Sasquatch Music Festival
Geroge, Washingon May 26-28
By Jonny Lieberman
While most people dream of being one of those lucky few able to share a tent with blacked-out B-list Hollywood celebrities at the sweltering Coachella Valley and Arts Festival, there is option #2 for those seeking something a little less extravagant: The Sasquatch Music Festival in the great state of Washington. At this point, you might be asking yourself, a) Where is this great state of Washington? And/or b) is this “Sasquatch” thing a joke? Unfortunately, I cannot answer the first question. But don’t let the goofy name and goofy graphics fool you. Sasquatch promises to be one of the best festivals of the year. The beautiful Gorge Ampitheatre overlooks the majestic Columbia River (you probably remember the Columbia River from all those futile attempts at fording the river on The Orgeon Trail), and with a lineup featuring that includes Nine Inch Nails, Wolfmother, Beck, Death Cab For Cutie and Queens of the Stone Age, what more can you ask for?
Warped Tour
Various Cities and Dates
By Adrian Prieto
I have something to look forward to every summer. No matter where you are at, you will be within driving distance to a Warped Tour stop. Where else can you see countless bands all day long? On each stop there are usually 60+ plus bands on 6 or 7 stages, ranging from mainstream radio acts to small local bands. The acts are usually rock based: punk, pop-punk, emo, indie, alternative and now even include hardcore and screamo acts. To give you an idea of what to expect, this past summer included the likes of: Fall Out Boy, The Starting Line, My Chemical Romance, All-American Rejects, and Motion City Soundtrack. 2004 was especially solid: Taking Back Sunday, The Early November, New Found Glory, Alkaline Trio and Thursday (on Warped ’06 as well). Although you might be struck by flying objects (one which gave me a huge bloody gash on my forehead), at least you’ll be there for your favorite bands.
Pitchfork Music Festival
Chicago, Illinois July 29-30
By Tricia Aung
Hosted by the excessively pretentious Pitchfork Media, the two-day Pitchfork Music Festival offers performances that are sure to please anyone appreciative of indie music. The lineup, meticulously Pitchfork-approved, features 38 bands who will perform in Chicago’s Grant Park. First day performances not to be missed include the high-energy Ted Leo & the Pharmacists and the hilariously satirical Art Brut. Tapes ‘n Tapes, Chin Up Chin Up, and Mission of Burma are sure to provide additional music ear candy on the second day.
Movement
Detroit, Michigan May 27-29
By Aaron Tate
The fourth edition of Movement: The Detroit Electronic Music Festival will feature an array of world-class producers and DJs from across the spectrum of dance music: Krikor, Superpitcher, and Alex Under (minimal techno); Dandy Jack, Pantytec (microhouse); Mark Broom, Josh Wink (techno); Markus Guenter (ambient); Klimek (downtempo); and others. Living legends/pioneers of house and techno will also be well represented: Rob Acid, Daniel Bell, Derrick Carter, Carl Craig, Roy Davis Jr., Richie Hawtin, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson. While the inclusion of Photek may warm the hearts of junglists everywhere, the appearance by MC/DJ team “Planet of Drums” almost certainly will not (they are awful). A dozen label showcases (e.g., Kompakt, Ghostly International), as well as a tribute to J-Dilla, are also on offer. Unless you prefer an all-access VIP pass ($200), the price is hard to beat: absolutely free.
Summerfest
Milwaukee, Wisconsin June 29 – July 9
By Tricia Aung
Contrary to the non-Midwesterner’s belief, Wisconsin is not just home to cheese and cow-tipping. For the past 38 years, Milwaukee has proudly hosted Summerfest, the world’s largest annual summer music festival. Summerfest is truly original, but can best be described as a week and a half of Slope Days, with a little more intoxication and a little less slope.
From emerging artists to music legends, Summerfest features over 700 performances over an 11-day period. Although the complete line-up has yet to be revealed, confirmed headliners include Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Mary J. Blige and Kenny Chesney. Other noteworthy performers include Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Jupiter Sunrise, and the Dresden Dolls.
Summerfest additionally offers plenty of enticing food and shopping opportunities that highlight the local community. Summerfest is a worthy destination for any summer road trip. After all, who could pass up seeing Kenny Chesney singing about sexy tractors?
Dave Matthews Band and Others
New York City, New York August 5-6
By Megan Altman
Dave Matthews Band is going to be back again this summer jamming out on Randall’s Island in New York City! The great line up does not end here, as Gov’t Mule will be performing on the main stage on Saturday, while David Gray will be performing on Sunday. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones will be performing both evenings on the main stage and Slightly Stoopid, Tea Leaf Green, and Yonder Mountain String will be performing on the second stage both days. This concert is hot and has often been known as Dave’s best performance all year round. Regular seating is already sold out, so don’t wait any longer to see a great concert this summer. Bring your friends, buy lawn tickets, sit outside, and “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.”
Weenie Roast
Los Angeles, California May 13
By Claire Readhead
May 13, 2006 is the Weenie Roast’s fourteenth annual concert. For those of you not from So-Cal this is a famous KROQ sponsored concert that features the hippest latest alternative rock bands in one blowout venue. Basically, it is amazing, and as far as I know, the Weenie Roast name comes from the prodigious amount of hot dogs sold to soak up the copious cups of flat sun-warmed beer consumed at this event. If your exam schedule lets you off the hook to head down to Los Angeles for this year’s concert you’ll catch Motley Crue, Audioslave, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, and The Killers, just to name a few. Bring sun-block, Advil, water and a good pair of dancing shoes because it’s going to be a long rocking day, and a long walk back to the parking lot.
Bonnaroo
Manchester, Tennessee June 16-18
By Jared Wolfe
What the hell were the producers of Bonnaroo thinking when they decided to have the music and arts festival take place on June 16-18? Have they no sympathy for those recent college grads who planned on smoking pounds of weed during the three day festival, but would be forced intro a reluctant abstinence due to drug testing when beginning their job mid-summer?
Cruelty or carelessness aside, Bonnaroo 2006 promises to be another journey into drug-filled, indie rock Shangri-La. It will cost a fortune, but Radiohead will be co-headlining, and how often does one get to experience them live? Tom Petty will also be co-headlining, and how many more years does one have to experience him alive?
Bonnaroo will also feature a plethora of indie and pseudo-indie rock superstars, such as Elvis Costello, Bright Eyes, Ben Folds, Medeski Martin & Wood, Stephen Malkmus, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Devendra Banhart, Dungen, Andrew Bird, Common, Sonic Youth and about 65 more of the best bands in the world.
Lollapalooza
Chicago, Illinois August 4 – 6
By Elliot Singer
For those of us whose summers aren’t planned around making it to Bonnaroo, the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago might just be the answer. Into hip-hop? Chicago natives Kanye West and Common are there, as well as the average ensemble Blackalicious and the gravelly-voiced, serenading M.C. Lyrics Born. A nice treat is Lady Sovereign, who shares company with Londoners like Dizzee Rascal and M.I.A. Indie kids will find themselves particularly at home in Grant Park: everyone from the founding fathers (Wilco, Built To Spill, Broken Social Scene and their member’s band Stars and lead singer Feist, as well as The Flaming Lips and The New Pornographers) to talented charisma (Go! Team, Of Montreal, The Rapture) to some personal, smaller-name favorites (Midlake, Calexico, Iron and Wine) will each take their turn on Lollapalooza’s eight stages.
Intonation Festival
Chicago, Illinois June 24-25
By Natasha Pickowicz
Chicago’s Intonation Festival is co-curated by Vice Records, featuring many of their signed acts (The Streets, Bloc Party, The Stills, Chromeo, Annie, The Boredoms) as well as Robert Pollard (of indie granddaddies Guided By Voices), U.K.’s premier grime MC Kano and grime-lite princess Lady Sovereign, and San Francisco’s spazzy post-punkers Erase Errata. A steal at $35 for both days.
GrassRoots Festival
Trumansburg, New York July 20 – 23
By Elliot Singer
Although the GrassRoots Festival of Song and Dance doesn’t feature the headlining acts of bigger festivals, it does offer a glimpse of the eccentric performing arts scene of upstate New York. The music acts tend to be folk and bluegrass, and bands like Sim Redmond, Crow Greenspun, Donna the Buffalo, and John Brown’s Body might ring some bells. But GrassRoots also features a little reggae, funk, and zydeco too, like Thousands of One and Preston Frank. The scene, I’ve heard, is really what GrassRoots the legendary reputation it has, something only upstaters like us have grown to know and love.
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