The time of year has come where that childhood anxiety of change and new adventures both excites and frights us to the bone. Mother Nature tells us that it’s time to progress. After Labor Day we all start to feel it. This is the time when some of us head back to school, and this is the time when some of us start packing away our wonderful toys of summer.  We say goodbye to our wonderful wilderness festival dance companions. The end of summer draws near. Festavarians, especially us in the Midwest, know that our times together are going in a new direction.

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.

Just in time for their fall tour, Ruff Shod/Nettwork recording artists Elephant Revival are releasing IT’S ALIVE, a seven-song EP, plus an illustrated hardcover songbook containing lyrics from the Colorado quintet’s first two albums and the EP. It also contains a bonus digital-download card for three songs not included on IT’S ALIVE.

The 2012 installment of The Festy Experience, the annual gathering in Nelson County, Virginia hosted by The Infamous Stringdusters and produced by Cereberus Productions and the Artist Farm, takes place October 5-7, 2012. With the 3rd annual event, The Festy continues to carve a unique and growing nic

The schedule for Shoe Fest 2012 is now online. Shoe Fest is a three day outdoor music camping event being held on September 7-9, 2012.

Following a summer full of festival appearances, Ruff Shod/Nettwork recording artists Elephant Revival start their fall tour with a Sept. 20 show at Vail, Colo.’s Gerald Ford Amphitheater, and cap the month long run with four nights of intimate performances at Colorado venues. Tickets for these dates — Oct. 18 at the Walnut Room, Oct. 19 at the Soiled Dove underground, Oct 20 at Daniel’s Hall at Swallow Hill and Oct. 21 at the Stage Stop in Rollinsville, near Nederland — will be available Tuesday, Aug.

The members of Elephant Revival and video artist Anna Cosper invite the community to share the very first screening of their new video for the song “Go On,” plus a potluck dinner and post-screening jam session hosted by members of Elephant Revival, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the Backdoor Theater, 740 Highway 72 N. The event is free, but donations will be accepted.

Following a sold-out festival in 2011, the 11th Annual Northwest String Summit cranks the volume up to 11 as they present the finest acoustic pickers and standout electric bands to commemorate the anniversary of Jerry Garcia's passing (August 9, 1995) at Horning's Hideout in North Plains, OR. Northwest String Summit is happening from August 9 - 12, 2012.

Elephant Revival is releasing a limited edition songbook featuring original artwork from each band member.  The color printed hard cover book includes lyrics, chord charts, notations and arrangements for songs off the first two albums as well as ten new songs.  The publication is being released in conjunction with three of these songs; "Quill Pen Feather," "Part of a Song"and "Don't Drift Too Far," as a preview for their independent, grass roots, short-running fall release.The songbook will be available for the first time at thei

Two and a half months ago, I was fortunate enough to get my first glimpse of Elephant Revival, the Lyons band whose sound is so unique, a reporter coined the term “Transcendental Folk” in an effort to capture it.