SlaskiFest8

Rock/Festival

Perhaps you, like other Philadelphians, while proud your city will host one of the megalithic Live8 concerts, would rather not endure the accompanying crowd-a-riffic crush and no-car-zone-tastic thrall. Enochlophobics and the Dave Matthews-averse can make their getaway to a kinder, gentler charity-minded music festival. SlaskiFest 8 (it's really the eighth annual), the "All Day Super-Picnic" at Northampton's Indian Trail Park, will feature eight bands, including Philly's This Radiant Boy and Slackharmonic. Sure, it's not Jay-Z and Stevie Wonder, but where Live8's side activities will include fun games like "don't get crushed when Sarah McLachlan throws her panties into the crowd" and "don't get trampled in the Kaiser Chiefs set/port-a-john rush," SlaskiFest 8 will feature slip-and-slides, kites, dodgeball, tug of war, kiddie pools, Frisbee, wiffleball, softball, a super slingshot battle and, seriously, super-sized tricycle races. Started as an open-invite party by Saucon Valley High class of 1996 grad Mike Slaski and his friends, SlaskiFest and its $8 cover benefits the Angel34 Foundation (www.angel34.org) which, while less grand than Ending World Hunger, is still worth your consideration. Besides, see what happens when you try to sneak a slingshot into Live8.

Sat., July 2, 10 a.m.-10 p.m., $8, Indian Trail Park at the intersection of Rt. 248 and Indian Trail Rd., Northampton, www.slaskifest.com.

—Brian Howard

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