Let’s start with my personal highlight:  I got to jam with John Popper and Tad Kinchla from Blues Traveler.  Unbelievable!  And it was a great moment for a few reasons…First, you’ve all heard John’s mastery of the harmonica, but it’s even more impressive when you’re sitting across the table from him when he really digs in.  Second, we played a song that I wrote a long time ago, called “Recycle Now.”  What a blast to hear those guys put their stamp on a tune of mine.  And finally, we finished up by playing their classic song “Run Around” – with yours truly on guitar and backing vocals.  We had a blast.

And that was just one of many spectacular moments at Lollapalooza.  We had the Plug In bus (the best one yet on the tour) parked right behind the main stage.  There was no shortage of great artists roaming around and we had a bunch of them on the bus for video interviews.  Newton Faulkner gave me a private lesson in rhythmic guitar playing, which I think I nailed. The Go! Team helped me create a theme song for Lollapalooza.  I worked with the guys from MGMT to write a song about the impending zombie invasion.  It’s probably best that we have a song prepared for that moment, right?

Of course, all those videos – and more – will be posted shortly so check back soon.  I have a few more thoughts on Lolla and the other festivals that I’ll put in a future blog or two.

Until then, I’ll be on couch in full recovery mode.

See ya,

KG

We’re a couple of days into Lollapalooza and its official: Chicago is still one hard rockin’ town.  It’s been sunny and hot…like 90-degrees hot.  But that hasn’t slowed us down, and it certainly doesn’t seem to be bothering the huge crowds here.  We’ve seen some fantastic live music, with highlights including the Raconteurs and Dr. Dog.   There was a nice surprise last night when a major fireworks show over Lake Michigan provided a colorful backdrop for Radiohead’s set.

Back on the bus, we’ve had some really cool visitors and we’ve captured more magic on video for your viewing enjoyment.  Moments that come right to mind are an inspiring jam with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, songwriting sessions with Mason Jennings and Butch Walker, and a bunch of laughs with the Toadies. 

Oh yeah, and we crammed all members of Bang Camaro onto the bus.  If you haven’t heard, there are about 20 members of the band, including 12 lead vocalists. They belted out an impromptu tune that nearly shattered the bus windows.  All that action was caught on video and will be posted shortly.

The best news is that the festival is only about halfway through. So, stay tuned for more updates and some great videos from Lollapalooza.

Later,

KG

Okay, I must admit I’m particularly excited to go to Lollapalooza.  First, there’s a killer lineup with tons of great acts.  Second, it’s in Grant Park in Chicago.  Big City.  Lake Michigan.  They really have it all.  I figure if Led Zeppelin referenced your town in one of their songs, you got it going on.

There are a lot of acts I’m anxious to see at Lollapalooza – but two are really getting my attention.  The first is Bang Camaro.  The D has done a couple of gigs with these guys and they are a blast.  They’re made up of a bassist, a drummer, three guitarists and a team of vocalists – ranging from 10 to 15 people.  It’s a choir of lead singers and it totally rocks!  Those guys will definitely be a highlight.

The other act is Dr. Dog.  They’re not doctors and there isn’t a canine in the group, but their sound is really catchy.  Some good, freaky pop with lots of Beach Boys and Beatles influences – but completely contemporary.  That’ll be another good one.

There will be no shortage of great music at Lollapalooza, and we’re working our hardest to get behind the scenes with as many bands as we can.  Check back soon to see which ones we land.

Until then, I’m packing a Bulls t-shirt and heading east.

See you there,

KG

In just over a week, I’ll be making my way to Chicago, the home of the blues, the Bulls and Da Bears.  This is a town that has a lot going for it.

This will be the third consecutive year that Chicago serves as host for this granddaddy of festivals, and this year’s is sure to be one of the best.   The lineup includes Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails, Gnarls Barkley, Wilco, Lupe Fiasco, and dozens more.  We’ve extended most of the artists invitations to come hang on the Plug In bus, so I’m sure we’ll be capturing some magical moments on video for your viewing enjoyment.

If you haven’t stopped by here in a while, be sure to check out the videos from Rothbury – we should have all of them posted by now.  Those pieces should give you a sense of what a great time that event was.

So get yourselves ready for Lollapalooza.  Put on your sunscreen.  Don’t skimp on the bug spray.  Leave the earplugs behind.  This one’s gonna really rock.

I’ll check in next week before we head to Chicago. 

Talk soon,

KG

I just got home from Rothbury and frankly, I’m still operating in another dimension.   Maybe it was the fresh Michigan air, or the endless jam band sets, or the walks in the woods.  Whatever the case, that festival leaves an impression for sure.

I was most impressed by their commitment to being green – which was more than just a statement.  Last I heard they had achieved their goal of diverting 80% of the onsite trash away from landfills.  In fact, everyone I saw was sorting their trash into one of the compost, recycle or landfill bins.  They also provided “green” tickets that helped audience members offset their trips to and from the JJ Ranch, where the event was held.  We had a chance to chat with Rothbury’s producer, Jeremy Stein – and we’ll be posting some video of that discussion shortly.  Be sure to check it out.  This is a guy who is really committed to changing the world.

The music – no surprise – was fantastic.  Snoop Dogg’s set was pretty extraordinary, as was Of Montreal.  They had some great songs and even a touch of high school theater.  What a combo!

We had a chance to hang out with some great artists – and we caught most of the action on video.  We’ve already posted a jam with Perpetual Groove, 
and we’ll soon by posting videos featuring the Wailers, 311, Disco Biscuits, Mickey Hart, Primus, Tea Leaf Green, Drive By Truckers, and a few chats with some of the fans in the audience. 

Check back often – there are plenty of Rothbury nuggets heading this way.

I’m back to recovery mode…

KG

Ok, so Rothbury might be one of the cooler events on the festival scene. Some of the stages are in fields, some are under cool geo-domes… there’s even one in the woods. In fact, you have to walk through the woods to get from one stage to another – and that walk is often an event in itself. We strolled through the woods late last night and were transported to another dimension. Colored lights, large art installments, dome-shaped conversation pits and thousands of very mellow festival-goers. It had everything. Except gnomes and unicorns.

We’ve already been able to entice a few artists onto the Plug In bus, including 311, Disco Biscuits, Perpetual Groove, Mickey Hart (drummer from the Grateful Dead!!), Tea Leaf Green and Patterson from Drive-By Truckers. As always, we captured the fun on video and will be posting it shortly. I think the first one we’re putting up is a cool jam I had with Perpetual Groove. It’s a jam-band kind of groove that is… well… perpetual. We have more artists stopping by today, so we’ll be sure to capture more of the Rothbury experience for you.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot… I also got to hang out and play guitar with the Wailers’ bass player, Family Man. We created another little tune that lasted roughly 2 hours. That appears to be the jam band ethic.

We’re heading out now to shoot a conversation with one of the event’s organizers, and I’m hoping to learn more about the green aspects of this event.

Back into the woods,

KG

The Southside festival was a blast. Check out the videos we shot there – I think we really captured the mindset of a summer rock fest in Germany. We also had a bunch of artists sign another Plug In guitar, so you might want to hit the GMnext Guitar page to get a closer look at who played it and who signed it.

I’ll be packing another new guitar next weekend, as well as my old trusted axe. And as I write this it occurs to me I’ve never named one of my guitars. Opinions and ideas are welcome.

Okay, on to Rothbury… a new festival on the western side of the state of Michigan, which when you look at it on a map, is really just a big mitten. And I’m okay with that.

Rothbury has a great lineup (Dave Matthews, Snoop Dogg, 311, Modest Mouse, etc.) and they’re really focused on a green theme. Visit their website to learn more about all the elements of the event, including theaters & circuses, Think Tank discussions and other activities. It should be a good time. Plus, I hear that one of the stages in tucked into the woods. Of course, we’ll catch all the sights and sounds on video and post it here.

For now, I’m heading out to get bug spray and a new flashlight.

Later.

KG

Guten Tag from Germany!

Well, we’ve been rockin’ it out big time here at Southside. And, I say why the heck not when you’ve got an incredible lineup of bands like Radiohead, the Foos, Panic at the Disco and Flogging Molly… plus all-you-can-eat schnitzel at your disposal. Did you know that at last count there were more than 103 kinds of schnitzel?

Setting schnitzel and all of its glorious renditions aside, it’s been a great weekend and Southside served up some great moments….

Luke Pritchard from the Kooks and I were commissioned to write the official 2008 Southside theme song. Be sure to check it out on our video blog.

In between jamming and checking out all the festival action, we found some time to shoot the next installment of “Kyle and ‘The Beautiful Girls’”. Don’t miss this VERY special episode.

Sometimes it can get tough out on the road… so many faces, so many places… longing for the comforts of home. Yes, even the Rage Kage can get the blues. Luckily, Jason Mraz stopped by with the perfect musical prescription to chase away my festival funk… or did he? Check out the video.

Well… it’s time to sign off from Germany. I’d like to send out a big Dankeschoen! to all the fans, the bands and the great folks at Southside. Be sure to check back often as we update our video blog.

See you at Rothbury!

Kyle out.

Sitting at the airport, about to board a plane for Germany. Our final destination is Tuttlingen, to be specific.

Here’s the deal on Southside, if you didn’t know: It’s part of a two-location festival over the same weekend. Hurricane is the other festival, which is held in Northern Germany. Most the acts play at one of the festivals, then head to the other for a show there. I think that’s a cool way to do it, and I’m sure the bands love being able to play two festivals in one weekend.

The lineup is really strong at Southside - Radiohead, Foo Fighters, BRMC, Chemical Brothers, Calexio. It’s a long list of some great bands. We’re still finalizing our schedule for the weekend, so check back for updates to see who we connect with.

I go into this festival with one goal in mind: To get you, the music fan, closer to the answer to mankind’s never-ending quest: What is music and why?

I know - it’s an ambitious, if not deadly, endeavor. But I won’t rest until I get those questions answered.

Wish me luck.

Kyle

My apologies for a lapse in blog entries. I had to do some recovering from the Pinkpop festival. There’s something about going to Holland that sets me back for a few days when I return to the US. Must be the water or something. Check out the videos from our backstage experiences – we met some very cool people over there.

I had always thought about picking up a second language, and this summer has given me a chance to try out a few new ones. Just when I was getting good at speaking Dutch, it’s time to head to Germany for the Southside festival.

I’ll be packing a guitar – of course – and we’ll bring an extra along so we can do some impromptu jamming. We’ve had some pretty stellar moments on the Plug In tour. I think we’ve cracked the code on how to get the real scoop on these bands, and get them to loosen up on camera. I have a few new tricks up my sleeve for Southside, so I’m excited to get over there and get set up.

And another thing – if you’re at any of these festivals, grab some pics and videos of your own and post them on the Plug In site. I’d love to see what it looks like from out front.

Time to finish packing…

Kyle