"It was all about the voice tonight," said Ruthie Foster, the spirited opening act from Texas. She couldn't have been more correct. Walking into the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood, NJ is an experience in itself. The historic 1930's art deco venue is an extremely intimate theater which holds about 1,000 people in a tight moon shape circle around the stage. The ambiance was perfect for one of the greatest voices alive today.

The sixth annual 10,000 Lakes Festival (10KLF) is proud to announce the initial lineup for this year's celebration of music, nature and community.  Held July 23–26 at the Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, 10KLF continues to grow as Al Schnier guitarist from moe. calls the 10,000 Lakes Festival "one of those great spots you tell all your friends about."

With over sixty bands on the final lineup, the 10,000 Lakes Festival announces initial artists for the 2008 event with performances from:

Phil Lesh & Friends

Colorado's legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a natural geologic phenomenon in the foothills of the Rocky Mountain's Front Range, is a world-renown outdoor venue and a favorite among fans and performers alike. Last year, MONOLITH festival organizers Josh Baker and Matt Fecher, together with AEG Live Rocky Mountains, thrilled fans and industry by putting on the first ever multi-day, multi-stage festival at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.  Despite today's saturated summer festival season, MONOLITH Presented by Esurance proved to fill a niche:

On July 4^th weekend 2008, ROTHBURY emerges as a new American celebration. For this next generation of the rock and roll music festival, ROTHBURY sets forth as a huge party with a purpose. Hosted at the one-of-a-kind Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan, the unique festival site offers trails, forests, fields, lakes and beach fronts, and even on-site lodging, bars and eateries.

Dark Star Orchestra has been confirmed as part of the initial lineup for the 2008 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The 7th annual four-day camping and music festival will be held on June 12-15 on the same 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville. The final Bonnaroo 2008 lineup will total over 100 bands and over 20 comedians performing on 13 stages over four days.

Steve Kimock gets back to his Bay Area roots with a very special line-up of old and new FRIENDS. SK&F, Kimock's feel-good side project for more than a decade, will rehearse and perform in Northern CA from March 9-16, 2008.

I can't decide if it's better that I wait so long after the shows to turn in my reviews or not. This time was a bit excessive, and I won't bore you with my personal issues.

There is something to be said about the marriage of experience and youth. It usually results in wisdom–or at the least a sort of magic. And magic is what seems to be coming from the new band, Donna Jean & the Tricksters. The experience comes from Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, known best for her harmony voice in the Grateful Dead, and keyboardist Mookie Siegel, who has played with the David Nelson Band, Phil & Friends, and RatDog.