Justin The J-Bird

10/05/2025

The 10/4 playlist - live album fun. Sorry for the first half hour getting unplayed here... user error from the folks at the station again. Back next week with the first proper show of the month.

Expect new releases from underrepresented artists as well as deep cuts from bigger names, with plenty of other musical discovery sprinkled in. The theme and genre changes weekly, so you never know where the J-Bird may take you.

10/02/2025

7.18.25

Whirr @ Royale

This was a rough night for me, thanks to the kidney stone I had been dealing with since the day after Godspeed You Black Emperor. Honestly I did not want to go out but I did rise to the occasion for the sake of seeing some familiar faces and I am glad I did.

I’m not the biggest shoegaze-head but Whirr’s latest album entered my scope of awareness via a friend around new years and it found its way into a pretty steady rotation in my car. And after seeing DIIV at Royale last year, it felt right to see another great contemporary band in the genre. Turns out that Whirr is great music for when you’re a little messed up on painkillers. This was my first night out in a while but once their set started I felt pretty good for one reason or another.

Not much to say here as I honestly do not remember much of it, but this was a fun night and a great incentive for me to get out and be somewhat functional for a bit.

10/01/2025

The 9/27 playlist, sorry for the delay in posting. Next week we are still working through the backlog of skipped shows, so expect the first official October show in another week or two.

Expect new releases from underrepresented artists as well as deep cuts from bigger names, with plenty of other musical discovery sprinkled in. The theme and genre changes weekly, so you never know where the J-Bird may take you.

09/21/2025

Hi folks,
no show this week due to a campus-wide power outage on 9/20. We’ll be bumping this show back a week. Appreciate the understanding - this was one no-show that was truly outside of our hands.

09/16/2025

6.28.25
Godspeed You! Black Emperor @ Roadrunner

Another group I’d been wanting to see for a long time. This show was actually supposed to take place last fall, with Alan Sparhawk of Low on the bill, but got postponed for reasons I don’t think I ever looked into. The latest Godspeed album was also one of my favorite releases of 2024 so there was plenty of anticipation leading up to this one.

It seems a little weird to see a group like this in a more traditional “rock club” setting. I could see them at a place like the Wang no problem or even dome kind of performing arts center as a more suitable stage for their material. Not to knock this show or the sound, but just an observation on presentation. I think the main factor in their tour itinerary was the giant reel-to-reel projections they had going all show. Amazing archival footage in black and white that necessitated proper real estate behind the band.

Said footage was essentially the voice of this show, as Godspeed’s music is 99% instrumental. And yet even without lyrics, this was the most political show I have seen all year. Clear musings on pastoral live giving way to industry, mental illness as it pervades urban society, and the abject human rights violations carried out by the USA both domestically and abroad. The video alone had clearly been laboriously planned out to a degree only a few bands really touch.

And the music naturally followed suit. Not much to see as the band performed in mostly darkness but as a unit they are incredible. A true orchestra of post rock so dialed in they made it look easy. Seriously, they are absolutely worth your time as long as you go in with an open mind.

This was one of my favorite shows of 2025 thus far. Very special night and I absolutely loved the level of respect the audience gave the band.

09/14/2025

Hi all,
no show for 9/13 as there was an issue with the board at the station. I had a two hour classical show lined up due to the sports broadcast and I will likely reconfigure this into a different show down the line. If you tuned in, you did at least get to hear an archive of myself from 2019 so I hope you enjoyed that - audio hiccups notwithstanding.

09/07/2025

The 9/6 playlist! See you next week with a shortened classical show as sports will be broadcasting at 6.

Expect new releases from underrepresented artists as well as deep cuts from bigger names, with plenty of other musical discovery sprinkled in. The theme and genre changes weekly, so you never know where the J-Bird may take you.

09/01/2025

The 8/30 playlist with some new jazz! See you next week for some new general adds for September.

Expect new releases from underrepresented artists as well as deep cuts from bigger names, with plenty of other musical discovery sprinkled in. The theme and genre changes weekly, so you never know where the J-Bird may take you.

08/27/2025

6.11.25
Queens of The Stone Age @ MGM Music Hall

That’s right, I was pulled back to MGM thanks to the irresistible opportunity to see QOTSA in a non-arena setting. This was show number three for me on their “The End Is Nero” tour, including seeing them through the fence at Boston Calling in 2023 and then up in Portland later that year. This show was actually slotted for 2024, but Josh’s health issues pushed it back a year and a result the two Boston dates became the first stops of this final leg of the multi year tour.

Massively better show just based on the fact that I could see the action on a non microscopic scale - not unlike seeing Jack White at Roadrunner instead of the Agganis. And if Jack is one of the best arena sized rock acts out there today, I firmly believe QOTSA are the best arena sized rock band doing it. This current lineup is well seasoned and road tested to a point where I’d say they’re probably the best the band has been since the Oliveri days.

Much of the set was made up of material from the last 12 years as that is what this current iteration has worked together on. But there were some choice cuts from Songs For The Deaf, Rated R, and Era Vulgaris that really stood out. There was a moment where the energy viscerally shifted in the second half of the set and we were treated to an absolutely jaw dropping showcase until curtain call. No encores which I love about these guys. They just play all the way through and prove that the last third of a show is crucial to send folks out the door with a smile on their face.

And of course a shoutout to The Kills, who have been one of my favorite bands for ages. Terrific opening set which had massive sound given the venue. What isn’t to like about Alison and Jamie? The most lithe, debonair duo to ever grace the stage. If you can’t get down with the drum machine I just don’t know what to tell you. They ripped as always and made this night an amazing bill all around.

08/25/2025

The 8/23 playlist! Hope you enjoyed the reprise of J-Bird Comes Alive! See you for one final time in August with some new jazz.

Expect new releases from underrepresented artists as well as deep cuts from bigger names, with plenty of other musical discovery sprinkled in. The theme and genre changes weekly, so you never know where the J-Bird may take you.

08/18/2025

The 8/16 playlist! Hope you enjoyed the 55th Woodstock broadcast, re-aired for the 56th! Next week I'll be back with even more great live cuts.

Expect new releases from underrepresented artists as well as deep cuts from bigger names, with plenty of other musical discovery sprinkled in. The theme and genre changes weekly, so you never know where the J-Bird may take you.

08/10/2025

The 8/9 playlist! See you next week for a re-broadcast of my 55th anniversary of Woodstock show, now 56 years to the weekend of that famous fest!

Expect new releases from underrepresented artists as well as deep cuts from bigger names, with plenty of other musical discovery sprinkled in. The theme and genre changes weekly, so you never know where the J-Bird may take you.