Photos: Brad Hodge

There is no better reason to see a musical performance, than “It’s free”.   Especially when that gratis performance is from the astoundingly gifted disciples of freedom, the Sierra Leone’s Refugee Allstars. Middle Tennessee State University played host to the culturally rich, economically friendly performance, so there was no surprise to see a great turn out of youthful, admirers of the world beat music.  The sound of well-balanced mixture of African tribal drumming, grooving reggae backbone and heartfelt lyrics were the main ingredient for moving the crowd all evening.  

It is hard to imagine a more highly anticipated show than Led Zeppelin’s reunion at the O2 Arena. Billed as a one-off tribute show for Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, a reported 20 million people entered the lottery for the opportunity to buy a golden ticket to a show that most believed would never happen.

The band kicked off its first full show in 27 years with “Good Times, Bad Times,” and overall, the group sounded crisper, heavier and tighter than anyone expected. Despite various concerns ranging from Robert Plant’s voice to Jimmy Page’s broken finger and Jason Bonham’s prior sit-ins, the reincarnated four-piece absolutely crushed the well-rehearsed set. During “Ramble On” the band may have been too heavy, but overall it generally stuck to the well-known arrangements, and had no problem navigating the intricate changes of its material, especially the multi-faceted “Song Remains the Same” and the epic set-closer “Kashmir.”

Photo Wes Orshoski

As Stevie Wonder walked onstage with his daughter, singer Aisha Morris, to open the show, he spoke about the 2006 passing of his mother Lulu Mae Hardaway—how her death led to his reinvigorated spirit after he initially had canceled all performances. As the grief-stricken performer told his manager, “We have to make the impossible possible.” And so he did on his first American tour in ten years, “A Wonder Autumn Night,” which extended into December, with Glendale serving as the last night on the tour.

Wonder’s voice shows no signs of age after a 45-year career that began at the age of 12 with his chart-topping single, “Fingertips–Part 2.” A superb backing group supported his ability to play timeless songs on keyboards and harmonica, including an opening duet with his daughter on “Love’s In Need of Love Today.”

Photo Ariella Stok

“It’s a Saturday mitzvah,” pipes one of Yo La Tengo’s younger relatives from the front row during a pause in the action of the fifth show of their occasionally annual eight-night Hanukkah gig at Maxwell’s, the 200-capacity Hoboken backroom where they got their start.

“With or without a menorah,” guitarist/singer Ira Kaplan adds, barely glancing at the electric menorah perched on the speaker next to Georgia Hubley’s drums. There is a hand-scrawled “out-of-order” sign affixed to it.