Andy Kaufman changed the worlds of comedy and performance in the 1970s, showing fans and friends alike a determination to follow put-ons into territory no one had ever even considered "comic" before. His fervor was so intense that when he passed away suddenly in 1984, it seemed as if the ultimate disappearing act had been staged; one that some people believe is still ongoing, with the reveal soon to come.

Connecticut’s nu-funk quintet, Kung Fu is teaming up with Jeff Bujak for an official Big Up Music & Arts Festival Satellite Party at the Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday, May 16th. Their unique brand of lethal ‘70s-style funk mixed with EDM ideology recently caught the attention of Sirius/XM Radio’s JamOn and they have a huge festival season approaching with main stage and late night slots at Mountain Jam, Gathering of the Vibes, All Good and of course, The Big Up.

Swedish Rock/Americana group Slim Loris are set to release their 2nd album "Future Echoes and Past Replays" on May 19th. The album follows up their critically acclaimed 2011 release "Down to Earth", which Billboard called "a sombre turn to the usually poppy sound of the 60's British invasion".The group's sound has been likened to Mumford and Sons, The Band, and early Radiohead.

John Cloyd Miller won first place in the 21st annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest in the bluegrass category at MerleFest 2013. Miller is a vocalist, guitarist and mandolin player for the Asheville-based band, Red June, a nationally touring acoustic Americana trio that includes his wife, fiddler and vocalist Natalya Weinstein, and multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Will Straughan.

Shauna Case is one of the stars of Nick Cannon's sketch comedy show, Incredible Crew, on Cartoon Network, but the young performer and rising star has been dancing and singing for far longer. The fifteen year-old performer began singing in the theatre in her hometown of Erie, PA, and dipped her toes into acting when her family moved to Los Angeles three years ago.

The neo-soul scene in the UK is as vibrant as ever, with upstarts popping up left and right. But don’t mistake Alice Russell for a newbie. She’s been releasing albums for almost ten years now.

Brian Moen, Phil Cook and Justin Vernon played one show as THE SHOUTING MATCHES nearly seven years ago. They reunited in Eau Claire, Wisconsin this past year and made a record fusing influences into what they do best: playing together. Over years of sharing stages and studios in a myriad of projects, they come together as a trio and give you GROWNASS MAN, a record with Midwestern knuckles and Southern callouses. The album marks the first release from Middle West, the management firm behind all of Vernon's musical endeavors.

Shows

The first and foremost Reggae Festival established in 1984 has returned to its original site, French’s camp, located on the Eel River in Humboldt County, California. This magical venue has huge historic significance with years of great festivals past. Hundreds of musicians have performed and thousands of people camped and enjoyed reggae music while practicing peace and love. This world renowned event draws from all over the US and around the globe.  Attendees speak of it as a rite of passage.

Blown away.If you have the opportunity to see Shovels & Rope live in concert, go. I caught the duo at the intimate Bluebird Theater in Denver on their 35th day on the road.  A straight month of playing across the country did not wear these two out; the energy on stage was incredible.  This was the best show I've seen in a long time, and I see a lot of music. Everything was right.