The Black Crowes

There are very few bands who can match the pure rock vibe of the Black Crowes, and last Thursday, they were kicking like you wouldn't believe at the Eagle River Pavilion. Chris Robinson rocked his way through set after set by grooving and flailing all over the stage. You got the garage-band rocker feel with a extremely talented, experienced front-man, and a band that knows how to jam! Although, The Crowes didn't play many of their mega-hits, it was a great show for some good old rock'n'roll.

The Dave Matthews Band

For Matthews fans, it's been a long and much anticipated wait here in the Treasure Valley, since it has been since 1998 that The Dave's Matthew's Band last appeared here. And fortunately, they didn't disappoint! Renowned for their live performances, Dave Matthews Band lived up to the hype and then some. With a solid 2 1/2 set, Matthews delivered a high-energy, entertaining performance with amazing vocals throughout.  He also displayed his humorous side as he kept yakking away in a somewhat demented yet goofy voice, while dancing around the stage. It was fun spirited, upbeat and kept him real.  His band was also amazing, with an impressive selection of highlights from each of them  This is one group of very talented musicians, that had the ability to blow me away.

Steve Miller Band

For classic rock fans, Steve Miller Band didn't disappoint when they performed at Eagle, Idaho's new Eagle River Pavilion last Thursday. In top form, Miller performed classics like Space Cowboy, Jetliner, and Fly Like an Eagle, but also included cuts from their new album Bingo, which kept the same vibe and feel as their old stuff. The audience was eager to jam to anything Miller threw out. With a voice that is still completely amazing, Miller himself belted out perfect solos and harmonies. Towards the end of the show, Miller gave the crowd an introduction to a children's music education project that he's helping develop called Kids Rock Free. He then invited one of the young guitarist from the program to join them on stage to astonishingly play out the remaining songs with them. For a band that peaked in the 70's, The Steve Miller Band proved their music's timeless appeal to an audience of all ages.

Michael Franti & Spearhead

Michael Franti is one of those musicians that has the ability to reach inside your body and make your whole soul sing. With an upbeat and infectious vibe, Franti had the entire audience dancing and grooving along to his reggae inspired rock on last Tuesday night, at the Eagle River Pavilion.

As a performer who loves his audience and knows how to interact with them, Franti jammed for a solid two hours and several times he invited different individuals onto the stage. At one point, one teenage boy was handed his guitar and impressively played Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit. Which added the perfect nostalgia to an already awe-inspiring concert.

Franti ended the show by inviting all the kids to the stage to dance to Say Hey (I Love You), Franti's most successful song by far. With perfect weather, an amazing outdoor venue, and a killer performance, there wasn't an individual there who didn't leave even more smitten with Michael Franti & Spearhead than before. Add this one to your list of must see's, it's definitely one you won't want to miss!

Michael Franti & Spearhead

We be jammin' tonight with Michael Franti and his band Spearhead. Come join TIXXFIXX  the Eagle River Pavilion at 7:00 p.m.and get your groovy groove on! With a blend reggae, funk, and rock, this is a show you won't want to miss.

For more information about shows and tickets go to www.tixxfixx.com

Tim McGraw Concert

Lady Antebellum opened for the Tim McGraw concert at the nearly sold out show held at the Idaho Center. Their name is Latin for "before the war", which was befitting for the welcome Tim McGraw received as ladies charged the stage from every angle once he came out. One women even made it on stage and was tackled by 3 security guards just prior to her reaching Tim.

The stage configuration for this show, which came out into section F2, gave the maximum amount of people an opportunity to get up close and personal. In fact, for this show, if you were in section F1 Row P, you were within 5-10 feet of Tim for a majority of the show. If you were in the General Admission, VIP pit, reserved for dignitaries and fan club members and within the main stage, you were probably disappointed. He spent a very limited amount of time actually on the main stage. Front Row had to turn around at all times...

If you were a country fan and a woman, you were in heaven, as Tim, shook hands with, bumped fists with, and kissed the cheeks of hundreds of fans standing along the extended stage. If you were the date of a woman at the show, you were jealous, period. Controlling the crowd who pushed up against the stage was nearly impossible, and Tim played into it well. Two young Cowgirls were brought on stage dressed to the nines and got the royal treatment and received a memory for life. They looked like they just came from a pink rodeo and seemed to be between 3 and 4 years old and dressed like twins.

Tim commented that he doesn't like to talk much, just give the crowd what they came for and that is songs. In fact after his encore, he must have played an additional 7 songs. The crowd was pleased and respected his heartfelt dedication to the troops and to all the things his first guitar had given him...the niceties of life, his daughters, and of course Faith Hill which he proudly displayed tattooed on his right arm.

The concessions had a nice selection and many shirts were high quality and reasonably priced. If you missed this one, check out the photos that the fans have turned in to tixxpixx section of tixxfixx.com.