Vocalist Zach de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine looked almost prophetic in the throbbing red light as he pleaded for the throngs of thousands surrounding the main stage to take a few steps backward. Those both in and outside of Hutchinson Field in Chicago’s Grant Park watched and waited with an air of skepticism until the Saturday night headlining band finally led into their next song.

During their temporary reunion set at this year’s Lollapalooza Festival, Rage Against the Machine halted their performance multiple times to protect those who were close to the stage – fronting a crowd of nearly 80,000. Instead of playing upon the hallmarks of the Lolla main stages by making political statements, Rocha was more concerned about the safety of the fans.

Nowadays, the media isn't looking so hot. Take a look at the media on your television and computer. If you know where to look, you can find some high quality news about the ways of the world, but the vast majority of American media is about two shakes shy of a limp biscuit.

The Dewey Beach Music Conference and Festival Sep. 25-28 featuring 150 bands, and the Americana Music Fest featuring 40 bands Oct. 17 and 18 are upcoming.

Thanks to Ryan Star I have become aware of some interesting events in the music community, like the Dewey Beach Music Festivals. I recently attended the Dewey Beach Popfest, which is about as far from Bonnaroo as you can get. The annual event is held in the Delaware seaside resort town of Dewey Beach. Since 2005 the event has featured 30+ performers per year. Over the course of two nights the mini concerts are held on four stages in the Rusty Rudder, located in the Ruddertowne complex, and at some of the other participating clubs in the area. There are a total of six events at Dewey Beach scheduled from April to May and Sept. to Oct. each year ... and all of the nightly festival shows are free.

Billabong. Quiksilver. Hurley. If you live near the sunny beach or partake in the hobby of surfing, these brands are probably all familiar to you. But even if you don’t live near a coast or participate in a sport involving water, you have probability still heard of these brands. The legendary co-founder of Hurley, Lian Murray, has once again thrilled young people with a new brand, specially made for the typical SoCal lifestyle.

I’m not going to lie. I was interested in what Aqua VI had to offer. Advertised as being a new surf brand for people ages 16-26, Aqua VI is supposed to differ from every other surf brand through its quality and comfort. According to an interview with Murray, “the clothing line has a richness to it. Every category has something special, for example, our sweaters are a cotton/cashmere blend instead of acrylic.”