Barefoot, underage and incredibly talented, these "gypsy wonder boys" showed us that Ocean City, Maryland isn't just a hotbed of summer tourists and frozen custard joints--for Hot Sauce Sandwich, this east coast beach town is, at its core, a familial music community where locals like to sit back, hang out with friends, and maybe even eat some hot sauce on bread.

AS220, a local forum and home for the arts in Providence, Rhode Island, embraces a diverse music and arts scene supports an eclectic spread of local artists.  Case in point?  At AS220, the crew heard a romanichal singer-songwriter with his string back-up band, a soft-spoken new-age Bob Dylan and even a few rowdy street performers, all in one night.

Marimbas in Maine?  Leave it to Portland's Maine Marimba Ensemble to remind us that "local" music scene do not have to be inspired by uniquely regional sounds.

"There's a band in every restaurant."  Taking its top-rated culinary scene and abundance of local musical talent, the creative minds of Portland, Maine did only what made sense:  they created a restaurant-specific, rock-heavy battle of the bands.  

At a single crossroad in Hartland, Vermont, we left cell service and streetlights behind, discovering instead a hole-in-the-wall musical haven.  Skunk Hallow Tavern, a late 18th century colonial home, is famed to be the longest-running open mic night in New England.

Back to our university stomping grounds of Hamilton, New York, we decided to ditch the college parties for some locally sourced craft beer, a Dylan-inspired local jam band and a magical evening spent singing and strumming guitar around an early summer bonfire.