For classical composer Lee Johnson, tackling the work of the Grateful Dead was like discovering the musical foundations of a new foreign country. Johnson is known for his concert pieces, choral works, short operas and musicals, planetarium soundtracks, and solo/ensemble pieces that cross into jazz and big band music.

Today's review is a show readily available for download at the Live Music Archive, 7/29/88, at the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey California. This was the first of a three show run at Laguna Seca, and in my opinion the best of the three. I chose this show mainly because of the extremely high quality of the recording currently available at the LMA. It sounds to me to be a mislabelled soundboard or soundboard/audience matrix recording, but I suppose it's possible that its just a phenomenal audience recording.

Composer and philanthropist Peter Buffett and international star Akon announced today the beginning of their musical collaboration and the launch of a new social action and resource website, IsThereSomethingICanDo.com. Akon added vocals and remixed Buffett's song "Anything," from his 2007 album 'Staring At The Sun.' Starting today, the track is available for free download at their new website IsThereSomethingICanDo.com

Sure, the bands may be old and the music not quite up to date by the standards of today's young teens and adults, but Chicago and The Doobie Brothers showed that even in the millennium they can still draw in a crowd.

After proving a highlight at Coachella this year, internationally acclaimed Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello performs today at Bonnaroo on Saturday, June 14 at 4:00 PM on the Which Stage. Come see why Q Magazine calls Eugene Hutz, "a great performer of our times," with what the New York Press is calling "a band that everyone should see live."

Staggering gas prices curtailing your travel plans? Avoid the pinch and let Road Trips transport you far and wide while safely parked with your favorite listening device. Our latest 2-disc installment takes us to the magical Summer of '71 with stops in New Haven, Chicago and, for a limited time, sunny Southern California. All in brilliant HDCD and all for the same low $19.98.

Grateful Web's Tim Hurley was on hand at this year's Wakarusa to cover the festival.  Tim's pictures are here!  And check back soon for Tim's write-up of last weekend's Wakarusa.

Enjoy,

Catch Colorado's Yonder Mountain String Band on the Main Stage (the 'What Stage') this year at Bonnaroo just prior to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss¹s set this Sunday, June 15 at 3:45. Yonder returns to Bonnaroo after a short hiatus having played on the festival in 2003, 2004, and 2005. They return to Bonnaroo with a brand new live record, Mountain Tracks: Volume 5, on their own label.