The 2^nd annual ARISE Music Festival was full of magic, wonder, music, acrobats, dancers, poets, and artists of all kinds just as it was last year during its debut. After reviewing the pre-party in Boulder and attending the open house on site, I knew that the creators and help of this amazing festival would come together once again to produce a loving, creative, and musical environment, which would provide endless delight for everyone involved.

Every summer music festival season brings a slew of new concepts and destinations for “festivarians” to pick and choose from. You have to marvel at the fact that so many continue to thrive year after year considering the number of options that are out there. In Colorado alone, thousands of tourists from everywhere come to enjoy countless summer music festival options. Maybe you made it to Rockygrass in July and rejoiced in the revival of a flood-ravaged site miraculously sprung back to life with true roots community effort.

Nice Spring weather. Check. Tucked away in the scenic foothills of Virginia. Check. Easily accessible. Check. Polite and accommodating staff and police. Check. Well laid out stages and concessions. Check. Lightning bugs and even the tail end of a meteor shower. Check. Festival go-er friendly priced tickets. Check. Wide variety of talented performers. Check. The Infamous Stringdusters. Check. Anders Osborne. Check.

No single thing makes a festival the “best festival ever.” Sure, one great band can make it really good. Or maybe the campground scene was where it was at. But it’s really when you group those moments with the ones of unbearable laughter, silly dancing, and inspirational people that a festival becomes the “best ever.” And you know what? The Northwest String Summit consistently brings the best.

Crowd-pleasing has never been any sort of issue for the Virginia Born prog-grass quintet Infamous Stringdusters. Every crowd seems simply enamored with their boisterous stage presence, aggressively cunning musicianship, and true accessibility. The Dusters use most tour dates as a catalyst to interact with fans through various environmentally geared cleanup projects. They’re wholesome yet mysterious. They’re seemingly traditional but stylistically inexplicable.

The 13th Annual Northwest String Summit (NWSS) returns to Horning's Hideout (North Plains, OR) with the finest acoustic pickers and standout electric bands from July 17 - 21, 2014. Located just 20 miles outside of Portland, OR, Horning's Hideout stands as one of the most scenic festival sites in the country; NWSS is the only music offering this year taking place at Horning's Hideout.

On an icy, cold night in Fayetteville, AR I traveled (safely and slowly) to George’s Majestic Lounge for an epic evening with The Infamous Stringdusters. They’ve played a couple times on Mulberry Mountain but never in Fayetteville so it was a treat for us. Unfortunately, the show was scheduled on a day that fell just after our area had been covered by ice and snow.

It’s no secret that the Infamous Stringdusters love Colorado, and let’s be serious, who can blame them? While Virginia is their home base, bassist Travis Book grew up here, and Andy Hall and Chris Pandolfi now spend their days along the Colorado Front Range. It seems to be a home away from home for the band, with highly responsive crowds always eager for some high altitude, innovative bluegrass.

The Parish is completely empty when I arrive.  Austinites haven’t adjusted to the near-freezing temperatures yet, so it’s not surprising that rosy-cheeked audience members only start trickling in during the opening act.  After I buy a whiskey on the rocks, the only respectable drink order for this winter weather, I take a look around.  I’ve never seen this venue, really, because the last time I was here was for Thom Yorke and people were sta

This is John Schumm with the Grateful Web, and joining me is Mr. Andy Hall, who plays dobro and sings with The Infamous Stringdusters, preparing for an upcoming tour called The Road to Boulder, starting in Columbus, Ohio, December 4th, and moving through the Midwest to Boulder for shows on December 7^th and 8^th.

GW: How’re you doing Andy?