Our top concert picks include The War and Treaty at UC San Diego, Richard Thompson at Belly Up, Magoo at WInstons and The Blasting Company at the Casbah.
The War and Treaty will perform Thursday, April 2, at UC San Diego’s Epstein Family Amphitheater in La Jolla. When not headlining their own shows as The War and Treaty, the husband-and-wife singing team of Michael Trotter Jr.
and Tanya Trotter have easily won over audiences as the opening act for the Rolling Stones, Chris Stapleton, Al Green, Brandi Carlile and others. Music is a matter of life, death, redemption for The War and Treaty’s lead singers, Tanya and Michael Trotter Emmylou Harris and mandolin great Sam Bush, who were so impressed by The War and Treaty that they happily performed on the then-virtually-unknown duo’s 2018 indie debut album, which was produced by longtime Harris collaborator Buddy Miller. Both of the Trotters grew up singing in the church and are steeped in the gospel music traditions that underpin their rousing blend of vintage country, soul, rock and funk. The couple’s redemptive music-fueled back story is so intriguing that John Legend is spearheading the production of an upcoming feature film about the Trotters. The power of their singing was readily apparent when I first saw them perform four years ago in La Jolla at The Conrad, where they repeatedly sizzled and soared on stage. The War and Treaty’s ability to shine in any setting was reaffirmed in Los Angeles at the 2024 edition of the pre-Grammy Awards MusiCares Person of the Year fundraising concert, which that year honored Jon Bon Jovi. Performing as part of a lineup that also included Brice Springsteen, Shania Twain, Melissa Etheridge, Lainey Wilson, Jason Isbell, Sammy Hagar, Larkin Poe, Goo Goo Dolls, Jelly Roll and more.As I wrote in my review: “One of the biggest highlights of the night came when The War and Treaty’s Michael and Tanya Trotter delivered an intensely soulful take on “I’ll Be There For You.” Injecting blues and gospel fervor into each note they sang, the couple evoked such fabled singers as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Carla Thomas as they made Bon Jovi’s song indelibly their own. Arguably the least known act to perform, they earned one of the most enthusiastic ovations.”So enthusiastic that they were invited back to perform at the 2025 MusicCares, which honored the Grateful Dead. It was the first time in memory that any artist performed at the star-studded event in two consecutive years. Backed by the propulsive twin drumming of Stewart Copeland of The Police and Mick Fleetwood, The War & Treaty ignited on their gospel-fueled version of “Samson and Delilah.” No matter what songs the Trotters perform at their concert here next week, it’s safe to predict they will bring down the house.London native Richard Thompson has long been hailed as one of the finest singer-songwriters on either side of the Atlantic. Also a dazzling guitarist, he has performed regularly at the Belly Up over the past several decades. A superb singer-songwriter and an exceptional guitarist, Richard Thompson co-founded Fairport Convention, the pioneering English folk-rock band that Jimi Hendrix used to jam with at London nightclubs. Shortly before launching his solo career in 1972, Thompson politely declined Don Henley and Glenn Frey’s overtures to join what soon became the Eagles. Richard Thompson, a quiet music great, pens revelatory memoir: ‘It was necessary to write about the hooker’ A sell-binding guitarist and an almost peerless tunesmith, Thompson’s songs have been covered by everyone from from Johnny Cash, R.E.M. and The Neville Brothers to bluegrass king Del McCoury, Tom Jones and The Pointer Sisters. His most recent album, 2024’s “Ship To Shore,” is a captivating work that reaffirms his reputation as a singular musical force.A self-described progressive bluegrass band, the Denver-based Magoo is led by award-winning dobro player and singer Dylan Flynn. The four-man group plays and sings with equal verve whether essaying its own engaging songs or classics by Bill Monroe, The Carter Family and The Stanley Brothers. Magoo’s performances sometimes also include their bluegrass-infused versions of Nirvana’s “All Apologies,” Foo Fighters’ “Everlong” and the Bob Seger-penned-Metallica-favorite, “Turn The Page.” While Magoo’s instrumentation is otherwise all-acoustic, its members are not averse to using electronic effects pedals if the mood is right.Rather than pounding out heavy metal, grindcore or apocalyptic industrial music, the band led by half brothers Justin Rubenstein and Josh Kaufman specialize in fusing Eastern European gypsy folk music from the Balkan region with Dixieland jazz, torch ballads, Americana, indie-rock and more, often with a decidedly noir-ish tone. Formed in 2008 as The Petrojvic Blasting Company, the group cut its teeth busking on street corners and at farmers markets. Best known for providing the music to the Cartoon Network TV series “Over The Garden Wall,” The Blasting Company has also worked with storied Beach Boys’ collaborator Van Dyke Parks. For their performance here this weekend, Rubenstein and Kaufman will perform — sans band — as a duo. That should more than suffice.Fourth Padres suitor becomes publicPadres notebook: Opening day roster set, TV details announced El destructor de San Diego USS Gridley se dirige a Sudamérica para entrenar con el portaaviones NimitzPlay ball! We tried the new food at Petco Park this season. Here are our picks.
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