Flashback to 1972. It’s been a tremendously busy year for the American Rock band the Grateful Dead. Solidifying their identity as “American” the boys (and Donna) traveled to Europe for a 22 show multiple country engagement including East and West Germany, Amsterdam, Lille Fairgrounds, Rotterdam, and beyond. This tour was groundbreaking in Dead evolution, displaying focused and extended jams on newer material such as Playing in the Band, while refining jazzier touches on standby opuses such as Dark Star and The Other One.

The time has finally arrived after surviving the many long months of winter, finally, festival season. “I grabbed my sleeping bag from behind the couch and headed out the door on a path that’s free to walk”. It’s time to celebrate the life and music of one the greatest writers of the 20th century, time for the John Hartford Memorial Festival, year III.

When George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers burst onto the national scene in 1977, roots rock music was all but absent from contemporary radio. Yet, the focus and excitement that George brought to the classic songs of his idols such as Chuck Berry, Elmore James, and Jimmy Reed was undeniable.

Steel Pulse may have explored various styles of music since they started out in 1975, but when it comes to the message, the UK’s Grammy – Winning reggae band has remained close to their roots.  The Group have continued their commitment to fighting injustice, educating the masses, and promoting positive messages through spiritually uplifting music.“We just can’t ignore the politics, because every life and soul that’s born on this earth is a political manoeuvre for someone, at some point”, Hinds explains.

Whoever did the booking for the Village Voice 4Knots Festival at South Street Seaport knocked it out of the park. It was a fantastic, eclectic mix of bands and genres, both local and far-flung, performing on two stages, all of whom were immensely talented and put on great, highly entertaining sets. Luckily Mother Nature cooperated as well, a day that had been forecast for intermittent thunderstorms turned out to be clear blue skies with a great breeze off the East River.

So, Widespread Panic played a show at Red Rocks on Saturday night. Honestly, for those of you who have seen them in that setting before, that’s about as good of a review as you need. All it would take is one glance at the set list, particularly from the second set on, to know that it was a spectacular evening.

Sometime in between The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” and Kanye West’s “Stronger,” electronic music officially became pop again. Long relegated to the support role after the death of new wave in the 80s, the keyboardist became a more prominent player (pun absolutely intended) in a band once again. Often just an add-on in a guitar-driven musical landscape, the keyboardist now plays the riffs, front and center. The buzzing sawtooth that starts Phoenix’s “1901” and the glossy bounce that propels Passion Pit’s “Take a Walk” are what gets stuck in people’s heads these days.

Fore·cas·tle (f’ok_sol) n. ~ A superstructure at the bow of a ship where the crew is housed. Hard at work in the unruly sea, it is a place workers gather to unwind after a hard day of labor. Simply put, it is a place where people come together.

Acclaimed independent and innovative band THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT have launched their summer tour and have confirmed that they will be releasing an album of new material in early 2014.  The dates began this past weekend with a show at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival (6/21) and continue this weekend with three shows in Rothbury, MI at the Electric Forest Festival.

Once again, a beloved Jerry Week San Francisco tradition—Grateful Dead Tribute Night at the SF Giants—returns on August 5 at AT&T Park, as the World Series Champions take on the Milwaukee Brewers.