This week I will once again be on vacation on The Rock Boat. This is the fourth time my wife and I are enjoying this event. As in the past, Sheryl, and I are taking this cruise with my college roommate, Tim, and his wife Marie.

The Rock Boat is hosted by a band called Sister Hazel that has five members. Since the passengers are a key ingredient in the overall experience, the name of the organization that puts on the cruise is called The Sixth Man. A number of artists besides Sister Hazel are featured on the cruises. I am looking forward to seeing Scars on 45, Barenaked Ladies, and Broken Anchor. In general all of these bands' songs are mid-tempo rockers with jangly guitars — not quite folk, not quite country, more of something like non-heavy-metal classic rock. The four day trek features bands playing throughout the day and night as the boat sails. There's one day on an amusement park island where bands play while we relax in the water and sand with a huge water slide.

This year's lineup includes:

• Sister Hazel
• Barenaked Ladies
• Michael Franti & Spearhead
• Will Hoge
• Red Wanting Blue
• Gaelic Storm
• Kris Allen
• Scars on 45
• Carbon Leaf
• Green River Ordinance
• The Mowgli's
• Stokeswood
• The Roosevelts
• Honor By August
• Amy Gerhartz
• Brian Fechino & Friends
• Radio Birds
• MELODIME
• Chuck Cannon
• The Shadowboxers
• Brian Collins
• von Grey
• Simplified
• Trailer Park Ninjas
• Hey Monea!
• Headphone Disco
• Gareth Asher & The Earthlings
• Broken Anchor
• Steve Everett
• Paul Pfau
• Andy Suzuki & The Method
• Vintage Blue

My guess is that you have not heard of many of these. I assure you that obscurity does not necessarily equate to inadequacy. The other cool thing is that these bands are not so successful that they are arrogant. They are happy to mingle with fans, eat in the same dining rooms, hang out on deck when not playing, attend other band's shows, and sign anything and everything when asked.

Music is alive in the lab.