Singer-songwriter Sally Zito recently brought her strong storytelling skills and literate lyric writing to an overflowing audience at Hollywood’s Highland Grounds. Much of her material touches on the various struggles that often accompany the search for love and acceptance in a complicated world. And a tight band–including husband-and-wife team Brady and Tricia Steel on upright bass and congas, Zito herself on keyboards, and her famous baseball-playing brother Barry contributing his guitar-playing talents–really helped to make the material come alive. By the end of the show, the appreciative, standing-room-only audience made it clear that Zito had definitely hit one out of the park! (W. C. Moriarity)

Let’s just start off by saying, two days too much! The Coachella Music and Art Festival in Indio, IN A DESERT! Despite getting deep fried, dehydrated, and experiencing near-death by exhaustion from running across a 10 mile stretch of grass from one great gig to the next, the music was amazing… what else can I say with headlining bands like Iggy and the Stooges, Beastie Boys, Queens of the Stone Age, Sonic Youth, the White Stripes, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Not to mention the talented and upcoming bands Coachella-goers we so priviledged to witness before those bands fullfill their rock star destiny.

IMA Robot, Interpol, the Music, the Libertines, Hot Hot Heat, the Polyphonic Spree– bands like these are going to bring rock back to where it oughta be… in your face! I’d have to say Interpol and Queens of the Stone Age were by far the most shockingly good bands to experience, seeing them both for the first time. Primal Scream rocked the festival like they do and Blur bandmembers looked like they themselves were “blurred” on stage. Very unlike them if you hadn’t seen Blur before Coachella.

Heat exhaustion? No. Just Brits in a desert… but then again the Hives were pretty damn pumped and where are they from again? Cold rainy Sweden? In fact, there were so many good bands on at the same time, I don’t even see the point of anyone who really loves music going to Coachella. Save your money and see each and every band on the roster when they come to your hood. Back when the festival was only one day in all was just the right amount of time anyone can deal with so much good music, so much excitement, so much beer, and so much heat! (Stephanie Fitch)