<div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHFQhFgr-I/AAAAAAAAATY/RNGrNLPJCMs/s1600-h/happy+fans.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHFQhFgr-I/AAAAAAAAATY/RNGrNLPJCMs/s400/happy+fans.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229177529903919074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">That's Mos Jef in the middle.<br /><br /></span></div>Well, it seems the planners of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tulsa</st1:place></st1:city>’s seventh annual Diversafest did exactly what some people thought they would not be able to do – top last year.<span style="">  </span>Dfest went from five years of obscurity to “the festival that brought out The Flaming Lips” last year.<span style="">  </span>Despite how great The Lips were last year, as a whole this year was much better.<p class="MsoNormal">Remembering how long I waited in line for a bracelet last year, I went downtown in the early afternoon to get mine.<span style="">  </span>I briefly stopped into McNellie’s to get a beer and I was reminded that, despite our big city music festival being setup out the window, Tulsa is still just a great big small town.<span style="">  </span>I was upstairs with 3 other people.<span style="">  </span>One guy was the bartender with whom I played little league baseball.<span style="">  </span>Another guy I happened to meet at Big Splash two weeks earlier.<span style="">  </span>The third guy I recognized as dating one of my ex-girlfriends.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I left downtown for a while and returned to catch the last part of moe.<span style="">  </span>They put on a good show, but Dfest made for the third time I’ve seen moe. perform.<span style="">  </span>The band that played immediately after them blew me away though.<span style="">  </span>Ghostland Observatory is a two-man band that falls somewhere between dance pop and glam rock.<span style="">  </span>I’d never heard of this Austin-based duo before, but I was thoroughly impressed by their music and particularly their stage show.<span style="">  </span>I know many people were there to see the headlining Disco Biscuits, but I think Ghostland Observatory stole the show Friday night.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHGCDoAi9I/AAAAAAAAATg/K1JPM29LEtU/s1600-h/ghostland+observatory.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHGCDoAi9I/AAAAAAAAATg/K1JPM29LEtU/s400/ghostland+observatory.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229178380989008850" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:78%;">Ghostland Observatory</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Saturday night I was convinced that <i style="">DIVERS</i>afest lived up to its name.<span style="">  </span>I saw the first half of Helmet.<span style="">  </span>Yes, Helmet.<span style="">  </span>I haven’t seen a concert attract that many shirtless drunk white guys into a mosh pit since I was in junior high.<span style="">  </span>I had no desire to smash around and dance like a chicken in front of a large audience, but I did enjoy watching it all go down.<span style="">  </span>A short walk later, I was at Zappa Plays Zappa.<span style="">  </span>The most violent thing happening here was glow sticks and beach balls being tossed around.<span style="">  </span>The music was outstanding.<span style="">  </span>Being a Frank Zappa fan, I didn’t know what to expect.<span style="">  </span>I was pleasantly surprised.<span style="">  </span>Once Zappa ended, I was getting pretty excited about The Roots.<span style="">  </span>I view The Roots as a very significant band.<span style="">  </span>Years from now, I think they will be viewed as one of the great hip-hop groups of the day.<span style="">  </span>They did not disappoint.<span style="">  </span>Rather than playing from their allotted time of midnight to 1:45AM, they played until 2:40.<span style="">  </span>I left exhausted from the dancing.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHGnCBeEaI/AAAAAAAAAUA/v0UiODZ64U4/s1600-h/zappa+plays+zappa.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHGnCBeEaI/AAAAAAAAAUA/v0UiODZ64U4/s400/zappa+plays+zappa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229179016214090146" border="0" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Zappa Plays Zappa</span><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHGhoptbOI/AAAAAAAAATw/iXaZDD4JoIE/s1600-h/the+roots+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHGhoptbOI/AAAAAAAAATw/iXaZDD4JoIE/s400/the+roots+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229178923504200930" border="0" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">The Roots</span><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHGkTeyMXI/AAAAAAAAAT4/Iu2kdD_VThc/s1600-h/the+roots+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHGkTeyMXI/AAAAAAAAAT4/Iu2kdD_VThc/s400/the+roots+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229178969360839026" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:78%;">The Roots</span><br /><span style=""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Overall I would have to give an A+ to Dfest this year.<span style="">  </span>I think last year The Flaming Lips opened up the opportunity for this festival to grow.<span style="">  </span>This year having The Roots will further legitimize Dfest as a big music festival.<span style="">  </span>I can’t wait to see what is going down next year.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHLHug9xVI/AAAAAAAAAUY/_pCVIYeZDWo/s1600-h/mosh+pit.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHLHug9xVI/AAAAAAAAAUY/_pCVIYeZDWo/s400/mosh+pit.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229183975959676242" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:78%;">Wooooo! Mosh pit</span></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHGreYsiPI/AAAAAAAAAUI/bJUStF5-yrs/s1600-h/crowd.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHGreYsiPI/AAAAAAAAAUI/bJUStF5-yrs/s400/crowd.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229179092547176690" border="0" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">The crowd</span><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHGvNtZAhI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/Tnbzq7JUeec/s1600-h/crowd+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/SJHGvNtZAhI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/Tnbzq7JUeec/s400/crowd+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229179156790051346" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:78%;">The crowd and downtown Tulsa</span></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">Other accounts of Dfest: <a href="http://thistulsa.com/2008/07/dfest-2008-rocked-downtown-tulsa-ok/">This Tulsa<br /></a><a href="http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A24411">Urban Tulsa's G.K. Hizer</a><br /></p>