 Kevin Wierzbicki, antiMusic.com Travel Editor, Senior Music Reviewer A native of Flint, Michigan and longtime resident of Phoenix, Arizona, Kevin travels the world (and makes plenty of trips to his mailbox) in search of good music and exciting travel adventures and very often finds them both in one place. Below you'll find links to lots of his recently published pieces, including specialty columns On the Record (for vinyl fanatics), Passport (spotlight on international music), Root 66 (Americana and roots music) and Get the Blues (well, you know.) Kevin's Road Trip series, along with other travel pieces, finds him recounting his exploits in exotic places like Malaysia, Mexico, Greenland and French Polynesia but he also frequently reports from the U.S. where he's just as likely to pop up in Bloomington (that's Indiana) as he is in Nashville. Kevin's work has also been published in USA Today Mexican/Caribbean edition, The Arizona Republic, The Desert Leaf (Tucson), Campus Circle (Los Angeles), Broughton Quarterly, azcentral.com and many other publications. Read more of Kevin's work on his Facebook Page
Kevin's articles here at antiMusic
 Live from Celebrity Theatre: Ringo Starr & His All Starr BandWe took in the first of two shows by Ringo Starr at the historic Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix.  Sites and Sounds: Milwaukee Metal FestMilwaukee goes metal with shows by Anthrax, Unearth, Cephalic Carnage, Obituary and many others, including the mighty Lamb of God!  Sites and Sounds: Jacksonville Jazz FestivalSpend the three-day Memorial Day weekend in Jacksonville swinging, grooving and be-bopping with stars like Ron Carter, David Sanborn, Chaka Khan and many others.  Graham Nash - NowNashs last album featured the songs from his first two solo albums, both released five decades ago. So then its appropriate, in more ways than one, that his latest effort is entitled Now.  What's Doing with Joe BonamassaWhats doing with Joe Bonamassa? What isnt! The popular blues rocker has a brand new live CD/DVD release out, two blues cruises in the works and a full slate of tour dates throughout 2023.  Duff McKagan - This is the SongAs a founding member of both Guns N Roses and Velvet Revolver, Duff McKagan has certainly seen more than his share of lives going off the rails  Sites and Sounds: Belize Songwriter FestivalSome of Nashvilles best songwriters will make the first annual Belize Songwriter Festival something to remember  Root 66: Ian Jones- Arkansauce- Steve Dawson- The PetersensFor this installment of Root 66 Kevin tells us about new releases from Ian Jones, Arkansauce, Steve Dawson and The Petersens  Mother's Day Gift GuideDont forget that Mothers Day 2023 is Sunday, May 14. Here we offer some very cool gift ideas that are sure to please mom, including eco-friendly and sustainable skin care products.  Cinco de Mayo: Have A Fantastico Fiesta With These ItemsCinco de Mayo is celebrated on May 5 and that falls on a Friday this year, so what better reason do you need to celebrate all weekend long?  Stephen Stills - Live at Berkeley 1971This previously unreleased live recording features 14 tracks culled from two shows that Stills performed at the intimate Berkeley Community Theater in late August of 1971  Sites and Sounds: Schellraiser Music FestivalThis June when the Schellraiser Music Festival takes flight, McGill will be the middle of everywhere!  RockPile: American Jetset- Blak29- And MoreKevins takes a listen to new releases from American Jetset, Blak29, Ape Shifter and F8TLSTK  Sites and Sounds: Daytona Beach is Rockville!Daytona Beach has also been garnering fame as the home of Welcome to Rockville, one of the nations most-revered music festivals  Live: Fatoumata Diawara Live In PhoenixMalian singer Fatoumata Diawara and her four-piece band put on an exciting show April 21 in the Music Theater at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix  Sites and Sounds: Alpine Helen Songwriters FestivalAlpine Helen has been making a name for itself as the place to be to hear good music every spring when the Alpine Helen Songwriters Festival takes place  Record Store Day Is on the Way!Record Store Day takes place on Saturday April 22 and record stores will once again have tons of new collectible vinyl titles that will only be available in store  Sites and Sounds: The Lake of the Ozarks is Ready to Rock!Located in the heart of Missouri, the Lake of the Ozarks is renowned as the Midwests premier lake resort destination, and its no wonder!  Sites and Sounds: George Jones Tribute ConcertGeorge Jones legacy will be honored by more than 20 country luminaries at the cleverly-named one-night-only event Still Playin Possum  The Kinks - The Journey - Part 1This anthology from the Kinks includes material thats drawn from their early work in 1964 on through to 1975  On The Record: Just the Hits Edition - The Police, Bryan Adams, Roxy Music and Little River BandThere are hits galore in this edition of our spotlight on new vinyl releases. Checking in with their biggest hits are the Police, Roxy Music, Bryan Adams and the Little River Band.  Peter Case - Doctor MoanCase was a founding member of fabled punk rock band The Nerves and his power pop band The Plimsouls had a memorable hit with A Million Miles Away.  Travel News, Trips and Tips: Spring 2023We like everything for travelers that we review here but were including something that we absolutely love! Forgive us if we rave a little bit!  Hot In The City: More Arizona Spring ConcertsTheyre popping up like desert wildflowers! There are tons of good shows coming to Phoenix and Arizona this spring and here are some of our picks.  Quick Flicks: Carly Simon - Live at Grand CentralLive at Grand Central is a great snapshot in time and will be cherished by Carly Simon fans.  Travel News, Trips and Tips: Takulandirani - Malawi International Tourism Expo Coming to Lilongwe in AprilThe Malawi International Tourism Expo (MITE), also known as Takulandirani, will celebrate Malawis emergence as Africas newest tourism hot spot and showcase the real African experience.  Passport: KeturahIn this edition of Passport we preview the debut release from Keturah, Malawis rising singing star.  RockPile: Cold Stares, Eyelids, Dust Bowl Faeries and JuniperRockPile unearths new releases from the Cold Stares, Eyelids, Dust Bowl Faeries and Juniper.  Hot In The City: Arizona Upcoming Concerts Roundup Spring 2023Our spotlight on the Phoenix and Arizona music scene features info on some of the exciting concerts coming to the Phoenix metropolitan area and produced by Danny Zelisko Presents  Party Favors For St Patrick's DayHave you got your Kiss Me Im Irish button located? Ready to drink a few mugs of green beer? Here we offer some new music for your St. Patricks Day celebration as well as a recipe for a new cocktail thats perfect for the day  The Blues: Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Vanessa Collier, Kirk FletcherOur focus on blues music this time out features new releases from Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Vanessa Collier and Kirk Fletcher. And they have something special in common.  Sites and Sounds: Beale Street Music FestivalA stellar lineup will be on hand to wow fans at the 2023 Beale Street Music Festival, set to take place on three stages in the Beale Street riverfront area of Memphis  With Priceless Memories Made, Cayamo Sails to 2024 SelloutIf you were aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Pearl for this years Cayamo you would not be surprised to find out that the 2024 edition of the cruise sold out barely a week after cabins went on sale.  Cayamo 2023 Hits the Islands: Fun Ashore in Tortola and St. MaartenDozens and dozens of concerts make sure that theres non-stop fun during the Cayamo cruise, a floating music festival and celebration of Americana music that this year took place Feb. 10-17  Box Sets: Dokken - The Elektra Albums 1983-1987Heres a chance for vinyl fans to really do some serious rockin with Dokken. This new box set collects the first four albums from the band, all released in the mid-1980s.  Cayamo Cruise Begins with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Sail Away ShowThe 15th edition of the Cayamo cruise got off to an auspicious start on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023 as the long-running Americana group Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (NGDB) had the honor of playing Cayamos sail-away show  Sites and Sounds: The Big Easy Cruise will Celebrate New OrleansFans of cruising, great music and the city of New Orleans will be in for a real treat with The Big Easy Cruise, a new themed cruise produced by music cruise specialists StarVista LIVE  On The Record: Suzi Moon - Dumb & In LuvYou may not be dumb but you will definitely be in love with this awesome party platter after just one listen; that is, if you like great punk pop with female lead vocals  On The Record: Vinyl MoonThis time out our spotlight on vinyl features the Vinyl Moon label. The imprint is already a vinyl lovers delight, now theyre releasing titles with Augmented Reality!  Adam Masterson - Time BombKevin takes a listen to Adam Mastersons new album Time Bomb  Valentine's Day Gift IdeasHere are some cool ideas for gifts for your Valentine, and yes we have chocolate!  Jared James Nichols - Jared James NicholsNichols has a stated goal here of playing in different styles to reflect his influences and it works nicely, theres a very cohesive feel to the album.  Quick Flicks: Creature From Black LakeWe screen a campy, vintage creature feature about a hairy humanoid!  Box Sets: Amazing Grace: Country Stars Sing Songs of Faith and HopeWe listen to a fabulous collection of inspirational songs by country music stars both current and past.  Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros. - Live in Colorado, Vol. 2Founding member of the Grateful Dead Bob Weir continues to bring music to Deadheads by working with various entities  Root 66: Sicard Hollow - Brightest of DaysBut like the music of the Grateful Dead that its inspired by, just dig it and dont hurt your head trying to figure it out  Heroes & Monsters - Heroes and MonstersMany fans will be familiar with members of the trios lineup of singer and bass man Todd Kerns (Slash and the Conspirators), guitarist Stef Burns (Y&T, Alice Cooper) and drummer Will Hunt (Evanescence.)  Bloodsucking Zombies from Outer Space - 2 Decades of DecayNot yet hip to this delightfully-named Austrian shock rock outfit? Heres your chance to catch up as this set compiles the best of the bands English language material from the past 20-years.  GETSOME! - Nothing Personal of CourseThis Hollywood-based band begins their new album with the sublime groove of One Too Many  David Crosby & the Lighthouse Band - Live at the Capitol TheatreLongtime Crosby fans will be absolutely delighted that the singer has released his first ever live recording  Root 66: Linda Ronstadt- The Flying Burrito Brothers- DancelandFor this installment of Root 66, Kevin takes a listen to new releases from Linda Ronstadt, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Danceland  Travel News, Trips and Tips: Lou Malnati's Pizzeria Comes to TempeOur travel news this time out is hot and tasty! Its deep dish! Lou Malnatis Pizzeria has opened in Tempe, Arizona.  Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Live at the Fillmore (1997)Heres a nice treat for fans of the late rocker as the 2-CD set Live at the Fillmore (1997) presents many hits along with a host of cover versions of famous songs that influenced Petty.  Santa's JukeboxHo ho ho its almost time to go! Ive got my sleigh loaded, my reindeer well fed, and my playlist all set! Heres a peek at some of the tunes Ill be listening to as I make my rounds.  Holiday Gift Guide: Rock Reads Edition Part 2We suggest giving the gift of a music-related book this holiday season- here are six that are hits with us, including Elton John, Rob Halford, John Lennon, Sun Records, Frank Zappa and more.  Holiday Gift Guide: More Stocking StuffersStill need a gift or two for your holiday celebrations? Here are a few ideas for you, including something that everyone can use --- an incredible device to help ease aches and pains.  Holiday Gift Guide: More Great Gifts For 2022Were pretty sure that someone on your list would love to have one or more of these goodies, and we begin our list with something just for folks who are always mixing things up!  World Cup Have You Craving Qatar? Here Are Doha Highlights In PhotosWhether youve wanted to visit Qatar for a long time or have more recent yearnings stirred by watching the 2022 FIFA World Cup on television, Qatar and its capital city Doha are home to treasures both ancient and very modern  Holiday Gift Guide: Rock Reads Edition Part 1 - Bowie- Beatles- Allman- MoreIf you have someone on your holiday gift list who loves music and loves reading about the folks who make it, here are some new books that theyll absolutely love!  Holiday Gift Guide: Stocking StuffersOur stocking stuffer suggestions for this holiday season includes something that'll be a big hit with fans of the Beatles!  Live from Celebrity Theatre: Dave MasonRock journeyman and founding member of Traffic Dave Mason brought his World in Changes Tour to Phoenix on November 19 for a show at the historic Celebrity Theatre  On The Record: Night Crickets- Drowning Pool- Slinky VagabondOur spotlight on vinyl spins new releases from Night Crickets, Drowning Pool and Slinky Vagabond.  Live: The Who Hits Back In PhoenixOne of the most-revered rock bands of all time thrilled a capacity crowd Oct. 30 as The Who brought their "The Who Hits Back!" show to the Ak-Chin Pavilion in Phoenix.  Live: Dropkick Murphys Rock PhoenixBoom! The sound of a simulated cannon shot rang out in the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix as a light show dazzled and Dropkick Murphys launched into the first song of their set, "Ten Times More."  The Blues: Rory Block- Crystal Shawanda- Jimmy Carpenter- MoreWe spin hot new releases from Rory Block, Crystal Shawanda, Jimmy Carpenter and more!  On The Record: Tobias Berblinger - The Luckiest Hippie AliveThe Luckiest Hippie Alive is a fine album from a talent that hopefully will not be overlooked again now that fans have a second chance with this reissue. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl.  Root 66: New Riders of the Purple Sage- John Fusco- Josh Hoyer & Soul ColossalFor this installment of Root 66, Kevin takes a listen to releases from New Riders of the Purple Sage, John Fusco, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal  RockPile: Spotlight on Deko EntertainmentOne of our favorite labels here at RockPile is Deko Entertainment who've recently released awesome records by Dianthus, Little Caesar, separate releases from former Blue Oyster Cult stars Joe and Albert Bouchard, pop star Tiffany and more  Pat Travers - The Art of Time TravelThe Art of Time Travel thoroughly demonstrates that Travers is still adept at the art of guitar and fans will love it.  Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown - Shake the RootsAll of the good things about Americana-tinged blues rock are here and new fans should be pleasantly surprised by Shake the Roots.  Creedence Clearwater Revival - Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert HallThis live recording from 1970 took on a sort of mythical status as it was lost for 50 years and nobody really thought that it would ever be found and released. But miracles do happen  Pink Floyd - Animals 2018 RemixPink Floyd's Animals was given the remix treatment in 2018 and is now available in 5.1 Surround Sound for the first time.
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Caught In The Act: Frankie Valli Live 2023
Caught In The Act: Winger Live 2023
Live: The Psychedelic Furs Rock Orlando
Sites and Sounds: Jacksonville Jazz Festival
Live from Celebrity Theatre: Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band
Danko Jones Have 'Good Time' With Karaoke-Themed Video
Jamey Jasta Recruits Exodus Icon For 'Assimilation Agenda'
Uncle Kracker Gets Nostalgic With 'Sweet 16'
Metallica Stream Video Of 'Blackened' Performance From Paris
Judas Priest Announce Metal Masters European Tour
Elegant Weapons Deliver 'Horns For A Halo' Video
I Prevail Share Video For Stripped Version Of 'Deep End'
Midtown Deliver 'We're Too Old To Write New Songs, So Here's Some Old Songs We Didn't Write'
Kevin won a Bronze Award in the North American Travel Journalists Association 2011 Travel Writing Competition for his article Behind Closed Doors, about the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway in Palm Springs, CA, published in Broughton Quarterly in summer 2011.