Joe Ehrbar

1. Dolores O'Riordan fronts the Irish band, the Cranberries. Photo by Ken Settle 2. Former Camper Van Beethoven member David Lowery plays guitar with Cracker. The band will be opening the concert.

Last year, Silver Mountain's summer microbrew and reggae music festival did the unthinkable. It ran out of beer. This year, David Kilmer, organizer of Saturday's Blues, Brews and Reggae Festival, has made a sincere promise to microbrew aficionados: "We won't run out of beer!" Forty-five selections of microbrews, from extra bitter ales to porters to fruity wheat brews, will be on tap. For each brew, there will be four kegs. Microbreweries include Alaskan Brewing Co., Northern Lights (from Airway Heights), DeSchutes, Red Hook, Sierra Nevada, Hale's Ales, Fort Spokane Brewery, Widmer and more. To enhance the brew sampling, two bands will be on stage - Spokane's R&B; phenom Mumbo Jumbo and Seattle world music wonder Jumbalassy.

Mark Arm, left, appears with Bloodloss members Martin Bland, Guy Maddison and Renestair EJ.

1. "We want to remain true to our style and true to our fans. We don't want to be swayed by all these trends," says Pantera's Vinnie Paul. Joe Giron photo 2. White Zombie has no difficulty selling records.

In the United States, The Tragically Hip are tragically un-hip. Once again, the band has released a magnificent album, "Trouble at the Henhouse," without anyone noticing. Last week, the Toronto band, which plays The Met Friday, shot a video for "Gift Shop." It marks the 14th video the band has done over the course of their five albums. But "Gift Shop" probably won't be shown on MTV or VH-1, predicts singer Gord Downie.

God Lives Underwater plays the Northern Corner on Saturday.

Blood, Sweat and Tears with David Clayton-Thomas, standing center, are on a revival tour.

Mac Mall performs with rapper Young Lay at The Met. Victor Hall photo

In conjunction with the Jacob Lawrence Exhibition showing at Cheney Cowles Museum, the museum and Corbin Art Center are collaborating on a Collage Workshop for teens ages 13-18 on Aug. 14. The two-hour workshop consists of a tour of the Lawrence exhibit and a hands-on look at collage design techniques. The class will be taught by regional artists and instructor Diane Rowen Garmire. There will be two workshops on Aug. 14, one at 10 a.m., the other at 1 p.m. Admission is $1. Reservations are required. Call 456-3932.

The Melvins - (from left) drummer Dale Crover, bassist Mark Deutrom and guitarist-vocalist King Buzzo Osborne - are said to have pioneered grung music. Don Lewis photo

1. The Screaming Trees are back on the scene with their latest album "Dust." Danny Clinch photo 2. Gary Lee Conner of the Screaming Trees. Ken Settle photo

Another benefit concert for 4,000 Holes, a Spokane record store that has been a victim of a spree of vandalism, will be staged at The Met, July 19 at 7 p.m. Bands include Shoveljerk, Quitters Inc., Big Comb, High Lonesome, Mama's Dogma, the Deadbeats and Boycott (not necessarily in that order).

Singer-songwriter Glenn Gano plays Espresso Delizioso.

Who would have thought a comedy show and a round of golf would be a good match? After you hack your way through 18 holes, break a few clubs and leave some balls in the water, you can laugh away your frustrations.

Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills and Nash plays at a recent concert. The group will play The Gorge on Saturday. Photo by Ken Settle

Doyle Bramhall, who plays the Fort Spokane Brewery July 18, almost single-handedly shaped what we know today as Texas blues rock. It's the mold that greats like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan and dozens of copycats have used over the years to churn out hit songs. Who the heck is Doyle Bramhall, you ask? He's more than just the father of Arc Angels vocalist Doyle Bramhall Jr.

Jars of Clay plays a sold-out show Tuesday.

Chris Isaak Saturday, July 6, Riverfront Park While many of us stood in line to enter the gate for the Chris Isaak concert Saturday at Riverfront Park, a dumbfounded woman strolling by paused and questioned why people would actually line up to hear Isaak. "He only has one good song on that tape," she blurted, no doubt referring to "Wicked Game" from "Heart Shaped World." How dead-wrong she was. Those of us slowly herded toward the gate knew it, too. For Isaak doesn't waste his golden vocal chords on bad songs. Great songs aren't necessarily hit songs. And hit songs don't necessarily qualify for greatness.

The Apples in Stereo play the Northern Corner tonight.

The American Music Festival, Spokane's new Fourth of July festival, makes its debut in Riverfront Park today and continues through Sunday. The festival is about American music, the dozens of genres this country has given birth to over the years. Jazz, the blues, rock, zydeco, Cajun music, country, funk and soul and R&B; are represented by 18 bands, both national and local.

Spokane: After the Platters and Spokane Jazz Orchestra play at the American Music Festival in Riverfront Park, some 1,996 fireworks will ignite over downtown beginning at 9:45 p.m. Coeur d'Alene: The Lake City's biggest display, with more than 2,300 shells, will be shot off a barge on Lake Coeur d'Alene at dusk. Best view is from City Park and City Beach.

Geno Delafose plays Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on the Clocktower Meadow Stage.

Chris Isaak will perform at Riverfront Park on Saturday. "Forever Blue" is his fifth album. Photo by Ken Settle

1. Alice Cooper 2. Scorpions guitarist Rudolph Schenker. Photo by Ken Settle