Let's start with Friday. If I can get up to the Heights in time, there's a killer all-ages metal show up at the Compound with Tetelestai, Requiem Mass, Dead Messiah and Leviathan. I wish I could tell you about the other great all-ages shows I'm sure they're putting on up there, but I don't know anything about them. For reasons I have yet to fully comprehend, the Compound doesn't seem to promote their shows (hint, hint, guys).
If you've read this week's “Lucky 7” page, you already know that living guitar legend Sonny Landreth will be in town that night, too. He's playing at the El Rey Theater along with the Chris Dracup Band around 8 p.m.
And after a full day of heshing, I just pray I'll have enough strength to trot over to the Launchpad, where The Foxx is launching their hotly awaited 7-inch, Instrument/Come to Japan. You know those things don't really get going until after 10 p.m. or so.
I'm all torn up about what to do on Saturday. The Albuquerque Folk Festival kicks off at 11 a.m. at Expo New Mexico. That's plenty of time to take at least one musical saw workshop and catch a rare live glass harmonica performance.
There's no way I'm missing Star Tattoo's Star Party at Elliott's in Corrales. I just don't think I'll be able to hang around for the full 11-hour show. If I catch Breaker 1-9, Your Name in Lights and the farewell performance of Under the Sun, I'll be more than happy.
Then it's off to the first night of Summerfest down on Civic Plaza. Blues Night with Shemekia Copeland starts at 6 p.m.
From there, I can swing down to the Albuquerque Museum's impressive new outdoor amphitheater for the New Mexico Jazz Workshop's Albuquerque Jazz Guitar Festival.
My last stop for the night will probably be the Launchpad. I'd never forgive myself if I missed Dressy Bessy and The Hot IQ’s, along with Shortwave Sweetheart (risen from the ashes of Mistletoe) and The Mindy Set.
Take a deep breath. Here comes Sunday. Sunday is Father's Day. Should I take dad to the New Mexico Jazz Workshop Father’s Day Festival at the Albuquerque Museum? Or maybe he'd prefer to lounge around in the Madrid Ballpark and catch an earful of Santa Fe's Frogville recording artists. Then again, we could just keep driving north. We're bound to hit the Telluride Bluegrass Festival eventually.
