunted gives Tim’s Porch a thumbs up. ]]> kellycrabb 2009-10-26T09:23:44-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/20/93225/268

More than a music venue and beyond an art space, NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge is a self-proclaimed “creative asylum,” and its historic address (the site of the legendary Village Gate) is an inviting refuge from Bleecker Street’s rowdy, pub-crawling NYU crowd.

This week, we stopped by here—one of our "Best Live New Music Venues"—for a performance by Italian musician Franco Battiato. But the experience is so much more than just him; it's the entire venue. You'll see why...]]> CourtScott 2009-10-22T09:58:41-05:00 40.7284950 -73.999835 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/14/133434/53

Hollywood Hoedown al fresco, anyone?

With a torrent of flash flood warnings in San Francisco and standing water bathing the streets of Los Angeles, California is looking decidedly un-Californian this week. We get it; it's fall, time for leaves to change colors and a crisp chill to hit the air, but us Golden State natives know that the wet weather will pass and we'll still have a solid few weeks to enjoy being outdoors before it becomes truly unbearable. And by unbearable, we mean 50 degrees.

Catching music al fresco is one of our favorite ways to take advantage of the amazing climate, like thousands of Bay Area young'uns will be doing this weekend when they descend upon the Treasure Island Music Festival. But if MGMT, Grizzly Bear, and pushing your way through a crowd of Doc Martens (who brought these back, anyway?) doesn't do it for you, there are other options on the concert docket.

More on outdoor concerts after the jump. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-10-14T15:53:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/6/12429/5902

These days, buses and benches in Los Angeles are emblazoned with one of two images: an ad for Cougar Town, or a photo of an enthusiastic, curly-haired conductor with the text, "ˇVibrante Gustavo!" or "ˇBienvenidos Gustavo!" scrawled across it in bold letters. This animated man is Gustavo Dudamel, the young Venezuelan conductor who has just assumed a lead post at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Everyone from Vogue to 60 Minutes has been buzzing about his arrival in the City of Angels, and after a free preview at the Hollywood Bowl last weekend, it's official: He's arrived.

It's difficult not to buy into the hyped-up excitement about Dudamel, especially when he's drawing comparisons to Leonard Bernstein and it's said his youthful energy might save the state of classical music in the U.S. Talk about expectation. That said, we're itching to see the man in action just as much as the next classical enthusiast. The question is how, especially when ticket demand for a Dudamel-conducted show is ridiculously high. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-10-06T12:56:31-05:00 34.0550510 -118.24961 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/5/01750/5906

When you think of live music venues in Chicago, is the first thing that pops into mind the bright-lit vintage marquee of the Chicago Theater? If so, get ready to have your mind blown by learning what actually are the hot spots for concerts these days; one hint: they aren't clubs and they aren't sit-down theaters.

In true Chicago style, the city's forgotten spaces are being reclaimed for art and community—we once went to a Ghetto Gourmet dinner (a roving dinner party) in an old church loft, stained glass windows and all. And one old ballroom, the Logan Square Auditorium, is seeing its own fair share of shows this season. We headed into Chicago's hipster haven to experience the Israeli band Monotonix this last Saturday night, and we'll just say that it was an experience all right. Read on for all drum set crowd-surfing details...]]> JetSetCD 2009-10-05T09:23:54-05:00 41.9270994 -87.707242 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/29/13814/4642

Los Angeles is a city rich with live music venues. From the expansive Hollywood Bowl to the inevitably sticky floors of the El Rey Theater, L.A., a bastion of entertainment, provides bands passing through town with a home for their fans and a place to showcase their sonic stylings for a night.

In our search for an alternative concert experience we were tipped off to indie-folk band Bon Iver's one-off performance at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, a sunrise show that couldn't be any more different than Britney's Circus extravaganza from the previous week. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-09-30T09:33:51-05:00 34.0887450 -118.31900 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/29/101313/742

Opera may be a hard sell, but New York's Metropolitan Opera's Summer Recital Series makes it easy to fit a little high-culture into your summer fun. Just add fresh air and sunshine, and take away the steep ticket prices.

The Met's free concerts will hit all five boroughs in the next month, having taken their bows already in Central Park, Crotona Park in the Bronx and Queensbridge Park in Queens. Pack a picnic for the Friday show at 7PM at East River Park in Manhattan featuring young Canadian soprano and rising star Joyce El-Khoury.

Catch El-Khoury and the Met orchestra on August 7 and 14 at Tappen Park in Staten Island and at Coffey Park in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Mind your open containers, though: A craving for a little bubbly during a particularly stirring aria could cost you a $100 fine.

Related Stories:
· Summer Recital Series details [MetOperaFamily.org]
· San Francisco's Ballpark Breaks Out The Free Opera [Jaunted]
· Sing, Phantom of the Opera Fans, Sing! [VegasChatter]

[Photo of the next generation of opera fans at last year's series in Prospect Park: sugarpond] ]]> egw 2009-07-29T10:26:12-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/