Another one of the Virginia music festivals we highlighted back in our Return of the Music Festival post is coming up this weekend as the Garth Newel Music Center in Warm Springs, Virginia presents the 3rd Annual Virginia Blues and Jazz Festival. 

And while there are events taking place Friday through Sunday, the real heart of the festival takes place this Saturday, June 14, with a line-up that should make any blues fan jump for joy.  Tickets are still available.  $18 advance or $25 the day of the show.  Gates open at 11am.  To purchase tickets or for more info check out the Garth Newel Music Center’s website here or you can call 877.558.1689.  For directions to the Virginia Blues and Jazz Festival click here.

Scheduled to perform are:

• The Bert Carlson Quartet featuring Danny Knicely
• Eric Lindell
• Tab Benoit
• The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
• The Taj Mahal Trio

I know there’s plenty to do over the weekend here in Charlottesville but if you got the itch to hit the mountains and catch a full-day of blues, brews, and barbecue then here’s a short weekend road trip you just can’t beat.

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06/09: Song of the Day. Tom Petty–Free Fallin’

I like to go.  Some of my favorite stories revolve around road trips.  Driving across the heartland to spend seven days in southwest Colorado and to attend the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.  Hitting Memphis, TN, Austin, TX, and New Orleans, LA in an eight day whirlwind of blues, Phish in the Live Music Capital of the World, and the deep humidity, voodoo, jazz, and decadence of The Crescent City.  Turning around eight days later and traveling to Cape Cod and on to northern Maine.  Riding with the top down from San Francisco, through northern California, and on into the central Oregon coast.  Racing down the interstate to see my folks for Christmas, who at the time lived on the Florida Gulf Coast.  I just like to go.

And when I go I have to have my portable black CD pack with me at all times.  It can hold thirty-six albums in jewel cases and loading it up before I go can be just as important as packing my toothbrush.  Sorry iPod, but in this case I prefer to live in 1995.  Choosing what to bring can become an ordeal.  Having the Townes ready for Texas, The Byrds and Gram Parsons ready for California, the Avett Brothers ready for sunshine, the Rolling Stones ready for the late night, and M. Ward at the ready for the spaces in between. »Read More

Popularity: 23% [?]