Earlier this year it was Disturbed unleashing its monkey-rock in the Toyota Center in Kennewick.

As if Josh Ritter coming to town weren't incentive enough to block out a Friday night (July 17), now a lucky few won't just get to see him, they'll get to play with him too.

Canadian indie rock band Constantines hits the Red Room in Kennewick tonight. Their stop tonight at 9 p.m. is among points at several notable Northwest indie venues on their way to the East Coast where they'll play Central Park Summerstage on June 30 in New York City.

July has become a big month for the Red Room concert venue in Kennewick. Already they've booked top indie act and the current favorite sons of the Portland music scene in Blitzen Trapper, but now they've added one of the best singer-songwriters in a generation in Josh Ritter — a native of Moscow, Idaho.

I kinda left things hanging after Nine Inch Nails' stellar performance last Sunday, but I think that's because of how disappointing Jane's Addiction was. Apart from Perry Farrell being about two days away from becoming Ozzy Osbourne's burnt-out twin, or that it's nearly impossible to take Dave Navarro seriously anymore after his Carmen Electra days the reunion band just didn't have it.

GEORGE -- Nine Inch Nails gave the people what they wanted. Especially in a setting where hardcore fans and the casual listener (such as myself) are interspersed. It was the perfect mix of hits and uh, other songs. But it was all good. Trent Reznor belted tune after tune screaming into the mic like he was going to bite its head off.

GEORGE -- Sometimes when Zack Galifianakis does something he thinks to himself, "That's so Raven!" That was one of the comedian's opening jokes to his routine that went underneath the comedy tent about 6 p.m.

GEORGE -- I'll get to Nine Inch Nails in a bit, but M83 put on quite a show in the breakdown between NIN and TV On the Radio. Frenchman Anthony Gonzalez is the driving force for M83 and they opened up with "Graveyard Girl" off the group's latest album "Saturdays=Youth" a sort of love letter to 80s pop. Gonzalez props himself up behind a computer and a brightly lit box where he continually twists and pulls his beats and ambient sound.

GEORGE -- TV on the Radio did for Day 2 what Animal Collective did on Saturday — they got the party started. No group thus far has drawn a bigger crowd (that changed now that I'm watching Nine Inch Nails set up without an empty patch to park anywhere).

GEORGE -- Is the banjo the most versatile instrument? After seeing North Carolina's Avett Brothers I'm beginning to think so. These guys play a blend somewhere in the middle of punk and bluegrass, but it's full tilt all the time.

GEORGE -- Calexico just came off the Main Stage with the best set I've seen today. The band combines folk-rock and Mexican rhythms and horns to pull off an amazing multicultural hybrid.

GEORGE -- Yesterday while I was explaining the beauty of how awesome it is to run yourself ragged checking out every possible band you can, I forgot to mention that this also means you're going to miss quite a bit too.

GEORGE — Viva Voce kicked things off with a guitar-driven indie pop set just after noon. The husband-wife duo plus a couple more members to round out the band are releasing their latest album "Rose City" that comes out this Tuesday.

Karen O is a goddess of performance. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer commands the stage like the greats do. Her movements are completely off the wall like Mick Jagger's or Michael Stipe's, but like them her movements fall completely in line with the band's music.

Whew. I took a little longer on this one as all my spare time was spent hoofing it up the will between the Wookie and Main stages. In the span of just over three hours I saw Sun Kil Moon, Ra Ra Riot, Mos Def, the Decemberists and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Any indication one of my previous posts gave that the crowd was sparse was thrown out the window when Animal Collective took stage. The entire amphitheater from floor to crest was brimming. And with an incredibly loud electronic punch, the group pounded their collection of electronic equipment thrusting quickly into a selection from their latest album "Merriweather Post Pavilion."

There's listening to M. Ward in your headphones and then listening to him live. His fuzzed-out retro guitar sound translates well live when he's electric but acoustically it sounded a little flat. And his hushed vocals the same. But that was when i was sitting about midway up on the terraced concrete/ rock benches. I moved down low after the first song and sound held together more tightly.

I've been into the Doves since their masterpiece: 2002's "Last Broadcast." They just finished a great set that included "Kingdom of Rust" and fan favorite "There Goes the Fear Again. They set the bar pretty high for the rest of the night. Although I'm sure someone can do little better in the rapport department. In addition to calling concert attendees "limey f***s." they also begged the question of "What the f*** is a corndog?" and "What's with the stick?" Silly Brits.

Looking the forecast this morning, it seemed like festivalgoers were going to be treated to something they haven't seen in years. Sun and lots of it. No surprises this time. I'm sitting next to a woman from Calgary who has made the 10-hour or so drive for the last four years — all for Sasquatch. She shared this sentiment with me. Finally this is they year I've been praying for. There's hardly a cloud in the sky.

GEORGE — It's just after 1:30 here and crowds are still sparse.

At many of the big summer festivals the "get" of the headliner is an indicator of its clout. Coachella grabbed Sir Paul McCartney, Bonnaroo has Bruce Springsteen, and the Austin City Limits Festival with Pearl Jam and the Dave Matthews Band.

Herald staff writer There doesn't seem to be an experience regarding love or loss that Spokane's Karli Fairbanks can't write about.

Sunday night at the Red Room brought out a rare scene. First, it's not everyday 10 troubadors set up on stage and sing their songs, trading instruments in rotation, each taking center stage with the other nine serving as the backing band. That's the set up for Ten out of Tenn a ragtag collection of singer-songwriters culled from Nashville's underground music scene (which means not country).

Kennewick musician Dayton Stone is writing songs we all need to hear right now.

It took far too long to get to this, but it can't be ignored even if Internet immediacy makes it ancient now.

"The best late night band in the business," Jimmy Fallon exclaimed as he exited a break in his first show since taking over for Conan O'Brien. And this isn't hyperbole.

Imagine for a minute that you're on a breakthrough tour with indie stalwarts Modest Mouse for months on end and you sing so hard for so long that you completely shred your vocal cords.

Fresh off Grammy wins for Song of the Year, Best Pop Performance and Best Rock Album, Coldplay has announced a U.S. tour that heads to the Northwest this summer. The band is set to play the Gorge Amphitheater in George on July 11. They'll also hit Portland at the Rose Garden the night before. Tickets for the Gorge show go on sale through livenation.com this Saturday, Feb. 14. That's Valentine's Day by the way ... so ditch the roses and buy tickets for this.

Are the Grammys finally getting it?

Relief for your inevitable case of the Mondays this month can be found at the Red Room. The Kennewick venue has two quality shows coming up that are not to miss. On Jan. 19 David Bazan and Lions & Eagles will play, then on Jan. 26 The Fruit Bats along with Sera Cahoone and Yarn Owl are scheduled to appear.

Apparently, the top CD of 2009 already has been crowned by the blogosphere. Animal Collective's "Merriweather" Post Pavilion already has garnered a 9.6 (out of 10) rating from Pitchfork as well as a boatload of other praise from music blogs. It doesn't come out for another two weeks, so I'll hold back in jumping on the bandwagon. But one thing is for sure in that Northwest bands dominate the early pack of releases for the year.

It wasn't a show to remember, but when four former American Idols came to town this week, they did offer up some surprises to a sparse crowd of less than 900 people at Toyota Center.

Have plans Dec. 9? You could be winding down your early holiday shopping. Or maybe even watching Bill Murray's "Scrooged" just because that's just how you feel this year. My guess, rather, is that it won't be spent watching four former "American Idol" contestants tear through a bunch of worn-down holiday hits at Toyota Center.

Editor's note: The Holly Golightly show in Kennewick was canceled. The band was scheduled to play Monday at the Red Room, but their van broke down outside Seattle, band representatives said.

Shara Worden is not so much a musician as she is an artist. On her latest CD under the moniker My Brightest Diamond, she crafts a record that plays like a painting. There’s broad strokes of musical flourishes and light notes of strings casting a glow over a lyrical background.

Creating a best-of list of anything is an exercise in vanity. Who are they to tell me what's best, you ask? So goes with the age-old repudiation of critics. Just look at the Billboard charts. How can you argue that the Beatles, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley aren’t hands-down the best ever? Well if you look at our post-election letters to the editor, you can see what's popular always has its detractors.

Think of that line in Spider-Man ... "with great power, comes great responsibility." Now apply that to Guns N' Roses and the decade-plus wait for Chinese Democracy they've put us through.

Don't worry if you've got a split personality when it comes to music, especially this weekend. I'm a hardcore indie fan constantly searching for something new, but I also love some Bruce Springsteen when I'm feeling a little blue on the collar.

I was there two years ago when Crosby Stills Nash & Young rolled through Washington on their "Freedom of Speech Tour." But it wasn’t until just this week that I realized the true impact of the show.

Reissues are the curse of any hardcore fan or collector. By being in tune with your roster of faves, you faithfully grab everything a band throws out -- great or mediocre -- often amassing a half-dozen CDs or more, depending on the band's longevity. But labels don't know the meaning of too much.

Earlimart is one of those bands that gets showered with critical praise, yet floats quietly below the mainstream radar. They’re the indie world’s version of the TV show Mad Men -- slow to develop and stridently true to what they do.

With BarlowGirl coming to Kennewick on Oct. 5, I'm going to take the chance to look at the state of Christian music. It used to be that gospel and the bombastic pop of the likes of Carmen were about all you could get your hands on. You could even throw in Amy Grant, but when she went secular pop for a bit, the backlash hinted at how hard it was for the genre to break through to the mainstream.

I tuned in to watch a bit of Fashion Rocks 5 this week, and during Beyonce's half-hearted take on Etta James' At Last, I couldn't help but think about the art of the cover song.

"Not bad for a Thursday night," a member of the Family Robinson band said settling into their set at the Red Room in Kennewick. "That's what I always say ... Every Thursday," replied band leader Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, with a laugh.

It’s been a see-saw battle for Kennewick’s Red Room in its quest to become the premier venue for indie music in the Tri-Cities. I’ve written about them several times in no uncertain terms as being a little lax in reaching their goal.

We've all done it at one point or another putting on a record to get through troubled times be it getting dumped or losing a loved one more permanently. The Dave Matthews Band on Friday at the Gorge used their own tunes to draw out their own feelings of loss for their former sax man LeRoi Moore who died just last week.

There's something to get excited about at the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo -- and it's not holding your sweety while listening to Air Supply try to recreate their magic in Making Love Out of Nothing at All. It’s the fair's Battle of the Bands on Aug. 22. And its collection of local acts is about the best lineup since the Meltdown Musicfest in June.

Just before jetting out of town for the wedding (more on that later), I took in a westside act playing at the Yakima Sports Center.

There's something to be said for couples deciding to ditch the wedding DJ, grab an iPod and crank it up at their receptions.

My wife has recently become overwhelmed with my CD collection.

Tri-City Events just announced that a live 11-track CD culled from performances from the Meltdown Music Fest last month is finished.

My latest obsession has taken over the newsroom late Saturday nights. Shortly after we punch the button to send your Sunday morning paper to be printed, the lights go down, the disco lights up (not really) and I pump Girl Talk's latest album out of my tiny iMac speakers.

They say it all the time when a young singer-songwriter talks about experiences beyond his years: You have to have loved to write a love song; experience loss to write its bitter foil.

If you were as disappointed as I was when the news broke that Rocky Votolato wouldn't be coming to town because 321 Art Space closed down, this will come as good news.

It's hard to escape politics these days, even when seeking solace in music from an already terse presidential campaign.

I've made quite a few references to the Fleet Foxes over the last few weeks. I try to stop writing about them but they won't let me.

This weekend is shaping up to have some quality music goin' on in the Tri.

2008's halfway point is here and gone and it's time to assess the best.

In the middle of touring for their new album Narrow Stairs, there was little time for Bellingham's Death Cab for Cutie to spend much time doing interviews during their stop last month at Sasquatch Music Festival.

You may have heard that Wilco will be making a stop in Spokane on Aug. 21 at the INB performing arts center. But another interesting tidbit is that the band will be performing at the Jackson Hole Music Festival in Wyoming on Aug. 16-17.

This year's Sasquatch Music Festival probably blew up the template for every other prior incarnation of the event. About 60,000 people enjoyed great bands, great performances and great weather (for the most part).

Whew. What a weekend.

GEORGE — You wouldn't think an acoustic guitar duo would be a big draw at a massive indie and rock festival where big names like The Cure, R.E.M. and the Flaming Lips garner the most attention.

GEORGE — The Hives, a Swedish garage rock/ punk band, were the first major band to play the main stage Monday at Sasquatch.

GEORGE — In contrast to how I felt about The Cure, Seattle's Death Cab for Cutie took a crowd already amped up by Michael Franti's set and took it a step further.

GEORGE — I wasn't sure about this last night, so I had to sleep on it.

GEORGE — If there was award for "perfect artist pick at the perfect time," then it would go to the Sasquatch organizers for picking Michael Franti and Spearhead right now.

GEORGE — I watched a crew of workers in orange jumpsuits begin to prop up a massive red, yellow and blue circus tent Saturday at Sasquatch.

GEORGE — Canadian duo Tegan and Sara were awfully chatty today at Sasquatch.

GEORGE — Two great bands from California just put on two great sets this afternoon at Sasquatch.

GEORGE -- I jinxed it. It's just after noon, and it's pouring.

GEORGE, Wash. — A great start to the Sasquatch festival overall.

GEORGE, Wash. — It was two years ago that I saw Neko Case at Sasquatch.

GEORGE, Wash. — I wouldn't call him a rock star, but Rainn Wilson (The Office) just came out.

GEORGE, Wash. — I’m finally here at Sasquatch after a trans-Canadian horror story that involved me losing a lot of sleep and my cell phone.

The odyssey begins. The Sasquatch Music Festival has arrived. I've been marking down the days and making mental notes of how this is all going to play out. Tent ... check. Gallons upon gallons of water ... check. Notebook, camera ... check. Band schedules ... check.

It's become en vogue over the past few years -- time-honored bands putting forth a dramatic return to form after slowly drifting from what their loyal fan base coalesced around in the first place.

When was the last time you heard of a band blowing up in the Tri-Cities?

“I’d be a roadie if I was younger,” says Rocel Dimmick as she settled into her chair recently in the coffee shop at Hastings in Richland.

It's not every day that the Tri-Cities gets a new venue with promoters who have the taste to bring in indie acts like Brooklyn, N.Y.'s Man Man (toured with Modest Mouse) and Virginia's Erin McKeown.

There's nary a spot in the Tri-Cities with enough foot traffic to prompt a musician to plop down and play for passers-by. Although, I did hear a guy slaughtering American Pie in front of a Tri-City liquor store around Christmas.

Ever had a dream shattered? And I’m not talking about Santa Claus here -- that’s just part of growing up. More like someone you’ve idolized. Many a Little Leaguer can identify with the recent steroids inquisition ... but mine popped up again last week with the 25th anniversary release of Thriller.

There was a gaping hole in my preview of upcoming summer music festivals two weeks ago. The Gorge's Sasquatch Festival had yet to announce its Memorial Day lineup. But after hunting for a little more info, I turned up a reader-generated blog from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that says the lineup will be announced Feb. 25.

It's Grammy time ... and there are so many questions. Will Amy Winehouse get her due even though she's gone completely batty? Will Kanye West throw another conniption fit even if he doesn't win? Well, space doesn't allow breaking down a record 110 categories, so here's the skinny on what the major players will do:

While scouring the music blogs this week, I saw on Pitchforkmedia.com that Death Cab for Cutie recently announced the title for their new album, Narrow Stairs.

Radio conglomeration's ugly effect on the airwaves is no more evident than here in the Tri-Cities. Sure you can hear country, top 40 and rock when you want it, but what if you're looking for something new? Radiohead just had a brief spot at the top of the Billboard charts, but did you hear them on any of our major stations?

Just as former Idols were being dropped from labels like overhyped teams in the NFL playoffs, American Idol came back in what will likely be a triumphant return to form.

I tried hard not to delve back into 2007, but the recent spate of music in movies has been too impressive to ignore. All in the latter half of the year, Hollywood put out some amazing movies where music doesn't just provide a soundtrack -- it drives the plot.

So here it is -- my top 10. We’re not one of those mega mags that get shipped every release under the sun, so there’s still much out there that I’ll have to claim ignorance to. What follows are the albums I purchased this year that have found a steady place to stay at home in my CD player and/or iPod. Some surprises maybe, but regardless, these picks won’t disappoint.

As if there weren't enough Osmonds in the world already, Marie Osmond made thousands more feel like they were part of the family Dec. 20 at Toyota Center in Kennewick.

This year in music was just like any other lately if you didn't know where to look for the good stuff. Radio and music videos were dominated by the usual suspects like Rhianna and Fergie beckoning you with sexy curves rather than groundbreaking tunes.

Something inherently changes in you when you get married. It's been a full two months since the wedding, and I haven't struggled with these changes any more than right now.

Is fame the overriding goal for any musician? It seems like it is these days because what good is your music if people aren't hearing it --? You know, the old tree crashing in the woods adage.