Richard Branson explains Virgin Mobile FreeFest to Jimmy Fallon

by Jamie Rhein on

We’ve written about Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic before. Recently, as Jeremy wrote, Gadling was on hand to join in a Virgin Atlantic’s 25th anniversary party in New York City. While in the city, Sir Richard took the time to hang out with Jimmy Fallon on Late Night.

It’s not that I was born on another planet, but I didn’t catch who he was a first. Fallon was in a twitter though. The first thing I noticed before I caught Branson’s name was how pleased he is with himself–and life. Very pleased, glowing in fact. Then I connected the dots and thought, well, that explains it.

The celebration Branson and Virgin Mobile is throwing is to help make the hard economic times a little easier for the everyday person. The Virgin Mobile Freefest, being held on August 30th at the Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, Maryland is free. That’s right, free–if you can snag tickets. You need a ticket to get in. Start trying tomorrow, Saturday, June 27 at 10 a.m., you can try for tickets through Ticketmaster or call 1-800-551-SEAT.

There’s more.

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In the vein of it’s great to give back, Branson wants people to donate at least $5 to Youth Homelessness. Also there’s a Karma T-shirt package. For $30 you can get a T-shirt, give your $5 donation and $5 towards delivery. The idea is that you buy a T-shirt and stock up on good karma for yourself. There’s a $5 discount if you order two packages.

Branson mentioned the musical line up and perks to people who have lost their jobs. I haven’t found the details about the perks on the event Web site, but according to what I heard Branson say, there’s some sort of VIP area.

Here’s what I appreciate about the event besides it being free. Kids are welcome. Bringing children is mentioned on the checklist page. So is remembering sunscreen and bringing in two factory sealed bottles of water.

It’s also terrific to have a fundraiser for a change that most everyone can afford. I bet FunFest pulls in a tidy sum for Youth Homelessness. Oprah, have any ideas?

Gadling’s guide to Summer music

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Summer. Music. Could any two words in the English language possibly go so well together? There’s just something about warm weather that makes you want to be outside, bare feet touching soft grass and dirt underfoot, hands in the cool night air, eardrums fluttering to the vibrations of a strumming guitar.

And aside from Summer, what could go better with music than travel? Whatever your favorite genre, this season is prime time to catch some of the best live performances you’ll see all year. So what if nothing good is playing near your hometown? Jump in the car or book that cheap plane ticket. Music is just the excuse you’re looking for to get out on the road. From the smallest local city festivals, to the giant multi-headliner events now dotting the country (and the world), it’s time to start making some travel arrangements to catch your favorite band.

We won’t pretend to list out every music festival and event going on this summer – there’s way too many. But we’ve been to our fair share of good ones – and we know what’s worth the trip. Grab those earplugs and stop making those Free Bird requests, Gadling is bringing you our picks of this Summer’s best music events, both in your backyard and around the world.
International Festivals
There are some music events so incredibly epic, bringing together so many great bands, and unique performers in such unique settings, that they’re worth a trip halfway across the globe. That’s not to mention peculiar quirks of the local crowd. What better way to meet the locals than your shared love for Metallica? The international festivals below are definitely worth your money’s worth:

  • Sonar Festival – Barcelona, Spain (June 19-21) – the cutting edge Sonar Festival, hosted in one of Europe’s most dynamic cities, brings together multimedia art and music for three days of decidedly high-tech fun and dancing. This year’s festival features big names like M.I.A. and Justice. Did we mention the city is on a beach for when you get tired of the party?
  • Glastonbury – Glastonbury, England (June 27-29) – Glastonbury has long been known as one the one the premier festivals in England, if not the world, offering a huge lineup of some of pop music’s up-and-comers as well as established superstars. This year promises a similar showing, featuring hip-hop star Jay-Z, singer songwriter Leonard Cohen and bands like indie-rockers The National marquee acts such as Franz Ferdinand, Q Tip and Bruce Springsteen
  • Gnaoua Festival – Essaouira, Morocco (June 26-29) – if your musical tastes run towards the more esoteric and global, consider a trip to Morocco’s Gnaoua Festival, held each year in the lazy seaside village of Essaouira. Gnawa is type of music indigenous to Northern Africa, characterized by its soulful chanting and acrobatic dancing. As if a visit to the whitewashed town of Essaouira wasn’t reward enough, you’ll bear witness to some of the most amazing musicians from across sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Roskilde Festival – Roskilde, Denmark (July 3-6) – Denmark is not exactly a hot spot when you think of great musical events, but the annual Roskilde Festival is proof the Danes really know what they’re talking about. This year brings yet another killer lineup including uber-rockers Radiohead and Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West, Lucinda Williams, and many others.

U.S. Festivals
Alright, so the Spanish music festival is out of your budget this year. That’s not a problem really – live music is practically a birthright of American citizens, guaranteeing that each summer you’ll find a heap of great musicians touring at a concert hall or ampitheater near you. To help you figure out what to check out, we’ve broken down some of our favorites based on geography: East Coast, West and Central. Take a look:

  • EAST COAST – All Points West, New York, NY (July 31- August 2) – brought to you by the same team that pulls together the annual Coachella Festival in Indio, CA, New York City’s All Points West Festival is now entering its second year. Much as you’d expect from a sister festival to the excellent Coachella, All Points West brings in top-notch talent like the Beastie Boys and MGMT to a gorgeous waterfront park facing the Statue of Liberty.
  • CENTRAL – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, TN (June 12-15) – many people wondered what was going on when a new festival was first announced in 2002 on a 700 acre farm in Tennessee. But the detractors have long since been silenced by Bonnaroo, now one of the country’s most famous music festivals. 2009 brings yet another eclectic and stellar lineup headlined by Bruce Springsteen, Snoop Dogg, Phish and Wilco.
  • CENTRAL – Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL (August 7-9) – consider Lollapalooza as the grandfather of national music festivals. It’s been around longer than just about every other major Summer festival around, originally created by Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell way back in 1991. The fact Lollapalooza no longer tours the country each Summer also works to your advantage – the festival now permanently resides in wonderful Summer climes of Chicago. Headliners this year include Depeche Mode, Kings of Leon and The Killers.
  • WEST – Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride, CO (June 18-21) – you know you have a good thing going when your festival has been ongoing for 36 years. That’s exactly the advantage of the long-running Telluride Bluegrass Festival, a celebration of a distinctly American musical style nestled in the scenic heights of the Rocky Mountains. This year’s lineup includes a diverse roster of performers including David Byrne, Elvis Costello as well as old favorites like Jerry Douglas.

Ready for an encore? We only had space to list a few of our favorite summer musical events here. What did we miss? Have a favorite festival you think we should know about? Leave us your thoughts in the comments and there very well may be a Summer music roundup “Part II” in the near future.

The Steep Canyon Rangers are worth a road trip

by Meg Massie on

My 200-mile list is a collection of musicians for whose concerts I am willing to travel up to 200 miles (and often farther, really). Traveling for music is a great way to discover small towns, eclectic venues, and meet cool people who share your interests.

I’m not talking about stadium headliners — nothing against these concerts or musicians, but with many of these shows, you might as well be watching on television at home. You’re so much more present when you’re part of a smaller group, which is why I especially love the folk scene, hosted by all the best coffee houses in America. All members of my 200-mile list are folk musicians. Of course, “folk” covers a lot of ground.

Near the top of my list is the Steep Canyon Rangers, a young bluegrass band from North Carolina. Winners of the 2006 International Bluegrass Music Awards’ Emerging Artist of the Year title, the Rangers are up for Album of the Year and Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year at this year’s IBMA’s. Their sound is a solid mix of instrumentals, traditional and original bluegrass, and gospel, with lots of humor and fun thrown in.My favorite part of each Rangers show is a toss-up between their a capella gospel performance of Wade Mainer’s “I Can’t Sit Down” and their fan-favorite Nascar tune “Feelin’ Just a Little Like Dale.” Though I couldn’t care less about Nascar, I love how much fun the band has with this one — especially Nicky Sanders’ creative use of his fiddle to impersonate cars on the raceway and police sirens. In this song and all their others, the band has so much fun on stage, it spills into the audience and you can’t help but enjoy yourself (even if you hate Nascar).

In addition to great music, witty banter is a part of every show, and bass player Charles Humphrey will have you busting a gut. Check the Steep Canyon Rangers’ tour schedule to see if they’ll be coming within 200 miles of your hometown. If you want to say hi, you can find me at the Third Annual Mountain Song Festival, hosted by the Rangers themselves in Brevard, NC.

Below is a video of the Steep Canyon Rangers performing the title track from their latest album, Lovin’ Pretty Women.

International Beatles Week

by Martha Edwards on

Attention Beatles fans: Love is not all you need if you want tickets to the headlining events of International Beatles Week in Liverpool — you’ll need money and you’ll need to move fast because space is limited. That said, the festival looks like a grand old time for fans of the fab four, or really, anyone.

It kicks off August 22 and features a number of events, including markets, conventions, art shows, an auction, autograph sessions and much more. Oh, and there’s music. Lots and lots of music. Concerts take place at various venues throughout Liverpool and though none of the names are a big as the festival’s namesake, they’re worth checking out.

(via Fly Away Cafe)

Writers in the Round: Philipsburg, Montana

by Jamie Rhein on

One of the things about Philipsburg, Montana that I find so fascinating is the stellar entertainment found in its few short blocks. Thursday night’s was a gem. Helen Darling is a songwriter who has made it. Reba McEntire, Sir Cliff Richard and Mindy McCready are some of the singers who have recorded her works. The song, “Bring On the Rain” she co-wrote with Billy Montana made it to #1 on the Country Music charts when it was recorded by Tim McGraw and Jo Dee Messina.

Anyway, Helen Darling is a part-time resident of Philipsburg and throws a concert every year called Writers in the Round. It’s not just her, though. She pulls in other songwriters from Nashville who perform with her. Each takes turns singing the songs they wrote or co-wrote and in between jaw with each other and the audience. The show is a major fundraiser for the Granite County Historical Society-no one but the society makes a dime. As far as I’m concerned, the historical society is worth all the proceeds. It’s museum, for one, is terrific and I’m a huge fan of historical society museums.

Last year was the first time I was able to go to Writers in the Round and thought it was one of the best $20 I spent all summer. Last night was the second time I’ve gone. That’s the best $20 I spent this summer. (The Opera House performance was the best $16 and the Mining Museum in Butte was the best $10.) I enticed my friend who lives in Butte to drive over and he was happy that I talked him into it.

This year, as a celebration of the 10th year Helen’s been doing Writers in the Round, there are five performances. Read down this special events section for the schedule. There are four more that are rotating between venues. Two are at the Opera House and two are at the courthouse. (The courthouse is the oldest in Montana, by the way.) Last night’s was in the Episcopal church-a sweet looking white church building that sits up in a hill. If you’re ever in Philipsburg, here’s some info I just found out. The pews are from the church that used to be in Granite, the ghost town four miles from Philipsburg.