Fans of vicarious travel will soon have a new show to tune in: Music Voyager. The program begins broadcasting this month on PBS, Nat Geo Music & Adventure, and other television outlets. Host Jacob Edgar (head of indie label Cumbancha and music researcher for the Putumayo World Music label) travels the globe in search of great music and adventure. The first three episodes find him in India; the second three trek through Jamaica. Local musicians guide him in each location, and viewers get a backstage pass to festivals, recording studios, and little-known venues. Enjoy the journey!

Hey, live music lovers! It’s summertime, and the concert season is upon us. Here’s a round-up of music festivals happening in 2009.

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, June 11-14, 2009
Manchester, Tennessee
100+ bands perform on 10 stages on 700 acres of rural Tennessee farmland.
Visit the website.

CMA Music Festival, June 11-14, 2009
Nashville, TN
“Country Music’s Biggest Party” is hosted for the 38th time by the Country Music Association.
Visit the website.

Caribana, June 2009
Toronto, Canada
North America’s largest Caribbean festival.
Visit the website.

Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, June 19-21, 2009
Boonville, CA
A world music festival with a reggae focus.
Visit the website.

KCRW’s World Festival, Summer 2009 (first concert is June 21, 2009)
Los Angeles, CA
World music concert series at the famous Hollywood Bowl.
Visit the website.

Waltons Guitar Festival of Ireland, July 1-5, 2009
Dublin, Ireland
Ireland’s largest guitar festival.
Visit the website.

Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, July 1-12, 2009
Montréal, Canada
This is the world’s largest jazz festival with 3000+ artists from 30 countries. Visit the website.

Roskilde Festival, July 2-5, 2009
Denmark
Northern Europe’s largest music festival.
Visit the website.

Country Music Festival of Mirande, July 9-14, 2009
Mirande, France
Europe’s largest country music festival.
Visit the website.

Rainforest World Music Festival, July 10-12, 2009
Sarawak, Indonesia
Visit the website.

The Royal Windsor Beer & Jazz Festival, August 12-16 2009
Windsor, England
Visit the website.

World Music Festival: Chicago 2009, September 2009
Chicago, IL
This one-week festival is in its 12th year and is celebrated at venues throughout the city. Some events are free.
Visit the website.

The funky/freaky/industrial mood of Cross Club, on the outskirts of Prague, definitely sets it apart from the tourist hubs in the center of town. In fact, our little posse of French/English/American travelers was the only tourists in the place. Our guide to the grungy side of Prague was a young Slovakian who manned the desk at the hostel.

We wandered through several large rooms, packed with people and mechanized gadget decor, both emanating an angry vibe. In a room with double-decker seating (literally, you climb a few steps to reach the upper level and scuttle bent double to your seats), we found a place to squeeze in.

At the bar, my usual vodka-and-cranberry was translated into a vodka-and-black currant (a tasty alternative, it turns out). The bartender filled my glass with ice, lit himself a joint, and then poured in the alcohol and juice. Weed is illegal in the Czech Republic, my Slovak friend told me, but enforcement is lax (apparently).

Back at the table, our multi-national group shouted over the raging tunes. And then, a sudden shift—the music went from tortured, screaming vocals to R&B. The change seemed out of synch with the rest of the scene, but the other patrons were unfazed. And perusing Cross Club’s website after my visit, I found that the venue seems to be a catch-all musically, hosting rock and reggae concerts periodically.

The club was still rockin’ when we made our exit at 1 a.m. On the way out, we popped into a few rooms we’d missed on the first tour. The most intriguing had a stage and large projection screen and an open dance floor. On the screen, images of chimpanzees and twin bald women flashed, punctuated by a strobe light and grating, melody-free techno music. People filled the dance floor, but no one was dancing. All stood staring straight ahead at the screen. Fascinating though it was, this entertainment was hard to enjoy without hallucinogens, so our straight-laced crew headed for the door and back to Prague proper.