More than 300 acts will take the stage during the festival, including Laurie Anderson, Todd Rundgren and The Residents. They will perform at the Knitting Factory, Irving Plaza, Wetlands and other downtown venues—and in some instances, live on the Internet. Photos from concerts in progress will be uploaded to the festival's Web site, as will live audio and video feeds. For those who can't attend the live concerts, virtual club tours utilizing Apple's new QuickTime VR imaging technology are available for downloading. QuickTime VR permits full 360-degree viewer navigation of a site, and can be used as a Netscape plug-in or as a standalone application. It's only available for the Macintosh at present, but a Windows version is in the works.

Impressive as the music and the technology are, it's the marketing behind this venture that clinches its top rating. The Mac has always had a high hipness quotient and the festival deftly underscores it, while also promoting Apple's products (the new Performa line) and services (a revamped eWorld, with Internet access).

That's not to slight the festival's fun factor, however. If you enjoy music, you should plan on dropping in at least one night this week (a schedule is posted on the site). And if you own a Macintosh and can take advantage of QuickTime VR, by all means do so—it's really quite amazing.

(Reviewed July 17, 1995)