1. Gregg Allman looks like the kind of people he sings about. This isn’t meant in a disparaging way. The man just has a lot of miles on his face – character lines, you could call them. And you feel that each line and crag in that face could tell a hundred stories. I’m not sure if Mick Jagger lives a single line in any of his songs anymore. But you get the feeling Gregg Allman still does. “I don’t own the clothes I’m wearing, and the road goes on forever.”2.

Knocking on your door this fall is iconic bass player George Porter Jr. with his band Runnin’ Pardners. Porter Jr. is a favorite on the live concert and festival circuit for his all-star collaborations. His Runnin’ Pardners side project features seasoned New Orleans funk musicians Brint Anderson (guitar), Michael Lemmler (keyboards), Khris Royal (saxophone), and Terrence Houston (drums).

In its first year WARMfest in Broad Ripple Park, Indianapolis, Indiana should be counted as a success. It was a great, and warm, way to spend my Labor Day Weekend. With six stages, one being a riverboat stage, this event was one of massive size and variety. I have been in Broad Ripple Park at least 20 times, and never realized how much space there truly was in my little town. WARMfest started off a bit rough on Saturday, getting rained out a few hours into the event.

The Del McCoury Band is currently in Guthrie, Oklahoma with Mumford and Sons at their Gentlemen of the Road festival!  Night one of Gentlemen of the Road was one for the books with Marcus Mumford (Mumford and Sons) and Jeff Austin (Yonder Mountain String Band) sitting in for The Del McCoury Bands first set.  Also sitting in for the bands set were Larry Kell, Danny Barnes and Mumford fiddler Ross Holmes.

The chill in the air and the familiar rumble of school buses tells us that summer is quietly coming to an end. If you were at Bumbershoot this past weekend, however, school lunches and winter jackets were far from a hot topic. In its 42nd year, Seattle’s music and arts festival was blessed with sunny skies, a distinct lineup, and its 7 millionth visitor ever.