Web: frankieandthewitchfingers.com 

Conatct: frankieandthewitchfingers@gmail.com 

Players: Dylan Sizemore, vocals, guitar; Josh Menashe, guitar, synthesizer; Nikki Smith, bass; Nick Aguilar, drums 

Material: Frankie and the Witch Fingers is a hard rocking, open-minded band. They are very progressive and mix it up extremely well with punk, metal, jazz and pop. The band is many faceted in many ways. They introduce a trumpet and a sax into a few of their songs and the songs themselves have many layers, twists, turns and spirals. Fast and furious at one point, then a slow-go for a bit, then it’s back on the horsie to gallop away; but only to get into the next song. Hints of Yes, Zeppelin and the Sex Pistols oozed out of the band’s pores as they played very melodic and melodious hard tunes. 

Musicianship: Excellent musicianship all around. These guys (and gal) put it on the line this particular evening in Hollywood. Sizemore walked the tightrope, did a few flips and landed straight on and wanted more. Great shredding from Menashe added ‘umph’ to the already great tunes as the horns and synthesizers added sophistication to the mix. The rhythm section was so on, you could tell these guys have been playing together for a while. Sizemore, Smith and Aguilar could do no wrong as they laid the foundation for a great evening of entertainment. 

Performance: The performance was extremely good. Super high energy was emanating from the stage all night. Aguilar is a monster behind the kit. Not just because he had painted his face super ugly, but because he prodded, poked, yelled and provoked, the audience, as well as his bandmates, to dance, jump and shout all night long; all the while twirling his sticks and sneering at who-so-ever dared lock eyes with him. Together with Smith and Sizemore, the chemistry is unmatched. 

Summary: Frankie and the Witch Fingers was super fun to watch and listen to. Superb lighting show by the Troubadour crew added ambiance and mood to the already vigorous atmosphere that Frankie and the Witch Fingers exuded. A great band performance that not only entertained on a Broadway level, but entertained and impressed on a musical level. If you’re into high energy Rock n Roll and want to dance, jump and shout all night long, Frankie and the Witch Fingers is your band. Prog-Metal at its best! 

Web: littleimagemusic.com 

Contact: brittany.rendak@disney.com 

Players: Jackson Simmons, vocals, guitar; Brandon Walters, bass, synthesizer; 

Troy Bruner, drums 

Material: Little Image is a rave-ready rock band, complete with thundering drum beats, searing guitars and how-low-can-you-go bass lines that rev up the audience to new heights. The music is a little bit all-over-the-place but the audience loved it. Sounding at times like Rage Against the Machine, and Radiohead and/or the Goo Goo Dolls at others, the music was loud, in-your-face and thunderous the whole time. 

Musicianship: Take three musicians, who individually are very good, and put them together and you have a great, energetic and spirited band that drove the audience crazy. All three of these guys are multi-instrumentalists as they showed off their skills to a near sold-out show at Echo in Los Angeles. Bruner was on keys on some of the songs, Walters was on guitar and Simmons, well Simmons was having his way with the ladies as he included the audience in on all the fun. 

Performance: The performance was great. Little Image had a screen behind them on stage flashing pictures of the band and random thoughts and sayings and images that kept the audience intrigued the whole time. Walters was having a great time showering the front row with sweat as Simmons and Bruner were content with playing their instruments and having fun with the crowd. 

Summary: Little Image is a great rave band. The drums were the driving force behind the sound and Walters and Simmons took advantage and took the music to another level. Simmons vocals are very good and the background vocals by Bruner and Walters added another vital layer to the already, groovy and good music. They are energetic and the music is likable and appealing. 

Web: rachelgrae.com 

Contact: mcmiskell@shorefire.com 

The Players: Rachel Grae, vocals, keys; Isacc Singer, keys; Liam Fennell, guitar; Izzy Lamberti, drums 

Material: Rachel Grae is a Pop/Rock and R&B group in the likes of Ariana Grande,  Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez. The music is catchy and has powerful lyrics that contribute greatly to the understanding of a broken heart. If the music doesn’t get you, the lyrics will. 

 Musicianship: Grae has an excellent group of musicians backing her up. Lamberti is a firecracker behind the kit and was constantly going off. She was sitting in the back, thumping away in her own little world. Confident and poised, she was, seriously, the backbone of every song. She didn’t miss a beat all night and her energy was boundless and infectious. She made the rhythm section happen, even without a bass player. Singer contributed nicely with keyboards and some well-placed, tasty chops and was key in holding down the bottom end. 

Performance: Rachel Grae is a very good, personable, amiable and pleasant persona. She commands attention from the audience and in return she gives them friendship and bonds easily with everyone, even newbies. She has a great voice that sounds, at times, like Lady Gaga, or Ariana Grande and she can hit the high highs as well as the low lows. “How to be Alone” showcased Fennell on guitar, who, also, was an integral part of the music. It’s always nice to have a solid player, who knows the music and that you can count on. 

Summary: Rachel Grae is an up-n-comer who has well written tunes and a very good band to boot. All her music is pretty good, no matter how short or how long the tune is. She is very entertaining and the music is affable. Songs like “How Dare You,” “Enough of Me” and “Your Loss” take you to a land of heartbreak, as you are beautifully lulled into a world of confusion, hate and anger; as only love can do. Just ask Rachel Grae. 

Contact: info@afm-records.de

Web: motiveblack.com

Players: Elana Justin, Vocals; AJ Bartholomew, Guitar; Jeff Dubray, Drums; Lex Wolf, Bass

Material: Motive Black is a hard rock/metal quartet in the mold of Metallica, Stone Temple Pilots and Maiden. They drive hard and the music is melodic and appealing. Justin was sounding like Geoff Tate of Queensrÿche on “Fight Alone” and “Lift Me Up” and was very impressive through most of the tunes. She carried that Queensrÿche vibe all night and even though they aren’t as impressive as Queensrÿche, their music stands on its own. 

Musicianship: The musicianship was very good. Justin has that superb Geoff Tate thing going on and carried the group most of the way. Wolf is a good bass player; she just needed a little time to get going and when she did, she was unstoppable. Dubray was on track with Justin all night as his beats slammed down on time, every time. The rhythm play by Bartholomew was excellent. The rhythm guitar wasn’t complicated or intricate, but they were just enough to give the songs what they needed except for one thing; When you’re into this caliber of music, the guitar solo is almost mandatory. It’s part of the song. It makes a song stand out, and there were NO guitar solos; not a one. Not even one to speak of. A bit disappointing. 

Performance: The performance was very good. Justin looks striking in her tight leathers and lingerie top, and that voice was killer all night. She could have addressed the audience a little more, but she could get away with it by the way she looked; ahh, good ol’ rock 'n' roll! The rhythm section, as well as Bartholomew, had a great time after Wolf settled down, and it all came together on the last four songs. It was great to see the guitar and bass come together and dance while the drums and vocals were going off. 

Summary: Motive Black is very good. They have some work to do on their live performance but the music is there and with a bit of polishing, it’ll turn out alright. Solid drumming on “Fight Alone” and “Caged,” and super bass riffs on “Purge,” (not to mention the guitar riffs), superb vocals on the well-written “Lift Me Up,” and the beautifully introduced “Auburn,” Motive Black has all the right pieces in all the right places and all at the right time.

Contact: info@parlorsocial.com

Web: instagram.com/dessydilauro

Players: Dessy Di Lauro, Vocals; Rickey Padget, Keyboards; MJ Holifield, Drums;

Cesar Allen, Guitar; Kayla Starr, BG Vocals; Samantha Schultz, BG Vocals 

Material: Canadian born Dessy Di Lauro, is a singer-songwriter dishing out jazzy, R&B/Latin and Gospel(y) tunes in the likes of Gloria Estephan, The Miami Sound Machine and Chaka Khan. Di Lauro is a tiny bit more progressive but that just might be in her live program. The music grooves and makes you want to dance or at the very least, tap your toes and wiggle in your seat.

Musicianship: The stage was filled with Di Lauro’s crew as superb musicianship graced the Hotel Cafe. It took the audience more than half the set to realize that there was no bass player and then only realizing it because you couldn’t see one. Padget was on the keys filling every imaginable hole that needed to be filled and together with Holifield, they created exceptional grooves that the audience absorbed with pleasure. 

Performance: Dessy Di Lauro has a great bunch of musicians to make music with. Everyone was into the music and really loving the attention. The background singers really made a difference, not just in the music, but in the visuals in the whole scope of things. They were animated, singing and swaying to the music and even doing little bits of choreography to boot on a tiny stage. Blistering leads from Allan added icing on the cake as he took “Be Still” and “Just Like God” to new heights. 

Summary: Dessy Di Lauro, speaking and singing in five different languages, felt she was thrown a curveball when COVID hit the mainland. Everyone was confined to their homes and not much was going on. It was at that time that the best came out of her and she managed to write music that has now become her latest releases. Gifted with an extremely good voice, she sings, serenades and croons her way into her audience’s hearts using tunes like “Catch Me,” with its Cuban, Brazilian, Afro and soulful sounds to fill the room with love and positive vibes. If you’re into soul and R&B, check out Dessy Di Lauro at all your favorite platforms. 

Contact: doug@wilspro.com

Web: marcbroussard.com

Players: Marc Broussard, Vocals, Guitar; Gary Usie, Drums; Devin Karrigan, Bass; Jason Parfait, Keys, Saxophone; Bobby Junior, Guitar

Material: Marc Broussard and his band play country music that is infused with rock 'n' roll, jazz, blues, R&B, and reggae. A few of the tunes have all of the above-mentioned elements, some a few, and some just one. Regardless of the infusion, the tunes are good-for-the-soul, uplifting songs that hit you in the heart with soulful, moving lyrics. The music also moves you. Enough to make you want to stand up and dance and sing along to each tune. 

Musicianship: Solid musicianship all around. The rhythm section was superb. Usie and Karrigan grooved all night and could do no wrong. Karrigan’s bass was profound and reverberated throughout the Lodge Room as he had all the ladies’ ooh-ing and ah-ing all night. That left the floor open for Broussard to wail away on the mic. He has a very good voice that is pleasing to the ear and hits all the right notes at just the right the time. Junior laid down some pretty juicy solos on a few of the songs as he and multi-instrumentalist Parfait made the tough soloing job seem effortless. 

Performance: The performance was exceptional. The night was electrifying; the crowd was on; the music was captivating; and Broussard and his crew were sounding amazing.  The Lodge crew had everything dialed in from the beginning and there was no stopping Broussard once the bell went off. He talked to his audience like they were long lost friends getting reacquainted, and then played for them like he was never to see them again. 

Summary: Marc Broussard’s soulful, country-R&B-rock 'n' roll-blues gave off a modern Motown-ish vibe that was out of this world. Touching tunes like “The Wonderer,” “Baton Rouge,” and the ‘Robert Cray meets Jeff Healey-sounding’ “Will Not Let Her Go” will have you dancing, singing and reminiscing about past loves and future promises. “Easy to Love” will take you back to the era where Motown was most prominent while “Wanna Give You My World” will have you lighting up a fattie even if you don’t smoke. A solid 10 out of 10 for Marc Broussard and his crew

Web: xaviermillerofficial.com

Contact: xaviermillermusic@gmail.com

Players: Xavier Miller, guitar, vocals; Duke, bass; Danny Palmer, drums

Material: Xavier Miller is “Good ol’ Rock & Roll” music. The tunes are a little rough, but they are straightforward, sometimes in-your-face ,and sometimes subtle and elusive. Most are hard driving, like the fan favorite, “Home,” and “Love Ain’t Nothin’.” Xavier cannot be pinned down to “sound” like anyone. He is unique, has a style all his own. Although “3 Days Gone” has an AC/DC-ish intro that caught the audience’s attention, the rest of his repertoire is inimitable. 

Musicianship: The musicianship is extremely good. Duke comes from a long history of playing with some well-known acts, including Rose Royce, (and had a hand in writing the big hit “Car Wash”), B.B. King and now, Xavier Miller. His bass playing added another level to the already rich lineup, which he kindly showed off on “Watch it Go Pop” and “Love Ain’t Nothin’.” Palmer is another big hitter who joined Duke in Rose Royce and has played with many well-known acts. 

Performance: Miller was on fire, feeding off the crowd’s frenzy. He was dancing and grooving to all the tunes, regardless of the situation. There were some technical difficulties on the first tune, but he waved it off and moved forward, and that set the pace for the rest of the evening. Duke was on point from the get-go, as well as Palmer, and together they put out a respectable show.

Summary: Xavier Miller is a solid musical act who still has a few tricks up his sleeve. He pulled out a solid guitar solo on “There I Was” that might have blistered his fretboard. Good solid rock & roll all around with some radio-worthy tunes waiting to be heard, like the pretty “Rain” and the ballad “Little Darling.” Animated, unique and with very good vocals, Miller has it going on.

Web: drewholcomb.com

Contact: danielle@stuntcompany.com

Players: Drew Holcomb, guitar, vocals; Rich Brinsfield, bass; Nathan Duggar, guitar;

Jonathon Wamble, drums

Material: Drew Holcomb is a country singer hailing from Memphis, TN who's crooning country tunes to his audience’s content. The songs are very country. Just shy of rock & roll, on one end, and just shy of traditional country on the other. Holcomb brings out the best in his band as he sits nicely in themiddle watching and listening to his audience soak up all of his lyrics; and even sing along to a few of the tunes, too.

Musicianship: What can you say about Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors except that they sounded tight. Great musicianship encompassed Holcomb on all the tunes as these top-notch players had their way with the audience. Brinsfield and Wamble were on point as the rhythm section held the bottom end ever so groovily. Duggar added sweetness to the mix, as he doubled on guitar and pedal-steel guitar and was outstanding throughout the evening.

Performance: Excellent. Drew came out swinging from the get-go and didn’t let up all night. The band had the audience dancing in the aisles and singing along to “Dancing with Everybody” and All the Money.” Drew and the Neighbors played flawlessly to 6,000 plus fans and had them all eating out of his hand by the time the set was over.

Summary: Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors have been making music for the better part of 20 years and are still going strong. The ballads, “Song of Gratitude” and “What Would I do Without You,” sum up what’s been in Holcomb’s heart this whole time—gratitude and love. Their very first No. 1 hit, “Find Your People,” from the Strangers No More album, shook the charts in 2023 and the band hit the road in support of the record. If you’re a country music fan (and even if you’re not), Drew Holcomb is worth checking out! 

Web: maureentoth.com

Contact: info@maureentoth.com

Players: Maureen Toth, vocals, guitar; Carlos Calvo, guitar, vocals; Dave Sutton, bass, 

Marc Slutsky, drums

Material: Maureen Toth is a singer-songwriter whose music is upbeat, but dark at the same time. The tunes have a sadness about them that seem to reach for the soul, regardless of the theme of the song. Toth writes about everything in life, including an owl that she became attached to, disappeared and is now entrenched in a song (“Owl”) to be remembered forever. Country-ish at times, bluesy at others, Toth seems to bring out the beauty in any subject, no matter how simple it is.

Musicianship: Toth has an outstanding group of musicians backing her up and they came ready to play. Calvo was exceptional on guitar as he poured out his heart on every tune. “Con Te” was beautifully performed by Calvo, showcasing some lovely classical, as well as Spanish flavors throughout the song. He made it come alive and put the song over the top with an excellent solo. 

Performance: Led by Toth and her excellent vocals, Sutton and Slutsky, the rhythm section, could do no wrong. While Sutton shined on “Liars,” the bass line became the main focus of the song (only to be upended by a Pink Floyd intro, “Another Brick in the Wall”). Slutsky, on the other hand, was a time machine; on time, every time, on every song; no small feat. 

Summary: Maureen Toth is an Americana singer-songwriter hailing from Huntington Station, NY. She collaborated with Bernie Lawson (Lucinda Williams, Melissa Etheridge, Rickie Lee Jones, Jackson Brown and many others) early in her career and has continued to thrive since. Check out her new EP, Chiaroscuro, which was released in June and streamed on all platforms. Well-crafted songs that are beautifully sung and performed by a group of musicians making beautiful music.

– Pierce Brochetti

Web: rachaelsage.com

Contact: jillr@mpressrecords.com 

Players: Rachael Sage, guitar, vocals, piano; Ward Williams, cello

Material: Hailing from Port Chester, NY, Rachael Sage is a singer-songwriter whose delicate poetry encompasses most of her songs. The lyrics are deeply felt and come straight from the heart as the songs focus mainly on the lyrics. Piano and guitar are the main catalyst for the lyrics, but to everyone’s surprise, the unsung hero here was Williams on the cello, as he carried each tune to newer and higher places.

Musicianship: Sage is a good piano player as well as a good guitar player and singer. Her music is not fancy or extravagant, but it hits home with the lyrics. Williams, on the other hand, took mediocre writings and just raised the level of each tune, musically, to new heights. The background vocals, as well as the cello play, was exceptional; modest but brilliant, and it blew everyone away. 

Performance: Sage is very chatty and made an effort to connect to the audience in every way possible. She is entertaining and direct and loves engaging her audience as she pranced around the stage. It was like being at a friend’s house, enjoying a night of acoustic music.

Summary: Rachael Sage’s music is simple and straightforward. Tunes like “No Regret,” an upbeat, happy song about her father (who had cancer) and herself, who is a uterine cancer survivor, as they connected on an emotional level through an ordeal that only leaves devastation in its wake. Add a beautiful cello and superb background vocals and you have a hit song. Or the catchy, “I Done a Rebecca.” It’s a tune that’ll rock your socks off while you’re trying to picture (hear) a full band playing it. Check out her latest effort, The Other Side, out now at all your local platforms. – Pierce Brochetti