Here are 25 jams I’m playing nonstop right now, and what moves me about these gems… 1. Jason Isbell, “Flying over Water”—This song breaks my heart into a thousand pieces, mostly because Isbell is a genius, and his voice is so pure, it can make your worst day bearable—but also ’cause my wifey HATES to fly and I ask her … Read More

Hello from the Hampton Inn in Kearney, Nebraska. It’s five a.m. I’m pounding coffee and wiping the fog from my mind. We are halfway through this seven-week spring run, and things are rolling slow but steady. Thirty-three shows across the southern Midwest and West Coast—this one is a barnburner. We are putting some miles on these tires, folks. Last week was … Read More

It’s early morning dark. We get our badges from the check-in station. We load into the 50-year-old building under the sodium light of one streetlamp. Bars over windows and metal detectors. The hallway smells like urine. You need a key to use the restroom, and someone will wait outside until you are done. Some of the toilets are filled with … Read More