Summer music and you

On Saturday night, I got my first preview of what my summers are generally full of – a show that blew my mind.\nUmphrey’s McGee played at the Murat Egyptian Room in Indianapolis this weekend for the purpose of recording an upcoming live album, which I intend to purchase the day it comes out. I want to give you hope that there is a band playing somewhere nearby this summer that will consume you the way I was consumed Saturday night.\nYou can get your start early this year during Little 5 Week, when bands such as Yellowcard, O.A.R. and Afroman (on 4/20, nonetheless) will be hitting the Bloomington circuit.\nThe Murat is starting off its hottest season with Norah Jones, Keller Williams, Morrissey, Damien Rice and the hit Monty Python musical, “Spamalot.” It is this variety within a venue that makes the concert season an option for anyone.\nAnd, of course, there is Indiana’s own center of hot debate recently, the Verizon Wireless Music Center. This summer’s lineup includes Gwen Stefani, Brad Paisley, Fall Out Boy, John Mayer, the Vans Warped Tour, Ozzfest, Rush, Dave Matthews Band and a seasonal Verizon favorite, Jimmy Buffett..\nAnd if you prefer the music festival scene, there are many options for your two- to five-day getaways this summer. Bonnaroo, in Manchester, Tenn., is being headlined this year by The Police and Tool, but ticket prices are rising and going fast. If you prefer a more natural atmosphere, you could go see Keller Williams, Bob Weir & Ratdog and Sound Tribe Sector 9 at All Good Music Festival & Camp Out in Masontown, W.Va, Summer Camp, Lollapalooza, Pitchfork and Mountain Jam are just a few others in the many mentionable music festivals being held this summer.\nSo why is live music so important? It is so much a part of our summers that we plan events around our favorite bands and festivals, but why? The answer is simple. Art is something that we, as humans, need a certain level of, and we fill it with live entertainment. At concerts, we let our inhibitions fly as we physically and emotionally throw ourselves into the music. It is a phenomenon unexplainable other than the notion that we need music and art to fulfill our needs.