Trudging into the Independent on yet another cold, appropriately misty San Francisco night, I was quite honestly exhausted and wishing I was in my bed. While I had been wholly captivated by Father John Misty at Outside Lands last month...my bed was so warm. However, I made the adult decision to stay and enjoy the show. Thank God I did.

My god, can you believe it’s already October? Fall plants are starting to fruit, the weather is getting slightly cooler, the nights seem fresher. And if you’re a bluegrass fan, you probably know what else that means – Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Music Festival is nearing. This year’s lineup has seen a few drop-outs, but it also features some great acts, both well-known and little-known.

With their recent explosion on the jamband music scene, a cross-country tour and musicians lining up to play with them, The Werks keyboardist Norman Dimitrouleas could easily go the route of other rock stars and become inaccessible and cocky.  But spend five minutes with him and you’ll feel like his best friend.  I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the keyboardist with an infectious smile nd humble demeanor following the second night of their music festival the

I was beginning to worry about the health of rock and roll.  I grew up on mid-late 70s rock.  At that time rock  was the music, [along with disco,] that was really the 'pop' of the day.  A lack of Internet and MTV surely helped assist this reality.  My reality, anyway.  I lived in a number of areas as a little kid where -- regardless of demographic -- the main music blaring from one's house would be blues-rock-based.