The four perfectionists who run the Summerbirds In The Cellar machine consistently put on the best show of any Central Florida band I’ve seen. Billed behind them on a late night gig at Orlando’s BackBooth was Attached Hands , For Ex Lovers Only , Derek Lyn Plastic. Staying until the very late, late end was Jen Cray.

For their first headlining American tour, Japan’s Dir En Grey have brought along Fair To Midland and Bleed The Dream to further challenge young audiences with new hybrids of Metal. Jen Cray caught show #2 at Orlando’s House of Blues.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers came to Orlando to blow away yet another soldout crowd, including Jen Cray who had been waiting to see them play for 15 years.

Continuing on with the “flashback to her high school years” week of concerts, Jen Cray decided to check out the opening night of The Lemonheads’ tour.

Throwaway love songs with cheesy choruses and soft vocals are what the radio listeners want, and so John Mayer has delivered. Jen Cray was more interested in the blues side of his music that shone forth at his Orlando concert.

With The Rapture playing just four blocks away and competing for much of the same audience, The Dears still managed to pack in a large crowd of indie rock fans with good taste. Jen Cray had little trouble deciding which show to attend.

Intentionally stepping down from arenas to clubs, Incubus swept into Orlando to play before a crowd that had sold out in just 5 minutes time. Along for the ride, for his solo debut, was Strokes’ guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. It was not a show Jen Cray would miss.

A last minute switch-around transformed The Ettes headlining gig at Orlando’s The Social into a benefit show for the Invisible Children organization. On a bill stacked with local talent, Jen Cray saw the Los Angeles trio steal the show despite their less than prime time 9:15 performance.

A featured profile in both the local weekly and in the Orlando Sentinel newspaper helped to pack The Social for The Oaks’ first ever headlining gig. Jen Cray was amongst the crowd to lend her support.

The Social, in Orlando, has been frequently offering two-night residencies to bands that can easily sell out the small venue. Booking the bill with big talent and odd packaging, these shows are usually a hot ticket and always memorable. For a holiday treat in December, Bouncing Souls were the band in big letters with hefty support from The Street Dogs , Whole Wheat Bread and World/Inferno Friendship Society. Jen Cray was there for the mayhem on night #2.

The annual O-Rock 105.9 No Snow Show had AFI in top billing with heavy support by Taking Back Sunday , Angels & Airwaves , Buckcherry , Sugarcult , Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Kill Hannah. Reporting deep inside the very _un_winter weather was Jen Cray.

The Hold Steady are in part known for the copious amounts of alcohol they consume onstage during every performance. How much alcohol can they actually get through in an hour and change? Jen Cray was at their Orlando gig to find out.

When At The Drive In split up, half of the band went on to critical success in The Mars Volta. The other half quietly slipped into a band just as worthy of praise, Sparta. Jen Cray stepped in to pay the band some respect.

On the first real cold night of our Florida winter, Cursive came to town with Jeremy Enigk , and The Cops. Jen Cray found the weather to be more enjoyable than some of the music.

Appropriately booked at a college campus, Seattle’s shoegazers Death Cab For Cutie rolled into Orlando for a crowded show at the UCF Arena. Jen Cray found their inimate sounds rather impersonal inside the too big space.

Even this far into her career Joan Jett is all about the music. Why else would she bring two show-stealing bands- Eagles of Death Metal and Riverboat Gamblers - on tour with her? Jen Cray falls into the celebratory atmosphere of one perfect lineup of rock n’ roll.

There’s a good reason why Mute Math played two consecutive nights during Orlando’s Anti-Pop Festival, at The Social… Because, as Jen Cray soon found out, they are one of the greatest live bands touring the club circuit these days.

The Detroit Cobras are all about reviving the essence of early rock ‘n’ roll, from the rockabilly roots of the 50’s to the soulful days of Motown. Jen Cray catches up with them in Orlando.

Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli has brought Screaming Trees’ Mark Lanegan on board for his Twilight Singers tour. Jen Cray fell into the 90’s nostalgia headfirst.

Bloc Party cancelled the rest of their US tour opening for Panic! At The Disco after drummer Matt Tong was hospitalized for treatment of a collapsed lung. Jen Cray managed to catch the band’s Orlando show, the night before the medical trauma.