It’s late afternoon at Javelina and I’m starting to sweat.  The unpredictable Austin weather is up to its old tricks, and I’m drowning in layers.  I just finished my beer and am about to go do some more aimless wandering, following the sounds of good music or loud cheers, when the guy next to me at the bar strikes up conversation.  He’s from California, a pediatrician, an obvious Austin enthusiast, and had a friend who knows a guy that knows the girl who’s about to play next.  She’s supposed to be really good, he says.  That line gets me every time.Ten minutes into her set, I’m so glad I st

The 2014 ARISE Music Festival hit the ground running with first wave of artist announcements including GALACTIC with special guests Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) and Lyrics Born, Keller William’s Grateful Grass featuring Keller Williams, Billy Nershi (String Cheese Incident), and Reed Mathis Groundation, Tribal Seeds, Nahko and Medicine for the People, the return of Kan’nal, plus the audio/visual extravaganza that is Quixotic. With more exciting artist announcements to come, 2014 looks to be a promising year for the 2nd annual ARISE Music Festival.

For the first time in the 19-year history of Gathering of the Vibes, the initial festival lineup was announced live and on stage, Saturday March 15, at New York’s legendary Capitol Theatre, in Port Chester, NY. John Fogerty, Widespread Panic, Umphrey’s McGee, Maceo Parker, moe., and Ziggy Marley are among the acts confirmed to appear.“John Fogerty is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, a living legend, and he’s been on our dream list for years,” remarks Ken Hays, festival founder. “Widespread Panic is another band that we’ve long sought to play at the Vibes.

We live in a time where plenty of incredibly entertaining funk acts with talented players are saturating the live music scene. Funk has almost become synonymous in meaning to being just a good times band with some soul. Digging back toward the true roots of the genre reveals a particular form and structure with certain places breading their own unique spin and history on it. New Orleans musicians are held in a high caliber for a reason. They don’t just learn to play in their own niche group; these stellar players are constantly collaborating and have been for decades.

It’s Wednesday afternoon, smack-dab in the middle of the tornado we call SXSW.  The music portion of the festival officially starts tomorrow, but for the people who know where to look for it, it’s well underway.  Dogwood, a popular watering hole on the West side of 6^th street, had lined up a number of stellar artists for the week.  My Aunt Julia, a music writer and magazine editor in town from LA, texts me to come meet her here.