FRIDAY, AUGUST 3:

Cosmic settlers gliding west from the shores of a milky Atlantic struck gold at Tee Pee Records’ First Annual Manifest Destiny festival. Languish too long on the stem of Astra’s hookah and try finding your head in a cloud of their essence… smells like flowery notes of early King Crimson balanced with warm bass notes reminiscent of Mahavishnu Orchestra—a decidedly pleasing aroma! I broke into tiny shards of kaleidoscopic matter at having missed Long Beach’s Magic Lantern. Selections from their Myspace jukebox (‘At the Mountains Of…’ is a MUST listen) are rumored to melt skin from bones. Better not reveal my whereabouts between their performance and that of Brooklyn’s Titan. Imagine the nuclear spawn of Neu! mated with Neurosis in a haze of space radiation and you have tasted their danger… Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound cooled the atmosphere and somewhat disappointed live when their vocalist began burning and fading upon reentry into Earth’s atmosphere (their latest album Ekranoplan is, however, worth a spin around the equator). L.A. RECORD alums Entrance pave a hypnotic path to psychedelic enlightenment. One short Sunday stroll upon their lane will have you singing their “Grim Reaper Blues” and enchanting every caterpillar you meet. Paz. Paz. PAZ! Derek. GUY! Coast upon their bright ray of aural hope until the next overdue musical revolution is upon us. RTX’s drummer is being reassigned guitar duty. Looking forward to future appearances with their new drummer. Missed Earthless. They played past bedtime. May I suggest the Second Annual be an outdoor event and offering to the cosmos? (MM)