September on the West Coast not only marks the time of year University of California, Santa Barbara rolls back into session, it also heralds the return of the WEST BEACH MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL.  Event producers Twiin Productions have announced that one of America’s only beach festivals will return for its third year Friday, September 18, Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2009.

There is no better way to celebrate the country’s independence and the spirit of Colorado than a day of fun and festivities in the Colorado Rockies. For the first time ever, music, parade, food and fireworks will meet in a family environment at the Peak to Peak Music Festival in Nederland, CO, on the Fourth of July. With a long-standing musical heritage and Fourth of July festivities already in place, Nederland is the perfect mountain town for both young and old to celebrate the holiday.

Buzzworthy indie festival MONOLITH presented by Esurance, happening September 12 and 13 at Colorado’s breathtaking Red Rocks Amphitheater, today announces plans to harness the power of  social networking realms such as Facebook and Twitter to unveil its 2009 artist lineup.  Over the next 12 business days, MONOLITH Facebook friends and Twitter followers will be the first to know which of their favorite bands will hit the stage during this year’s festival. 

In keeping with the event's continued effort to balance renowned national touring acts with local artists, Norwalk, CT-based singer, songwriter and musician PJ Pacifico has earned the final slot on the 2009 Gathering of the Vibes Main Stage. Pacifico will be the festival's opening bookend to one of his earliest musical influences Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN), who will close the festival on Sunday, July 26.

Step by step, summertime is getting closer … the most beautiful period of the year with many festivals to choose from. One of those splendid festivals, is GentJazz, which takes place from July 8 to July 19 in the gardens of De Bijloke, one of the most beautiful sites of the city, an ideal environment for those who like to be busy with music, dance and other forms of art.

Louis Molinary is convinced that the Stones wouldn’t really care if he wasn’t able to make his mortgage next month.  The fifty-something real estate developer from Charleston, SC  is quick-stepping into the festival alongside me, headed back to the picking tents.  He tells me he’s new to bluegrass music and wants to hear some more, he said.. Until last year, when a longtime friend finally convinced him to come, Molinary had been more of a fan of The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin.

A nasty day in February became much brighter when my Treo blew up as texts started flying in informing me that Rothbury 2009 was officially on.  After months of speculation and discussion about leases and bankruptcy and rumors of a possible alien abduction of any confirmed artists, this was fabulous news!

ROTHBURY unveils the "2-Day Sat & Sun Ticket," a reduced rate ticket that allows access to the show on Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5.  Also announced today, the lineup schedule for ROTHBURY 2009 headliners - The String Cheese Incident (their only 2009 performance) will top the bill on Friday, July 3; The Dead (their only summer appearance) will headline on Saturday, July 4; and Bob Dylan and His Band and Willie Nelson & Family will wrap up the weekend on Sunday, July 5.

As the last notes of music rang out over the hillside and crews began dismantling stages, preliminary estimates showed that over the festival's four days more than 70,000 music fans filled the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro for MerleFest 2009, presented by Lowe's.  The weather in western North Carolina felt more like summer than spring, with sunny days and high temperatures in the '80s.  One storm blew through on Friday evening, delaying some of the performances for just a few minutes.