As a kid, I used to sit around and dream of being on stage with my favorite band. I would guess most of us have. For me, that childhood dream has come true.

Last weekend, I trekked to Omaha, Neb. to catch Local H at Edge Fest. The power duo was one of 12 bands performing at the Lollapalooza-like festival sponsored by Omaha’s 107.9 The Edge.

The Refreshments, Seven Mary Three, Goldfinger, Tracy Bonham, Semisonic and the Verve Pipe were among the headliners of Edge Fest. With only a $12 admission charge, the festival packed an easy 25,000 into the confusingly titled venue, Ak Sar Ben.

Local H and I first met a few years ago when they headlined a concert I put together at my high school. We have since kept in touch, mostly through their last two stops at the M-Shop.

They opened the show shortly after the noon hour. It was a fight through the mob of a bunch of 13- year-old chain-smoking punks just to get a spot up front. Local H frontman Scott Lucas spotted me right away and greeted me with a nice “what the hell are you doing here.”

They went into their set and, of course, I belted out every word to every song. By tossing around a few of the buzzkill pre-pubescents standing near me, I managed to start one of the biggest mosh pits Local H had ever seen.

Just before their last song, the other half of Local H, drummer Joe Daniels, walked over to the center microphone.

“Corey,” he yelled. “Get up here.”

I fought my way to the fence and climbed over. Joe reached down and curled me right onto the six-foot high stage (he’s a big guy if you didn’t know). Scott introduced me as “Corey, our best friend from Iowa” and I put my hands in the air like I was cool or something.

“He’s going to sing the next one for you,” he said just as I was about to climb back down. Before I could think of a way out of it, he began the guitar part. So, and I say this in humble fashion, I closed my eyes, grabbed the mic and went to town.

It wasn’t anything how I dreamed it would be. There was really no singing going on, just screaming and jumping around stage like a deranged crack head. The strange thing was that people actually cheered for me. Being a rock ‘n’ roll star isn’t that hard after all.

On with the pit.

Caroline records has announced the release of the In Defense of Animals benefit compilation next month. The disc will feature tracks by Bjork, Elastica, Beastie Boys, The Chemical Brothers, Ruby, White Zombie, KRS-ONE, PJ Harvey and Morphine.

The independent New York label is also putting out the soundtrack Wipeout XL, which will include tunes from The Chemical Brothers, The Future Sound Of London, Underworld and The Prodigy.

Polly Jean (didn’t she used to be PJ ?) Harvey’s new release Dance Hall At Louse Point will be used by choreographer Mark Bruce as the basis for a dance piece to be commissioned by The Performing Arts South Bank Centre in Britain.

Harvey recorded the album behind the music of John Parish, who co-produced her last album. The first single, “Is That All There Is?,” is also featured on the soundtrack to the film Basquiat. “Down By The Water” director Maria Mochnacz directed the video for the song.

The National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations has teamed up with Mercury Records to release Women For Women 2. The record is a follow up to the first ever all-female album dedicated to increasing breast health awareness.

Sheryl Crow, Amy Grant, Celine Dion, Jann Arden, Indigo Girls, Joan Osborne, Vanessa Williams, Carole King and Tina Turner make contributions to the record which will provide special liner notes listing vital resources and breast cancer facts.

Speaking of Sheryl Crow, her self-titled sophomore effort will be released this Tuesday.