While more and more jam bands and DJs' have been adding sunshine-state dates to their touring routes in recent years, there is still one thing that keeps all of us headies pinching pennies all year long. It's called festival season. Just as Elmer Fudd waited all gosh-darned year for those pesky wabbits, as do crunchies await the coveted festival season. With spring and summer rapidly approaching, festival gurus are perched with eyes and ears open awaiting for line-ups to be announced in order to decide which hurrahs to hit up in 2010
Perhaps you're glued to Pitchfork, Jambase, REAX or other musical outlets all day like I am, or perhaps you actually have a life and are too busy living it to stare at a computer screen all day. Whatever your situation is, hopefully you can find this little guide helpful when choosing which spring and summer festies to hit up in this season. There's a shit ton of them, do your research and choose wisely.
The big debate for spring time in Florida seems to be between Ultra Music Festival in Miami and the Wanee Music Festival in Live Oak. Both excellent festivals. Ultra, taking place in Miami on March 26 and 27, as part of the Winter Music Conference, has become the southern-most mecca of the electronic scene. With headliners this year such as Tiesto, Deadmau5, Crystal Method, Disco Biscuits and Lotus, the line-up is the most eclectic yet. The DJ oriented festival has been adding more and more diverse musicians in recent years, broadening their audience ten-fold, there were over 85,000 people at last year's fest. It's a fantastic festival. However, one thing to consider is that most Ultra sets, minus a few headliners, are only about 45 minute long. As sick as the lineup is, 45 minutes is simply NOT long enough to see bands like Disco Biscuits and Lotus. Those dudes sell out three and four night runs at Red Rocks. Forty-five minutes can't do them justice. Also, Ultra is a no-camping festival. Hotels in Miami don't run cheap but if you book early you can find some decent deals. The plus side to South Beach is that even if you don't buy a ticket to the actual festival at Bicentennial park, there are dozens of after shows to chose from that provide late night house, drum and base and every other form of electronic, into all hours of the night. A lot of them are even free. If you can manage not to try and act like a complete baller, which is hard to do in Miami whether you're Joe the fuckin' Plumber or Tiesto himself, then the trip can actually be done relatively cheap. Check out http://www.ultramusicfestival.com/ for the full lineup and a lowdown on late-night, ragers in the city.
Now on to Wanee, April 16 and 17. The Wanee Music Festival, held at the good old Suwanee Music Park in Live Oak, has the most incredible lineup it has ever billed. It's possibly the best line-up to ever grace the Florida music park in history. The brainchild of the Allman Brothers, Wanee is a straight up jam-band, get down down by the river. The festival, which has been moved back to April after being held in June in 2009, is one of the biggest events of the year at Suwanee. This year Wanee will be host to two nights of the Allman Brothers as well as two nights of Widespread Panic and also Gov't Mule. Panic at the Sunwanee Music Park is pretty epic, and should provide for the festival's best attendance to date. A seemingly never-ending list of amazing musicians grace the rest of the bill including regulars like Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi as well as new additions such as George Clinton and the P Funk and The Black Keys. It's undeniable that a weekend of camping by the Suwanee will be loads cheaper then a weekend in Miami. The weather in April at Suwanee is usually sunshine filled and beautiful, which provides for a great weekend of camping out with friends. Although this year's line-up will most likely find the biggest attendance ever at a Wanee Festival (seriously 2 nights of Panic is a huge deal for the fest) the vibe at Suwanee Music park always seems to be relaxed, friendly and down-home good times no matter how many people are there. The list goes on and on of amazing musicians on the bill, check out the whole line-up at http://www.waneefestival.com/
So if you're trying to keep the festival budget low this season, maybe opt for Wanee instead of Ultra. Bring a cooler of beer and food for the weekend and whatever other poisons you chose and it can be a very inexpensive weekend, filled with absolutely amazing music. Tip of the day, BEWARE of under-covers at Suwanee Music Park. In recent years arrests have significantly increased, probably as an attempt to gain some much needed county money in Live oak, FL. It may seem like no big deal to light up a doobie by your campsite but don't get yourself caught. A cheap weekend can turn very expensive if you find yourself sitting in the Suwanee County jail over night.
The end of spring and into summer, brings us into some of the more long running and corporate festivals. Southern headies will travel by plane, train and VW to hit up festivals from one coast of the country to the other. There are about a million great ones to chose from depending on your musical preference and proficiency to rage. If you haven't already heard about Rothbury being cancelled then you probably don't give a shit about the scene anyway. A statement release on their website proclaimed that various artists recording and touring schedules made it too difficult to lock down the line-up. However, the festival put on by Madison House Inc. and AEG, is vowed to be brought back next year. With Rothbury out, granola-crunchers across the country are finding themselves having to decide which festie to opt for in its place.
Of the line-ups officially announced, the pot is looking pretty nice of bills to choose from. Coachella, which is held in Indio, California from April 16-18, has a pretty ridiculous line-up this year. From Jay-Z and LCD Soundsystem to Gorillaz and a solo Thom Yorke set. The long trek to California would be worth it for this festival, if you just happen to have a stack of money laying around. Tax returns anyone? Anyone?
The Summer Camp line-up is also shaping up nicely and is not even complete yet. Held in Chillicothe, Illinois from May 28 to 30, the festival has already announced 3 days of moe. and Umphreys McGee, plus sets by STS9, Yonder Mountain, Avett Brothers, Keller Williams, Bassnectar, EOTO and tons of others. A 3 day advance ticket will put you out $150 plus the cost of travel to Illinois, but the festival has gained a great rep over the last few years and is sure to not disappoint. Check out the entire line-up and more at http://www.summercampfestival.com/2010/
Wakarusa, held from June 3-6, at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arkansas, is the prefect summertime, mid-west retreat for the all-genre loving, festival enthusiast. The line-up has STS9 and Disco Biscuits headlining and is sure to bring the heat. With STS9 seeming to be headed at least a little bit back to their roots, with sets like the Axe the Cables over New Years, hopefully Wakarusa will find them playing to please more then just the candy ravers and sneaker-heads. Add in the Disco biscuits, Lotus, Tea Leaf Green, EOTO, Dumpstaphunk and dozens of other amazing, eclectic musicians and you've got yourself a pretty nice little, heady salad going on. Tickets, in their second tier, are currently $129 and a scenic road trip through the mid-west with some friends is not only affordable, but can be a rootin'-tootin', good time. Complete line-up and tickets available at http://www.wakarusa.com/
There are dozens of other amazing spring and summer festivals to choose from. If you're fortunate you can do them all. If you're like most of us, you find yourself scowling over having to pick a just a couple of festivals to fit into your seasonal budget. The fact is, you just can't win em' all. Among credited festivals that have not announced 2010 line-ups yet are All Good in West Virgina, and Bonnaroo in Tennessee. The Roo's line-up has gotten a little more outlandish with every year and although it it in fact a corporate, Juggernaut of a festival, it is not to be dismissed. The Roo is hands down a kick-ass festival. It's line-up is always ridiculous, the festival runs as smooth as organic peanut butter and rumors swarming around it this year are nasty. I mean the kind of nasty that provides for melting faces at Centeroo, not the kind that 6th grade girls spread around gym class. The official line-up will be announced next week, but according to Pitchfork, thus far talks for headliners include The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Jay Z. Pitchfork also released an interview with the Flaming Lips stating that they are set to perform "Dark Side of the Moon" in it's entirety at the Roo this year. If you've ever seen a Flaming Lips show then you can only imagine what this set will look like. Faces, skies, stages and confetti will be melting, count me in.
Whatever festivals you choose this season be safe, be yourself and be kind. Whether it's your first festival experience or you're a seasoned vet, rock that shit out to the fullest. Also, remember that in this day and age there's no such thing as "what happens at a festival, stays at a festival." Don't be the crazy hippie that eats too many scooby snacks and strips down naked on the main stage. You will surely be a You-Tube sensation the next day, count on it.
Perhaps you're glued to Pitchfork, Jambase, REAX or other musical outlets all day like I am, or perhaps you actually have a life and are too busy living it to stare at a computer screen all day. Whatever your situation is, hopefully you can find this little guide helpful when choosing which spring and summer festies to hit up in this season. There's a shit ton of them, do your research and choose wisely.
The big debate for spring time in Florida seems to be between Ultra Music Festival in Miami and the Wanee Music Festival in Live Oak. Both excellent festivals. Ultra, taking place in Miami on March 26 and 27, as part of the Winter Music Conference, has become the southern-most mecca of the electronic scene. With headliners this year such as Tiesto, Deadmau5, Crystal Method, Disco Biscuits and Lotus, the line-up is the most eclectic yet. The DJ oriented festival has been adding more and more diverse musicians in recent years, broadening their audience ten-fold, there were over 85,000 people at last year's fest. It's a fantastic festival. However, one thing to consider is that most Ultra sets, minus a few headliners, are only about 45 minute long. As sick as the lineup is, 45 minutes is simply NOT long enough to see bands like Disco Biscuits and Lotus. Those dudes sell out three and four night runs at Red Rocks. Forty-five minutes can't do them justice. Also, Ultra is a no-camping festival. Hotels in Miami don't run cheap but if you book early you can find some decent deals. The plus side to South Beach is that even if you don't buy a ticket to the actual festival at Bicentennial park, there are dozens of after shows to chose from that provide late night house, drum and base and every other form of electronic, into all hours of the night. A lot of them are even free. If you can manage not to try and act like a complete baller, which is hard to do in Miami whether you're Joe the fuckin' Plumber or Tiesto himself, then the trip can actually be done relatively cheap. Check out http://www.ultramusicfestival.com/ for the full lineup and a lowdown on late-night, ragers in the city.
Now on to Wanee, April 16 and 17. The Wanee Music Festival, held at the good old Suwanee Music Park in Live Oak, has the most incredible lineup it has ever billed. It's possibly the best line-up to ever grace the Florida music park in history. The brainchild of the Allman Brothers, Wanee is a straight up jam-band, get down down by the river. The festival, which has been moved back to April after being held in June in 2009, is one of the biggest events of the year at Suwanee. This year Wanee will be host to two nights of the Allman Brothers as well as two nights of Widespread Panic and also Gov't Mule. Panic at the Sunwanee Music Park is pretty epic, and should provide for the festival's best attendance to date. A seemingly never-ending list of amazing musicians grace the rest of the bill including regulars like Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi as well as new additions such as George Clinton and the P Funk and The Black Keys. It's undeniable that a weekend of camping by the Suwanee will be loads cheaper then a weekend in Miami. The weather in April at Suwanee is usually sunshine filled and beautiful, which provides for a great weekend of camping out with friends. Although this year's line-up will most likely find the biggest attendance ever at a Wanee Festival (seriously 2 nights of Panic is a huge deal for the fest) the vibe at Suwanee Music park always seems to be relaxed, friendly and down-home good times no matter how many people are there. The list goes on and on of amazing musicians on the bill, check out the whole line-up at http://www.waneefestival.com/
So if you're trying to keep the festival budget low this season, maybe opt for Wanee instead of Ultra. Bring a cooler of beer and food for the weekend and whatever other poisons you chose and it can be a very inexpensive weekend, filled with absolutely amazing music. Tip of the day, BEWARE of under-covers at Suwanee Music Park. In recent years arrests have significantly increased, probably as an attempt to gain some much needed county money in Live oak, FL. It may seem like no big deal to light up a doobie by your campsite but don't get yourself caught. A cheap weekend can turn very expensive if you find yourself sitting in the Suwanee County jail over night.
The end of spring and into summer, brings us into some of the more long running and corporate festivals. Southern headies will travel by plane, train and VW to hit up festivals from one coast of the country to the other. There are about a million great ones to chose from depending on your musical preference and proficiency to rage. If you haven't already heard about Rothbury being cancelled then you probably don't give a shit about the scene anyway. A statement release on their website proclaimed that various artists recording and touring schedules made it too difficult to lock down the line-up. However, the festival put on by Madison House Inc. and AEG, is vowed to be brought back next year. With Rothbury out, granola-crunchers across the country are finding themselves having to decide which festie to opt for in its place.
Of the line-ups officially announced, the pot is looking pretty nice of bills to choose from. Coachella, which is held in Indio, California from April 16-18, has a pretty ridiculous line-up this year. From Jay-Z and LCD Soundsystem to Gorillaz and a solo Thom Yorke set. The long trek to California would be worth it for this festival, if you just happen to have a stack of money laying around. Tax returns anyone? Anyone?
The Summer Camp line-up is also shaping up nicely and is not even complete yet. Held in Chillicothe, Illinois from May 28 to 30, the festival has already announced 3 days of moe. and Umphreys McGee, plus sets by STS9, Yonder Mountain, Avett Brothers, Keller Williams, Bassnectar, EOTO and tons of others. A 3 day advance ticket will put you out $150 plus the cost of travel to Illinois, but the festival has gained a great rep over the last few years and is sure to not disappoint. Check out the entire line-up and more at http://www.summercampfestival.com/2010/
Wakarusa, held from June 3-6, at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arkansas, is the prefect summertime, mid-west retreat for the all-genre loving, festival enthusiast. The line-up has STS9 and Disco Biscuits headlining and is sure to bring the heat. With STS9 seeming to be headed at least a little bit back to their roots, with sets like the Axe the Cables over New Years, hopefully Wakarusa will find them playing to please more then just the candy ravers and sneaker-heads. Add in the Disco biscuits, Lotus, Tea Leaf Green, EOTO, Dumpstaphunk and dozens of other amazing, eclectic musicians and you've got yourself a pretty nice little, heady salad going on. Tickets, in their second tier, are currently $129 and a scenic road trip through the mid-west with some friends is not only affordable, but can be a rootin'-tootin', good time. Complete line-up and tickets available at http://www.wakarusa.com/
There are dozens of other amazing spring and summer festivals to choose from. If you're fortunate you can do them all. If you're like most of us, you find yourself scowling over having to pick a just a couple of festivals to fit into your seasonal budget. The fact is, you just can't win em' all. Among credited festivals that have not announced 2010 line-ups yet are All Good in West Virgina, and Bonnaroo in Tennessee. The Roo's line-up has gotten a little more outlandish with every year and although it it in fact a corporate, Juggernaut of a festival, it is not to be dismissed. The Roo is hands down a kick-ass festival. It's line-up is always ridiculous, the festival runs as smooth as organic peanut butter and rumors swarming around it this year are nasty. I mean the kind of nasty that provides for melting faces at Centeroo, not the kind that 6th grade girls spread around gym class. The official line-up will be announced next week, but according to Pitchfork, thus far talks for headliners include The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Jay Z. Pitchfork also released an interview with the Flaming Lips stating that they are set to perform "Dark Side of the Moon" in it's entirety at the Roo this year. If you've ever seen a Flaming Lips show then you can only imagine what this set will look like. Faces, skies, stages and confetti will be melting, count me in.
Whatever festivals you choose this season be safe, be yourself and be kind. Whether it's your first festival experience or you're a seasoned vet, rock that shit out to the fullest. Also, remember that in this day and age there's no such thing as "what happens at a festival, stays at a festival." Don't be the crazy hippie that eats too many scooby snacks and strips down naked on the main stage. You will surely be a You-Tube sensation the next day, count on it.
