Carbon Leaf

This is the third year in a row that Carbon Leaf have come to New York during the summer, and they are always one of my favorite shows of the season, if not the year. These guys have been playing together so long and are such a solid band. They are really good about mixing up their sets and playing a mix of old and new material and never skimping on crowd favorites. This time, they played my most favorite song of theirs, "Desperation Song," which they haven't done in a while, so I was really pleased that I got to hear it live again. Carter continues to be a stringed instrument superman, playing at least six different types of instruments, not to mention different types of guitars and mandolins. Stand out moments include killer slide guitar playing and solo on "One Prairie Outpost," an awesome electric mandolin solo on "Raise the Roof," and an electric guitar solo that packed an emotional wallop during the encore/closer of "Let Your Troubles Roll By." I highly recommend checking out Carbon Leaf when they come to your neck of the woods; even if you've never listened to them before, you'll still enjoy the show!