Quite possibly the most prestigious musical event today, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has hit the big 4-0 and in turn, has outdone itself in booking nothing less than the cream of the crop. The 2009 lineup is incredibly diverse, both stylistically and chronologically, and will take music from jazz, pop, rock, soul, gospel, folk, salsa, blues, R&B, funk, and lots of music rooted in Louisiana, such as Cajun and zydeco. The event is scheduled to take place the weekends of April 24-26 and April 30-May 3 and it's a wonder how they've managed to cram hundreds of artists into a mere seven days. There are so many artists that one wouldn't know where to start unless they have a specific genre in mind. So for now, let's extract some of the rock bands that will be playing.

Although an official schedule has yet to be released, the lineup has been broken up between the two weekends. During the first weekend, Dave Matthews Band will be featured as one of the headliners (sadly, sans the original sax player). Wilco, who strangely drew in a larger crowd than Rage Against the Machine at Lollapalooza, will undoubtedly be received with open arms.  Read more »

The summer rock festival is a hallowed tradition, and the mere mention of a Lollapalooza or a Bonnaroo calls to mind more than a few indelible images: The restless multitudes massed outside the brimming porta-potties, the eight-dollar hot dogs washed down with twelve-dollar beers, so many sunburned and shirtless party warriors being carried to the quiet mists of the chillout tent. The sun is out; people are on vacation; sometimes it rains, and we get naked in the mud.

Although displayed on the site's main page as running from November 14th-16th, the schedule indicates that a day appears to have been added at the beginning. So the event will supposedly start on Thursday the 13th, featuring additional performances by Perpetual Groove and The Motet. Other headliners include JJ Grey and Mofro, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Yonder Mountain String Band, Soulive, The New Mastersounds, Lettuce, The Everyone Orchestra featuring Jon Fishman and Michael Kang, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dr. Claw (another Ivan Neville outfit), and many more.  Read more »

Thousands of people packed Helena this past weekend and many are praising the 23rd installment of the Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival as a success.  While event organizers are still busy tallying the final numbers, estimates reflect that 83,000 people attended the festival.  Average crowds ran approximately 35,000 on Friday while nearly 45,000 closed one of the largest free blues festivals on the planet Saturday night.

After they had played Lightnin' Hopkins and the Reverend Gary Davis, and after they had delighted the crowd with their signature "Hesitation Blues," acoustic blues throwbacks Hot Tuna captured the spirit of the San Francisco Blues Festival with their final number of their Saturday afternoon set.

"I got the blues from my baby down by the San Francisco Bay...." The audience, basking in the September sun on the Great Meadow at Fort Mason, with the Golden Gate Bridge and bobbing sailboats in view at stage right, ate it up. "If I ever come back to stay, it'll be another brand new day, walking with my baby down by the San Francsico Bay."

The Hot Tuna performance was one highlight of the first day of the venerable festival, taking advantage of the glorious September weather overlooking the Bay at Fort Mason's Great Meadow. The other highlight came two hours later, when another legend from a seminal '60s rock band closed out an entertaining all-star blues revue featuring a cavalcade of electric blues performers. After all that great music, Elvin Bishop reminded fans of the fun and excitement that a high-powered blues rock can deliver.  Read more »

There's nothing like a weekend of glorious music at 9000 feet in the Rocky Mountains to shake off the routine of everyday life and get you "feelin' again," as headliner John Hiatt reminded the happy crowd at Telluride Blues & Brews. Whether you attended or not, this video slide show by multimedia blogger Kelly Butler captures the essence of the experience. Artists pictured include John Hiatt, Gov't Mule, The Derek Trucks Band, Joan Osborne, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and lots more. But the real stars are the festival itself and the happy attendees drinking in the great music, natural beauty and tasty libations.  Read more »

Despite the latest wave of inclement weather in the Houston area that has severely affected lots of undeserving Texans, the state's capital, Austin, continues to serve as an oasis of art, culture, and music.  Next weekend, Austin's Zilker Park will be flooded with an estimated 65,000 people (per day) for the 3-day, 8-stage, 130-band mega-festival, Austin City Limits.  As ACL has joined Bonnarroo, Coachella, and Lollapalooza in the upper echelon of American festivals, it's safe to say that producers C3 will not put on an event without building up a lineup that makes Live Nation and Superfly Productions nervously tug at their collars.

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