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Umphrey's McGee wrecked the Ritz with an earth-shattering assault of sound and lights, a full sensory onslaught of inner ear indulgence and ophthalmologic overload. It says something about the band when all of the analogies are to natural disasters and power tools. Your loyal but overwhelmed reviewers' notes include words such as earthquake, tsunami, avalanche, chainsaw, jackhammer, shellshock, aspirin and hearing exam.

The Tedeschi Trucks Band ripped through Raleigh's Walnut Creek Amphitheatre on a warm Tuesday evening for the opening night of their 5th annual Wheels of Soul tour. Featuring their frenetic friends Blackberry Smoke and Shovels & Rope, the jubilant crowd took a fiery expedition through three bands with vastly different sounds yet a shared philosophy of digging deep into the authentic roots of American music.

Charging into Charlotte to light a Friday night fuse, Phish unleashed a summertime blizzard of ecstatic jams and deep dance funk into the warm Carolina air. It was a gargantuan gearshift show, like spinning a radio dial with each station on overdrive, blasting a cosmic overview of American musical styles overflowing with joy and dedication. A bladder buster show, with no downtime to sneak away to the bathroom. A stunning example of what practicing musical ESP for 36 years can create.

There's a special moment that happens at only the best music festivals, a point where the "real" world finally fades away, receding into memory like a movie seen long ago. When the music, vibes, smiles, blue sky and green grass utterly overwhelms you, and life becomes a simple joy of frolicking with friends in the fields and dancing under the moon. Happiness in its purest form. Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival makes this life-affirming dream a reality.