Multiple Grammy and Blues Music Award nominee John Lee Hooker, Jr. announces a September 18 release date for his exciting new CD, All Hooked Up, on his own Steppin’ Stone Records, with national distribution by INgrooves Fontana.

Imagine you were at a Grateful Dead Show or any other concert for that matter, and you could BYOB, liquor, cooler, food, tent and camping supplies into the concert with you and set up right in front of the stage. Well, we are not sure that this has registered with you yet, but this is precisely what you can do at the Dark Star Jubilee.You may park your car right outside the concert venue entrance, carry your stuff a few hundred yards and set up your tent in the concert field right in front of the stage.

I decided to check out the Dawg Daze of Summer Festival this year because of three reasons: it was a great birthday outing for my girlfriend and me, I wanted to see JJ Grey and Mofro and it sounded low-key. The list of reasons I’ll be going back next year is much larger.

Festivals are always welcome in the NYC area that don't involve traveling to New Jersey (All Points West), electronic dance music (Electric Zoo) or taking a crowded ferry (Governors Ball, HARD Fest, Rock The Bells). So, it's a shame that NYC was not as receptive to the inaugural year of Catalpa, which was held in the convenient location of Randall's Island.