Black Keys, September 30, 2008: "The Keys are a prime example of an all-too-common problem plaguing music these days: People are much more interested in developing a "sound" than they are in writing songs. Luckily, they're one of the select few who can make it work, for the simple reason that Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach's industrial-strength guitar/drum duets thrive on simplicity." C.G.
Butthole Surfers, October 23, 2008: "I can't speak for the band, but frontman Gibby Haynes was either on something unknown to even Central American shamen or, well, just being Gibby Haynes. It took an hour before I understood a single lyric that came out of his mouth." C.G.
Madonna Pre-Party, November 15, 2008: "I do respect fandom at any and all levels. And anyone who is willing to pay 30 bucks to go hang out with other fans just like them, keeping in mind that that very artist is not there, is awe-inspiring to me. The guys in my Hoobastank fan club wouldn't even chip in a few bucks for case of Natural Light." C.H.
Eagles Of Death Metal, November 25, 2008: "EODM came onstage leading with their hips, slinging guitars like Vikings celebrating a battle. Lead singer Jesse "The Devil" Hughes looks like every man with a girlfriend's worst nightmare, wielding a decadently-coiffed moustache and poured into a pair of women's Levis ready to slip off rings and whisper unthinkable things." C.H.
The Pretty Things Peepshow, February 2009: "Half-naked womens." C.H.
Hank III, February 17, 2009: "Meridian's smoking area already looked like a MASH unit, with people passed out against the wall and others on the brink. Every available surface, including the floor, was littered with empties. How Aftermath made it through without joining them, we'll never know." C.G.
Pete Yorn, July 14, 2009: "Pete Yorn has been and will always be "sad bastard music" to Aftermath's ears. One thing that has always interested us about the forlorn tunes that seem to drip from Yorn's fingers is how big of a female audience he has." C.H.
Lucero, November 9, 2009: "The show was supposed to be a full two-hour affair, but a few kids from the band's new, younger demographic, i.e., "douchebag children who think they can treat bassist John Stubblefield like an asshole," got into a tussle with the musician and Meridian's stage manager cut the show off at 1 a.m." C.H.
Booker T, March 27, 2010 : "His voice may lack the range of [Otis] Redding or Sam Moore, but it was full-bodied and more than up to the task. "Ain't No Sunshine," which he produced for his friend Bill Withers, brought a collective swoon from the crowd and some very dirty dancing from one party in the back of the room." C.G.
