There was a decidedly day-glo hue to the bluegrass played at this year’s Northwest String Summit (July 16-19). Many of the musical merry-makers, and deadicated patrons alike, appeared to still be basking in the warm fluorescent after-light of the “Fare Thee Well” experience.  The haunting presence of the now officially departed Dead continues to populate and positively inform a new generation of musical/spiritual adventurers.

It was bound to happen that the San Francisco-based Brothers Comatose, one of the hottest bohemian bluegrass bands on the circuit would wind up pickin’ and grinnin’ from the Terrapin Crossroads stage at Phil Lesh’s lair in San Rafael, California.

Nestled in the Sierras at the base of Squaw Valley Lodge, Winter Wonder Grass opened its door for the first time on the West Coast to deliver a top notch line up of Bluegrass music. The previously only located in Colorado festival spread its wings to expand to another Grass loving area in Tahoe. Billed as a Beer and Music festival the bill, did not lie. Every major brewer on the West Coast was in attendance from Lagunitas, Tahoe Favorite 50/50, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Green Flash and many, many more!

I’m searching for phrases to describe Phases of the Moon Music & Art Festival.  It began as a dark side of the moon, but that was just a phase.  As an audience, our hackles were already up, howling at the moon before the weekend ever arrived.  Through no fault of the Phases organizers, RatDog had to cancel their appearance.  Bobby Weir’s lightening is lazy.

San Francisco’s biggest music festival is set to take over Golden Gate Park for its seventh year next week. This year Outside Lands sold out in record time, within just hours of single day passes going on sale.

When the sun peeks over the hillside, and you hear music wafting through the air coupled with the lilt of a family of birds you’ll know you’re in the right place. There will likely be a few groups of people stumbling by, chatting and laughing. Your tent will become a sauna as the sunshine fills the clear sky. You’ll crack open your first beer of the day, sip your breakfast wine or wander along the few paved paths to find some food. Golf carts will whizz by as you stop to take in the scenery, suck in a deep, clear breath and get ready for the days ahead.

Slightly Stoopid, the Ocean Beach/San Diego, CA group will be joined by special guest reggae superstar Don Carlos at  Jungle Jam IV January 16-19, 2014 in Jaco, Costa Rica. Ojo de Buey, Florian Droids, Thicker than Thieves, Dastardly Bastards and Fusion Funk San Jose have al

Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers announce their first full US national tour in support of the release of their critically acclaimed self-titled album Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers.  The 2014 Winter Tour includes the band's first headlining performance at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco, a run of dates with JJ Grey & Mofro, a Valentine's Day show at New York City's Bowery Ballroom, a Newport Folk Festival presented event at The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA and a rare two night stand at Portland's Doug Fir Lounge.

Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers’ self-titled sophomore album doesn’t drop until next week, but if the crowd at her sold out album release show on Tuesday night is any indication, Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers is already a smash. The San Francisco-based band took the stage at the Lodge at the Regency to hearty cheers that began when guitarist Tim Bluhm (husband to Nicki and co-founder of The Mother Hips) stepped out to fine-tune his guitar.

Following up an incredible year of non-stop touring, a national television appearance and signing a distribution deal with INgrooves Fontana for their own Little Sur Records, San Francisco’s Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers self-titled debut will be  released worldwide on August 27, 2013. The album pre-order begins today directly through www.nickibluhm.com.