Trey Anastasio Talks Beacon Jams, Artists Pay Tribute to Jimmy Cliff
Bob Dylan Covers “Lakes of Pontchartrain” for First Time in 34 Years
Relix Daily
November 25, 2025
November 25, 2025
FEATURE
“I’ve never been part of anything that felt so miraculous,” proclaims Trey Anastasio. He offers this bold and deeply held declaration while musing on the Beacon Jams, the series of shows that streamed weekly from New York City’s Beacon Theatre in the fall of 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Anastasio appeared each Friday from October 9 through November 27, with an evolving passel of collaborators, performing music that spanned his career. In many instances, he fashioned new arrangements of material he had first played with Phish, Trey Anastasio Band and Ghosts of the Forest, juxtaposed with recent compositions that spoke to the moment.
NEWS
Jimmy Cliff, the Jamaica-born artist who helped popularize reggae and introduce the genre to audiences beyond the palm-lined island nation, passed away on Monday, November 24. Over his 81 years, Cliff had the world singing “The Harder They Come,” “Beautiful World, Beautiful People,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” “Many Rivers to Cross,” and other tunes synonymous with his soulful, vivacious musical verve. Following Cliff’s passing, contemporaries responded on social media, penning tributes to the reggae pioneer.
Two master guitarists with distinct, complementary personalities join forces for bold music full of depth, energy, and inspiration.
Larry Keel and Jon Stickley have been called two of the finest flatpicking guitarists of this generation, and with this act, they create an intimate conversation between two guitars and two voices.
“A glimpse into a guitar world less traveled… This is intelligent guitar at its best.” - Jerry Douglas
“This record is sugar to my ears. I hear brothers in sound.” - Jake Cinninger [Umphrey's McGee]
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RECAP
Bob Dylan has been tweaking his setlists. The musician, who has kept his performances relatively predictable during the current European leg of his rolling Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour, initiated a change in pace last Thursday during his second night at Waterfront Hall in Belfast, where he paid tribute to a local friend, Van Morrison, debuting the latter’s 2016 Keep Me Singing track, “Going Down to Bangor.” The globally renowned artist’s arrival at Gleneagle INEC Arena in Killarney, Ireland, saw him pull out a similar move. Dylan revived a traditional cover of the Paul Brady-associated “Lakes of Pontchartrain,” played for the first time since July 6, 1991.
SPAGA dives headfirst into the Grateful Dead songbook on SPAGA Plays Dead, a fully instrumental studio LP that filters six classics through the piano-driven lens of Aron Magner (keyboards, The Disco Biscuits), Jason Fraticelli (bass), and Matt Scarano (drums). Tracked at Tom Hamilton’s The Ballroom studio, these performances move from deep-groove head-nodders to spacious, late-night explorations, with every melody stretched, twisted, and reborn.
REVIEW
It was not recorded live to tape, but Todd Snider’s High, Lonesome and Then Some sounds like it was recorded live to tape in a smoke-filled shanty where a bunch of friends were just hanging out and making up songs. These songs are heartfelt and funny the bluesy sound of a guy who started as a smart-ass punk settling into life as a smart-ass dude on the cusp on his seventh decade.
RECAP
Radiohead returned to London’s O2 Arena last night, Nov. 24, to wrap up the first stop on their long–awaited reunion tour. The legendary avant-rock quintet promised a different show for all 20 dates on their first tour in seven years, and they’ve held to that high standard so far, consistently reshuffling their sampling of hits and occasionally introducing new songs into the rotation. Last night, the band expanded its live repertoire with the welcome addition of “Climbing Up the Walls.”
RECAP
Over the weekend, Patti Smith brought her tour celebrating 50 years of Horses back to New York for two performances at the Beacon Theatre. Smith earned a warm reception onstage at the historic Manhattan concert hall on Nov. 21 and 22, and the legendary singer-songwriter and certified New York countercultural icon returned the love to her hometown crowd on Saturday night by hosting a surprise guest-spot from her longtime friend and collaborator Michael Stipe.
NEWS
Electric Forest has unveiled the dates for its annual gathering in Rothbury, Mich. The impending event will arrive after the Summer Solstice and take place over three days, June 25-28, 2026.
