By all accounts, Gathering of the Vibes 2007 was a huge success on every level. The four-day festival, August 9-12, brought together musical artists, staff and an estimated 20,000 attendees from all across the nation to celebrate music, camping and camaraderie, and all agreed that the Vibes return to Bridgeport, CT, was triumphant.

In the beginning of June of every year, most musicians and music lovers know that the greatest festival of all time takes place in that small town in Tennessee called Manchester that has become famous for this unique and prodigious extravaganza. This was my fifth time out of its six year existence that I have made the pilgrimage to this Mecca for music. It is never without struggle, conflict, or a challenge that one achieves complete bliss or fulfillment.

Check out some of the terrific photos Amanda took at the 10KLF on behalf of the Grateful Web... we'll add some more pictures this weekend. And keep your eyes peeled for Amanda's 10KLF review and more from Janie coming soon too...

Enjoy,

The Grateful Web

I would like to apologize to the kid who passed out before my mosh pit neighbors' feet at the sound of my scream. It was at that point in the early morning, somewhere between midnight and dawn, when the thick voodoo pierced my soul sacrificing my voice to the hottest, heaviest, dirtiest jam I have witnessed in my short thirty years on this planet. The victim can take solace in the fact that four nights later my voice has yet to return. Yet he was hardly the only person whose knees buckled at the sounds emanating from the stage.

The Northwest's premier acoustic music festival returns for its sixth year to beautiful Horning's Hideout in North Plains, Oregon, on August 24-26.  The event boasts three days of nearly all-acoustic music, culminating each night with main stage performances from musical hosts Yonder Mountain String Band, this year joined by special guest fiddler Darol Anger (David Grisman Quintet, Psychograss).

The drum circle on Sunday morning at Wakarusa remains one of my favorite events of the festival. The energy there is just unbelievable and joyous.

Saturday

John Butler Trio

JJGrey and Mofro guys can do no wrong in my mind. I've gotta admit I enjoy their more enthusiastic shows, some days JJ just is in a mellow kind of mood, but today did not disappoint in the least.  It might have had something to do with the fact that they hadn't played in three weeks, which Grey informed the audience early on.

I almost didn't go to Wakarusa this year.  I had sworn never to go to Bonnaroo, the venue just being too large in my opinion, but the scheduled acts were just too sick to turn down.  Not thinking that I could swing both weekends, I made a hard decision based mostly on financial reasons.

An improvisational music festival is its culture, composed of people coming together from all lifestyles and parts of the world.  The 10,000 Lakes Festival continues to bring folks together who love this music and who share a similar passion for the planet and social justice issues.  The festival, like many other jam music events, partners with