Philadelphia, where Echoes is based, will be experiencing a wave of progressive music past and present in the coming months. From the past, Tangerine Dream, UK and Van Der Graaf Generator. Reflecting the past, Broekhuis, Keller & Schonwalder. From the present, Sigur Ros, Dead Can Dance (well, kind between past & present), Radiohead and Iona. …
Tag: Progressive Rock
Reviews & Commentary
Nearfest Exits, Farfest Enters
If you missed out on tickets for Nearfest Apocalypse, the final edition of this venerable festival, then hang on until October for Farfest, a four day progressive rock festival happening in Wilmington, Delaware at the Grand Opera House October 4-7. The festival has put together an impressive array of 70’s Progressive rock acts, all from…
Reviews & Commentary
Progressive Rock Returns WXPN 7-Hour Marathon
I’m just hours away from WXPN‘s Progressive Rock Marathon. I’ll be joining Dan Reed, Biff Kennedy and Star’s End pilot Chuck Van Zyl bringing Progressive rock to the airwaves of Philadelphia, Central PA and the world Saturday, January 7 from 10AM-5PM. Since the show is a special segment of XPN’s “Highs in the 70s,” it…
Reviews & Commentary
NEARFEST Apocalypse
After announcing that they were resurrecting NEARFEST in 2012, the festival organizers have decided that 2012 will mark the last NEARFEST. In true ProgRock fashion, they’ve labeled it NEARFEST APOCALYPSE. Prog was never known for understatement. Well, like just about every classic prog group they’ve presented over the years who were resurrected from the grave,…
Reviews & Commentary
NEARFEST RETURNS IN 2012
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, or maybe King Crimson rising from Robert Fripp‘s mind, NEARFEST, the venerable progressive rock festival, will return in 2012 after cancelling the 2011 show due to poor ticket sales. With the original founders back at the helm, look for the festival to return to it’s mix of vintage…
Reviews & Commentary
Sleepy Hollow Prog Rock Playlist
This past Sunday I participated in WXPN‘s Highs in the 70s 24 Hour Progressive Rock Marathon. In addition to co-hosting with Dan Reed & Biff Kennedy from 11AM-3PM, I also produced a special two hour Prog edition of Sleepy Hollow, XPN’s wake up and stay in bed weekend morning show, or “The quiet sounds of…
Reviews & Commentary
Keith Emerson-A Different Knife’s Edge.
Keith Emerson, founder of The Nice, the Emerson in Emerson, Lake and Palmer and destroyer of Hammond B-3’s undergoes colon surgery. From Keith Emerson’s Facebook page: I would like to thank all those well-wishers that wrote to me during my recent hospitalisation. I would also like to thank the doctors, surgeons and nurses of The…
Program Highlights
Chapman Stickman-Rob Martino
Echoes has an interview tonight, 9/20/2010, with Rob Martino who talks about his progressive rock approach to the Chapman Stick, an instrument invented in 1969 by Emmett Chapman. Hearing Rob play, it’s sometimes difficult to understand quite what’s going on, so, here’s a couple of videos of Rob Martino in action with the Chapman Stick. …
Reviews & Commentary
NEARfest 2010 Finale: Eddie Jobson’s Cover Band
A Rock Orchestra playing the music of the Masters or A Glorified Tribute band. I was telling my friend that I thought it would be compelling if some of these NEARfest bands would occasionally play cover tunes, paying homage to the masters with modern interpretations. As they say, be careful what you wish for, because…
Reviews & Commentary
NEARfest Day Three: Pineapple Thief Steals the Show.
Surprising sets from a lost elder statesman and a band that should be much bigger, The Enid & The Pineapple Thief. They were only the third act on the bill, but The Pineapple Thief stole the day for me with the most atypical set of NEARfest 2010. No extended guitar solos, keyboard orchestrations or complex…