The ever-evolving and highly-anticipated Levitate Music & Arts Festival is proud to highlight local performing and visual artists for its seventh annual event to take place on July 12-14, 2019 at the historic Marshfield Fairgrounds.

The 2nd day started early, with New Zealand born lads in Alien Weaponry. They draw their influences on the Maori culture as each member has bloodlines in. Similarly, to the funk-metal stylings of Sepultura. They add some regional tribal themes to their heavy metal. They are also very young; I really cannot wait to see how their career goes as it’s off to a great start already.

A small army of music fans descended on Manchester Tennessee during the early morning hours of June 12th for the 18th annual Bonnaroo Music Festival. Many gathered at the nearby Walmart to stock up on supplies and met other concert goers. Some arrived Tuesday night and set up tents in the parking lot waiting for the grueling process of being screened to enter the festival when the gates opened Wednesday night.

When I was invited, for the third time, to review the John Hartford Memorial Festival, in its 9th year, I heartily accepted. I also tried to bring people along, because it’s an experience worth sharing. I was at a loss, at first, to explain it. Not just a bluegrass festival. A picking festival? Mostly. But with elements ranging from old-time Americana, root music, classical and rock and jazz- I settled on bluegrass and its extended family. It turns out that ‘extended family’ would come back around a few times.

When an outdoor music festival is held the organizers are at the mercy of mother nature. Unfortunately, the three-day hard rock and metal-oriented Epicenter held at Rockingham NC drag way had to work around a bit of extreme weather. Day 1, however, went off without a hitch.

HeadCount, the organization that partners with musicians to register voters, smashed it’s all-time record for the most voters registered at any festival in its 15-year history, passing the previous record (set at Bonnaroo in 2016) of 1,211. The record fell late Saturday evening, with another day left to register even more voters.

Higher Ground Presents and Grace Potter announced today the lineup for the 2019 Grand Point North music festival, scheduled for September 14 and 15 at Burlington, Vermont’s Waterfront Park. Joining Potter this year are Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Lucius, J.S. Ondara, Lucy Dacus, Michael Nau, and Bailen. Other artists are expected to be added to the lineup. Two day passes are currently on-sale.

I made a wish on the Zoltar fortune Telling machine. I wished I could unwind and rewind back to the glory days. I wished my youth wasn’t wasted when I was young. I wished to be me, free of worry, like the days of childhood Summer Camp, adventurous and curious, exploring the wonders of nature.

Born into a coal-mining family that later moved to Michigan's upper peninsula and raised in an extended family with a grandmother who was both a Civil Rights activist and a Christian, I get a sense of all of those roots in her music.

Camp Euforia is excited to unveil the full performance schedules for the sixteenth annual festival returning July 18-20 on Jerry’s Farm in Lone Tree, IA.