Sarah said an arial photo of last year’s Bonnaroo festival would be perfect art for the cover of The Pulse. I said I knew exactly who to call for that?The Flying Pirate.

Special thanks to this guy in the sky for providing the shot of his trip above

Speaking of pirates, as I was sailing the cyberseas the other day I came across probably the best band ever, or at least one of the top ten pirate-themed bands of our generation, Swashbuckle. I definitely need to catch these guys at the Muse in Nashville on Aug. 19.

What a great mix?pirates and metal.

I made it back from New Mexico, just in time to whip up this current Pulse for your enjoyment. I climbed a mountain, Aaron and I conquered a massive pile of sand covered in cacti, but the hill got the last laugh, taking some parched travellers’ water jug before it sent us off.

Best wishes to Becca and John, who married at the Audubon Center in New Mexico, now honeymooning in Thailand and Japan. I’m proud to call the couple friends and know they will do great things.

All the houses are adobe with flat roofs out in Santa Fe, creating an instantly memorable image of the city. What better place to sleep than on a flat roof under the stars in the cool desert air.

I think it’s about time for a canoeing trip. Who’s with me?

Of course the next stint in the sun is Bonnaroo. Let’s get dirty and burned. This year marks my fifth trip. For some reason, no one told me about the first.

I hope Lauren Plummer got to go to this year’s festival. She obviously wanted to, she entered the Pulse contest like 30 times. Sorry, repeated entries do not help your chances, only one entry per person.

If you didn’t make it to Bonnaroo, there’s still plenty to do in Rutherford County this weekend. Not only will the International Folkfest bring performers from all over the world, the barbecue competition in Smyrna will cover the entire Mid-state with a delicious smoky spicy smell.

I have always been an advocate of calling someone you have not talked to in years out of the blue just to say Hi. What’s up Jacque.

Go ahead and put July 4 on your calendars. We’ve been getting a killer show together and are happy to announce the inaugural Jammin’ on July 4, at The Boro Bar and Grill. Some of the top bands you’ve been reading about in The Pulse are helping us out with this, so remember, not coming out is un-American.

Jump up and get down.

Peace

Bracken Mayo, Editor in Chief