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February
What: Noise Pop
Where: San Francisco, CA
When: February 28-March 2
Who: Stephen Malkmus, St. Vincent, Bob Mould, A.C. Newman, Ra Ra Riot, Deerhunter, Thao Nguyen, Goblin Cock, Les Savy Fav, No Age, Josh Ritter, Matt Costa, Portugal. The Man, Martha Wainwright, Flostradamus, The Mountain Goats, French Kicks, Kool Keith, Anthony & The Johnsons, From Monument to Masses, The Morning Benders, The Broken West, A.A. Bondy, Papercuts, Scissors For Lefty, and many more
Why: San Francisco kicks off the festival season at venues across The City By the Bay. Come for the alt-icon solo artists, stay for the up-and-comers. Read more in our preview here
Web: www.noisepop.com/the-2009-festival
March
What: Harvest of Hope
Where: St. Augustine, FL
When: March 6-8
Who: The National, Against Me!, Mountain Goats, GZA, Propagandhi, Bad Brains, Ra Ra Riot, Black Kids, Girl Talk, Tokyo Police Club, The Bouncing Souls, Kool Keith, Deerhunter, Less Than Jake, Lucero, King Khan & The Shrines, John Vanderslice, Wild Sweet Orange, Her Space Holiday, Holy Fuck, Monotonix, and many more
Why: Harvest of Hope is a charity raising money for migrant workers, and now it’s holding its inaugural festival in north Florida. Yes, there’s a ton of punk, but no jam-bands, and still a healthy strain of indie. Read more in our preview here
Web: www.harvestofhopefest.com/
What: Langerado
Where it would have been: Miami, FL
When it would have been: March 6-8
Who it would have had: Death Cab for Cutie, Snoop Dogg, Broken Social Scene, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Modest Mouse, George Clinton, Matisyahu, The Pogues, Public Enemy, Ra Ra Riot, The Faint, Thievery Corporation, Girl Talk, Cold War Kids, DeVotchKa, Deerhunter, Chromeo, Black Kids, Against Me!, Tokyo Police Club, Bad Brains, Cloud Cult, Lucero, Holy Fuck, The Virgins, King Khan & The Shrines, The Postmarks, and many more
Why it isn’t: The economic recession strikes indie-ville as south Florida’s Langerado, which had just upped its game to downtown Miami, canceled, thanks to poor ticket sales. Blame Bernie Madoff… Read more about what could have been in our preview here
Web: www.langerado.com
What: Valley of the Vapors
Where: Hot Springs National Park, AR
When: March 17-22
Who: Foundry Field Recordings, Murder By Death, Monotonix, AIDS Wolf, Headlights, Fiasco, Kaisercartel, Pink Spiders, The Pomegranates, The Queers, Bad Credit No Credit, Southeast Engine, Pomegranates, Anavan, Roll the Tanks, Hex Machine and more
Why: Those traveling to or from Austin’s SXSW (see below) can go to to the northeast for The Valley of the Vapors, and independent charity that holds some independent bands in Hot Springs National Park.
Web: www.valleyofthevapors.com
What: South by Southwest
Where: Austin, TX
When: March 18-21
Who: A million. Yet again. Just look here
Why: The indie world’s massive industry fest invades downtown Austin for five days. See bands that are too big to playing SXSW, bands that will be, and everyone in-between. Read & see much more in our recap here
Web: 2009.sxsw.com
What: Ultra
Where: Miami, FL
When: March 27-28
Who: The Prodigy, Tiësto, Bloc Party, Moby, Paul Van Dyk, Arm Van Buuren, Deadmaus, Cut Copy, Santogold, The Ting Tings, Simian Mobile Disco, Perry Farrell, Crystal Castles, The Presets, Hercules & Love Affair, The Whip, Late of the Pier, Kaskade, and more
Why: Miami in March might not have Langerado (see above), but there’s still Ultra Music Festival, a two-day electronica fest held in the great, warm outdoors.
Web: www.ultramusicfestival.com
April
What: Coachella
Where: Indio, CA
When: April 17-19
Who: Paul McCartney, The Cure, The Killers, Morrissey, My Bloody Valentine, Franz Ferdiand, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Thievery Corporation, TV On the Radio, Leonard Cohen, Band of Horse, Conor Oberst, Beirut, The Black Keys, Peter Bjorn and John, Fleet Foxes, Girl Talk, MSTRKRFT, Silversun Pickups, The Ting Tings, Anthony & The Johnsons, The Kills, Okkervil River, Henry Rollins, Superchunk, We Are Scientists, M. Ward, The Presets, Drive-By Truckers, White Lies, Los Campesinos!, Blitzen Trapper, Bob Mould Band, Cloud Cult, No Age, Vivian Girls, and many more
Why: In these tough economic times, indie festivals are having to draw from the mainstream for headliners to keep people coming – but did they have to be this old?!? Sure, eighties like The Cure & Morrissey, but Paul McCartney?!? Leonard Cohen?!? And when the ‘modern’ headliners are the likes of The Killers & even Amy Winehouse (canceled – big shocker there…), the stars are not aligned. But there’s still gonna be a ton of great indie acts earlier on – and the crowds will probably be thinner for them than in previous years.
Web: www.coachella.com
What: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage
Where: New Orleans, LA
When: April 24-46 & April 30-May 3
Who: Neil Young, Joe Cocker, Spoon, Kings of Leon, James Taylor, Wilco, The Neville Brothers, Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Bonnie Raitt, Better Than Ezra, Drive-By Truckers, Pete Seeger, Emmylou Harris, Kinky, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Erykah Badu, Patty Griffin, The Avett Brothers, Zachary Richard, Theresa Andersson, Everest, and many more
Why: Closing in on forty years now, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival celebrates not just jazz but The Big Easy itself, with acts ranging from its native jazz to alt-country & old country and even up the mainstream, from Pete Seeger to Bon Jovi to NoLa’s own Theresa Andersson.
Web: www.nojazzfest.com
What: Norman
Where: Norman, OK
When: April 25
Who: of Montreal, Man Man, Tea Leaf Green, Stardeath and White Dwarfs, Sugar and Gold, Other Lives, Starlight Mints, Todd Snider, The Uglysuit, Crocodile, Locust Avenue and many more
Why: After making a big splash last year with their inaugural event, the weirdest (and coolest) town in Oklahoma comes back even better with fifty bands over five stages – and spectacle headliners of Montreal. Read & see more in our recap here
Web: www.normanmusicfestival.com
May
What: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage
Where: New Orleans, LA
When: April 24-46 & April 30-May 3
Who: Neil Young, Joe Cocker, Spoon, Kings of Leon, James Taylor, Wilco, The Neville Brothers, Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Bonnie Raitt, Better Than Ezra, Drive-By Truckers, Pete Seeger, Emmylou Harris, Kinky, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Erykah Badu, Patty Griffin, The Avett Brothers, Zachary Richard, Theresa Andersson, Everest, and many more
Why: Closing in on forty years now, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival celebrates not just jazz but The Big Easy itself, with acts ranging from its native jazz to alt-country & old country and even up the mainstream, from Pete Seeger to Bon Jovi to NoLa’s own Theresa Andersson.
Web: www.nojazzfest.com
What: Beale Street
Where: Memphis, TN
When: May 1-3
Who: Elvis Costello, James Taylor, The Roots, 311, Fall Out Boy, The All-American Rejects, Al Green, Steve Miller Band, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Bonnie Raitt, Snoop Dogg, Katy Perry, Three Six Mafia, Jack’s Mannequin, Amos Lee, Dead Confederate, and more
Why: After playing host to a diverse array acts last year, Memphis’ Beale Street plays it much more mainstream in 2009, whether old acts or new.
Web: www.thebealestreetmusicfestival.com
What: No Fun
Where: Brooklyn, NY
When: May 15-17
Who: Sonic Youth and a bunch of noise-punk bands you’ve never heard of
Why: After the demise of Manhattan’s Knitting Factory (venue review), the ultra-loud No Fun Fest moves to Brooklyn’s Music Hall in Williamsburg (venue review) with the one-and-only Sonic Youth.
Web: nofunfest.com
What: Summer Camp
Where: Chillicothe, IL
When: May 22-24
Who: moe., Method Man & Redman, Umphrey’s McGee, Los Lobos, Keller Williams, Les Claypool, Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood, Girl Talk, Gomez, Buckethead, Lotus, and more
Why: After last year’s expanse of genres, Summer Camp returns to what it’s familiar with in 2009.
Web: www.summercampfestival.com/2009
What: Sasquatch!
Where: Gorge, WA
When: May 23-25
Who: Jane’s Addiction, Kings of Leon, Nine Inch Nails, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, TV On The Radio, Animal Collective, Silversun Pickups, Bon Iver, Santigold, Of Montreal, Explosions In The Sky, Devotchka, Peter Bjorn & John, Gogol Bordello, M. Ward, Doves, Grizzly Bear, M83, Girl Talk, The Gaslight Anthem, The Walkmen, Mugison, Sun Kil Moon, Blitzen Trapper, Shearwater, The Wrens, Monotonix, King Khan & The Shrines, St. Vincent, Passion Pit, John Vanderslice, Bishop Allen, AA Bondy, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Ra Ra Riot, The Dodos, Beach House, Arthur & Yu, The Submarines, Fences, School of Seven Bells, Hockey, Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Todd Barry and many more
Why: One of the best, if hardest to reach, festivals is Sasquatch, which has grown & grown in recent years to the point where it now rivals, if not surpasses, the big boys.
Web: www.sasquatchfestival.com
What: Mountain Jam
Where: Hunter Mountain, NY
When: May 29-31
Who: Gov’t Mule, Allman Brothers Band, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Umphrey’s McGee, Coheed & Cambria, The Hold Steady, Martin Sexton, Girl Talk, Gomez, Gene Ween Band, Rhett Miller, Alberta Cross and more
Why: Okay, so it is really a ‘jam’ festival, but it’s also got some alt-rock in the midst like The Hold Steady and Gene Ween Band… wait, never mind.
Web: mountainjam.com
What: Do Division
Where: Chicago, NY
When: May 30-31
Who: Menomena, Flosstradamus, White Rabbits, Handsome Furs, Viva Voce, Hollywood Holt, Mt. St. Helen’s Vietnam Memorial Band, Dark Meat, Bad Veins and more
Why: Held on ten blocks of Chicago’s Division Street, Ashland to Leavitt, the Do-Division Street Fest and Sidewalk Sale features Chicago hipster-dom (including PBR, of course…) thanks to local music club The Empty Bottle.
Web: do-divisionstreetfest.com
What: River-to-River
Where: Downtown Manhattan, NY
When: May 31 – August 7
Who: Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Bang on a Can Marathon, Jenny Lewis, Superchunk, Tift Merritt, Luminiscent Orchestrii, School of Seven Bells, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Anthony Gonzalez, Arlo Guthrie, Versus, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Polvo, Here We Go Magic, Obits, Casiokids, Zaza, Bachelorette, and more – see May date in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: Wall Street may be in the crapper, but downtown Manhattan still has River-to-River Festival, with music from the Hudson to the East River to the Atlantic Ocean. The whole thing kicks off with the twelve-hour ‘Bang On a Can’ marathon (photos), and includes Conor Oberst & Jenny Lewis on the Fourth of July, tributes to Woodstock at Castle Clinton, and a litany of great bands at South Street Seaport. Oh, and the whole thing, 100%, is free! See our venue review & photos of Battery Park here – See our venue review & photos of Castle Clinton here – See our venue review & photos of South Street Seaport here – See our venue review & photos of World Financial Center here
Web: www.rivertorivernyc.com
June
What: Wakarusa
Where: Blueberry Mountain, AR
When: June 4-7
Who: The Black Crowes, Gomez, STS9, G. Love and Special Sauce, Matisyahu, Les Claypool, Langhorne Slim, Buckethead, Digable Planets, Lucero, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Telepathe, The Hood Internet, and many more
Why: After bad weather nearly wrecked last year’s event, Wakarusa is moving south, and Lawrence, Kansas’ loss is The Ozarks’ gain. See our photos from 2008 here
Web: www.wakarusa.com
What: Central Park SummerStage
Where: Central Park, NY
When: June 5-August 16
Who: TV On the Radio, 311, Explosions In the Sky, Indigo Girls, Dinosaur Jr., M. Ward, Josh Ritter, Juana Molina, Q-Tip, The Constantines, Ziggy Marley, Dirty Projectors, The Walkmen, Mike Watt, Nels Cline, Matt Nathanson, Budos Band, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Curumin, Chester French, The Expendables and more – see June dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: There’s no summerstage bigger-time than the Central Park SummerStage, and the venue has another season with a diverse collection of artists, reggae to post-rock, R&B to singer/songwriter. See our venue review & photos of Central Park SummerStage here
Web: www.summerstage.org
What: BFD
Where: San Francisco, CA
When: June 6
Who: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Metric, 311, Alkaline Trio, Crystal Castles, Taking Back Sunday, The Offspring, Glasvegas, Airborne Toxic Event, Dead Confederate, Audrye Sessions, Cage the Elephant, and many more
Why: A mixture of indie, mainstream, emo, electronic & more come to the City By the Bay, thanks to radio Station KITS Live 105.
Web: www.live105.com/pages/4209721.php
What: Roots Picnic
Where: Philadelphia, PA
When: June 6
Who: The Roots, The Black Keys, TV On the Radio, Public Enemy, Antibalas, Santigold, Asher Roth, Kid Cudi, and more
Why: Now the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Roots are still returning their Roots Picnic for a second year, on Penn’s Landing in nearby Philly.
Web: www.okayplayer.com/rootspicnic
What: Metronome Celebration
Where: Chicago, IL
When: June 6-7
Who: Apostle of Hustle, Future Rock, John Vanderslice, Justin Townes Earle, Deals Gone Band, Here We Go Magic, Ezra Fruman & The Harpoons, Rock Plaza Central, Tubo Fruits, and more
Why: Local venue The Empty Bottle throws the first of it’s ’09 summer street fests at the meeting point of Milwaukee, Armitage, & Western Avenues – with one stage each for electronic, rock, folk, punk & local.
Web: metronomechicago.com
What: Celebrate Brooklyn!
Where: Brooklyn, NY
When: June 8-August 15
Who: David Byrne, TV On the Radio, MGMT, Animal Collective, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Blonde Redhead, They Might Be Giants, Dean & Britta, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Dr. Dog, Buckwheat Zydeco, Femi Kuti, Big Daddy Kane, Crystal Stilts, Deer Tick, Phosophorescent, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, Ólöf Arnalds, These United States, Jones Street Station, and more – see June dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: Brooklyn may no longer have McCarren Park Pool, but Prospect Park Bandshell & Celebrate Brooklyn! are still going strong, kicking off their 31st season with the one-and-only David Byrne, and featuring the Mexico Tourism Series and a They Might Be Giants kids show. See our venue review & photos of Prospect Park Bandshell here
Web: www.briconline.org/celebrate
What: Noise For the Needy
Where: Seattle, WA
When: June 10-14
Who: Art Brut, The Constantines, Grand Archives, Crystal Antlers, Adam Stephens, Throw Me the Statue, Fences, and many more
Why: Seattle’s benefit-cum-festival returns at venues across the city.
Web: www.noisefortheneedy.org
What: Bonnaroo
Where: Manchester, TN
When: June 11-14
Who: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Phish, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne, Wilco, Snoop Dogg, Elvis Costello, Paul Oakenfold, Public Enemy, The Mars Volta, TV On the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jimmy Fallon, Public Enemy, Andrew Bird, Band of Horses, MGMT, The Decemberists, Girl Talk, Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog, Merle Haggard, Bon Iver, of Montreal, Allen Toussaint, Animal Collective, Neko Case, Jenny Lewis, Santigold, Heartless Bastards, Grizzly Bear, Okkervil River, St. Vincent, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, John Oliver, The Dirty Projectors, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Yeasayer, Chairlift, Portugal. The Man, White Rabbits, Phoenix, and many more
Why: Another massive festival goes mainstream-ish, but Bonnaroo has never been strictly ‘indie’, either, and this year the headliners are particularly diverse, from a reunited Phish to Snoop Dogg to David Byrne to Nine Inch Nails to even The Boss, not to mention late-night comedy acts like Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver & Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog. Oh, and during the day there’s a ton of bands you’ve always wanted to see amidst the campers and heat on a Tennessee farm.
Web: www.bonnaroo.com
What: Northside
Where: Brooklyn, NY
When: June 11-14
Who: The Hold Steady, Sunset Rubdown, Bishop Allen, The Tallest Man On Earth, O’Death, The Dodos, Brightblack Morning Light, Asobi Seksu, John Vanderslice, Death Vessel, Sia, Motel Motel, Dragons of Zynth, Phil & The Osophers, Drink Up Buttercup, Your Nature, Sean Bones, Bell, Ponytail, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, Sharon Van Etten, Screaming Females and more
Why: Bringing yet more music to Brooklyn, L Magazine organizes the inaugural Northside Festival, which takes place in venues across the Williamsburg & Greenpoint neighborhoods, with showcases curated by all sorts of New York City music industry players. Read & see much more in our recap here
Web: www.northsidefestival.com
What: Ann Arbor Summer
Where: Ann Arbor, MI
When: June 12-July 5
Who: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Diana Krall, José González, Dean & Britta, Los Lobos, NOMO, My Dear Disco, MC Frontalot, That 1 Guy, and more
Why: Home of the University of Michigan (and The Dharma Initiative…), Ann Arbor gives Michigan a much-needed reason to smile with its three-week Summer Fest.
Web: www.annarborsummerfestival.org
What: North by Northeast
Where: Toronto, ON, Canada
When: June 17-21
Who: Black Lips, Matt & Kim, No Age, The Cool Kids, GZA, AIDS Wolf, Crystal Antlers, Health, Dillinger Four, Japanther, King Khan & The BBQ Show, Golden Triangle, Jason Collett, Spiral Beach, These Are Powers, Ninjasonik, Apostle of Hustle, Team Robespierre, Most Serene Republic, The Homosexuals, Tyvek, Experimental Dental School, The Coast, Years, ModernboyModerngirls, and many, many more
Why: State support has given Canada a ton of great alternative acts, and even their own version of South by Southwest in North by Northeast. However, in addition to some great north-of-the-border acts, there are also a lot of wild stage bands and crappy NYC noise acts – plus a million names you’ve never heard of, who could be from wherever.
Web: www.nxne.com
What: Telluride Bluegrass
Where: Telluride, CO
When: June 18-21
Who: David Byrne, Elvis Costello & The Sugarcanes, Emmylou Harris, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Jenny Lewis, Todd Snider, Crooked Still, and more
Why: The ski resort of Telluride holds another year of its bluegrass festival, with folk, jam, alt-country, and even legendary acts like David Byrne and Elvis Costello.
Web: www.bluegrass.com/telluride
What: Virgin Montréal
Where: Montréal, QC, Canada
When: June 19-20
Who: Black Eyed Peas, New Kids On the Block, Simple Plan, Akon, Hedley, David Usher, Live, Jesse McCartney and more
Why: Recession? What ‘recession’? The ‘rebel billionaire’, Richard Branson, goes from water-skiing with naked Swedish models wrapped on his back & challenging Steven Colbert to fisticuffs to five, count ’em, five music festivals in Canada, east-to-west, starting in Montréal (too bad about the acts…).
Web: virginfestival.ca/montreal/en/
What: City Stages
Where: Birmingham, AL
When: June 19-21
Who: Lynyrd Skynyrd, REO Speedwagon, Styx, Dierks Bentley, The Doobie Brothers, Charlie Wilson, The Neville Brothers, Young Jeezy, Indigo Girls, En Vogue, Plain White T’s, Guster, Mat Kearney, The Whigs, Wild Sweet Orange, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Hill Country Revue, Dead Confederate, Ryan Bingham, The Hard Lessons, Turbo Fruits, Vulture Whale, and more
Why: ‘The Pittsburgh of The South’ has fared far better that its sister steel city to the north, including City Stages in downtown Linn Park, now celebrating its 20th anniversary with "Sweet Home Alabama"’s own Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Web: www.citystages.org
What: FredRock
Where: Fredericton, NB, Canada
When: June 19-21
Who: The Black Crowes, Live, BM Linx, Die Mannequin, and more
Why: Canada’s Atlantic provinces gets a little festival love, too – though of the decidedly mainstream rock kind.
Web: www.fredrockfestival.com
What: POPPED!
Where: Philadelphia, PA
When: June 19-21
Who: Benjy Ferree, Rock Plaza Central, Sharon Van Etten, and more
Why: The City of Brotherly Love hosts its own, unimpressive festival.
Web: www.poppedphiladelphia.org
What: Taste of Randolph Street
Where: Chicago, IL
When: June 19-21
Who: The Hold Steady, Dr. Dog, Tinted Windows, These United States, Urge Overkill, and more
Why: Chi-town’s West Loop Community Organization is having it’s own festival along Randolph Street. But even though their acronym is ‘WLCO’, the bands they’ve got are almost uniformly lame, from recently-overrated Hold Steady & Dr. Dog to nineties overrated Urge Overkill…
Web: www.jamfests.com/tasteofrandolph
What: Edgefest
Where: Toronto, ON, Canada
When: June 20
Who: Billy Talent, AFI, Alexisonfire, Metric, K-OS, The Stills, Arkells, Cancer Bats, The Midway State, The Waking Eyes and more
Why: 102.1 ‘The Edge’ has been throwing their own festival for over twenty years now – and, in this case, the Canadian acts clearly beat the Yanks…
Web: www.edge.ca/concertsandevents/edgefest.aspx
What: Rock the Garden
Where: Minneapolis, MN
When: June 20
Who: The Decemberists, Calexico, Yeasayer, and Solid Gold
Why: Walker Art Center’s Minneapolis Sculpture Garden holds four different strains of art-rock.
Web: minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/features/specials/rock_the_garden
What: Southern Shore
Where: Cumberland County Fairgrounds, NJ
When: June 20
Who: Arlo Guthrie, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Bonerama, Hoots & Hellmouth, and more
Why: The southern shore of New Jersey holds a one-day old-school festival.
Web: www.southernshoremusicfestival.com
What: Clearwater
Where: Croton Point Park, NY
When: June 20-21
Who: Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, The Persuasions, Alejandro Escovedo, A.C. Newman, Elvis Perkins In Dearland, Dr. Dog, Cornmeal, and many more
Why: It’s the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the Hudson River, the 40th anniversary of folk legend Pete Seeger launcing the Clearwater sloop to research & save the Hudson, and Seeger’s own 90th birthday – all great excuses to throw an alt-folk festival on the river.
Web: www.clearwater.org/festival
What: KCRW’s World Festival
Where: Hollywood, CA
When: June 21-September 20
Who: Adele, Grace Jones, Ray LaMontagne, of Montreal, Femi Kuti, Jenny Lewis, Santigold, Etta James, Blitzen Trapper, Dengue Fever, Raphael Saadiq, Janelle Monae, and more
Why: Radio station KCRW holds a series of three-act shows at the legendary Hollywood Bowl. While August & September hew decidedly towards the ‘world’ side (including reggae & Indian), there are some strong line-ups in June & July.
Web: www.kcrw.com/events/world-music-festival-2009
What: Sled Island
Where: Calgary, AB, Canada
When: June 24-27
Who: The Breeders, Andrew W.K., Liars, King Khan & BBQ Show, Final Fantasy, Malajube, O’Death, Holy Fuck, Obits, The Bronx, Monotonix, Cut Off Your Hands, Japanther, Ghostkeeper, Brasstronaut, and many more
Why: While other Canadian festivals are dropping the ball, Calgary can still count on Sled Island, now in its third year.
Web: www.sledisland.com
What: AthFest
Where: Athens, GA
When: June 25-28
Who: Black Lips, Dead Confederate, Patterson Hood, Nappy Roots, Those Darlins, Twin Tigers, Dexter Romweber Duo, Kuroma, and many, many more
Why: Despite the burning of the George Theatre less than a week earlier, AthFest shall rise again, with over 150 local bands.
Web: www.athfest.com
What: Summerfest
Where: Milwaukee, WI
When: June 25-July 5
Who: Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, KISS, Bon Jovi, Elvis Costello, Spoon, No Doubt, The Fray, Judas Priest, John Legend, The Offspring, Conor Oberst, The Roots, Paramore, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blues Traveler, Rise Against, Guster, Jack’s Mannequin, Rancid, Whitesnake, Dropkick Murphys, Matisyahu, Flogging Molly, Anberlin, Counting Crows, Jet, Heart, The English Beat, Meat Puppets, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s, Wild Sweet Orange, Girl In a Coma, Ace Enders, Dead Confederate, Audrye Sessions, Gringo Star, The Shackeltons, The Features, and more
Why: Why Milwaukee, of all places, holds the "the world’s largest music festival" is anybody’s guess, but it does, centered on the Marcus Amphitheater. The festival is stocked with mainstream acts, top-to-bottom, but there are so many, and so many big ones, you’re bound to wanna see some of them – like headliners Bob Dylan & Willie Nelson.
Web: www.summerfest.com
What: Insubordination
Where: Baltimore, MD
When: June 26-27
Who: The Dead Milkmen, Pansy Division, Dillinger Four, and a ton of punk bands you’ve never heard of
Why: Baltimore gets hardcore with a million-and-one punk bands at Club Sonar.
Web: www.myspace.com/insubordinationfest
July
What: Summerfest
Where: Milwaukee, WI
When: June 25-July 5
Who: Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, KISS, Bon Jovi, Elvis Costello, Spoon, No Doubt, The Fray, Judas Priest, John Legend, The Offspring, Conor Oberst, The Roots, Paramore, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blues Traveler, Rise Against, Guster, Jack’s Mannequin, Rancid, Whitesnake, Dropkick Murphys, Matisyahu, Flogging Molly, Anberlin, Counting Crows, Jet, Heart, The English Beat, Meat Puppets, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s, Wild Sweet Orange, Girl In a Coma, Ace Enders, Dead Confederate, Audrye Sessions, Gringo Star, The Shackeltons, The Features, and more
Why: Why Milwaukee, of all places, holds the "the world’s largest music festival" is anybody’s guess, but it does, centered on the Marcus Amphitheater. The festival is stocked with mainstream acts, top-to-bottom, but there are so many, and so many big ones, you’re bound to wanna see some of them – like headliners Bob Dylan & Willie Nelson.
Web: www.summerfest.com
What: Ann Arbor Summer
Where: Ann Arbor, MI
When: June 12-July 5
Who: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Diana Krall, José González, Dean & Britta, Los Lobos, NOMO, My Dear Disco, MC Frontalot, That 1 Guy, and more
Why: Home of the University of Michigan (and The Dharma Initiative…), Ann Arbor gives Michigan a much-needed reason to smile with its three-week Summer Fest.
Web: www.annarborsummerfestival.org
What: River-to-River
Where: Downtown Manhattan, NY
When: May 31 – August 7
Who: Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Bang on a Can Marathon, Jenny Lewis, Superchunk, Tift Merritt, Luminiscent Orchestrii, School of Seven Bells, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Anthony Gonzalez, Arlo Guthrie, Versus, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Polvo, Here We Go Magic, Obits, Casiokids, Zaza, Bachelorette, and more – see July dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: Wall Street may be in the crapper, but downtown Manhattan still has River-to-River Festival, with music from the Hudson to the East River to the Atlantic Ocean. The whole thing kicks off with the twelve-hour ‘Bang On a Can’ marathon (photos), and includes Conor Oberst & Jenny Lewis on the Fourth of July, tributes to Woodstock at Castle Clinton, and a litany of great bands at South Street Seaport. Oh, and the whole thing, 100%, is free! See our venue review & photos of Battery Park here – See our venue review & photos of Castle Clinton here – See our venue review & photos of South Street Seaport here – See our venue review & photos of World Financial Center here
Web: www.rivertorivernyc.com
What: Central Park SummerStage
Where: Central Park, NY
When: June 5-August 15
Who: TV On the Radio, 311, Explosions In the Sky, Indigo Girls, Dinosaur Jr., M. Ward, Josh Ritter, Juana Molina, Q-Tip, The Constantines, Ziggy Marley, Dirty Projectors, The Walkmen, Mike Watt, Nels Cline, Matt Nathanson, Budos Band, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Curumin, Chester French, The Expendables and more – see July dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: There’s no summerstage bigger-time than the Central Park SummerStage, and the venue has another season with a diverse collection of artists, reggae to post-rock, R&B to singer/songwriter. See our venue review & photos of Central Park SummerStage here
Web: www.summerstage.org
What: Celebrate Brooklyn!
Where: Brooklyn, NY
When: June 8-August 15
Who: David Byrne, TV On the Radio, MGMT, Animal Collective, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Blonde Redhead, They Might Be Giants, Dean & Britta, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Dr. Dog, Buckwheat Zydeco, Femi Kuti, Big Daddy Kane, Crystal Stilts, Deer Tick, Phosophorescent, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, Ólöf Arnalds, These United States, Jones Street Station, and more – see July dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: Brooklyn may no longer have McCarren Park Pool, but Prospect Park Bandshell & Celebrate Brooklyn! are still going strong, kicking off their 31st season with the one-and-only David Byrne, and featuring the Mexico Tourism Series and a They Might Be Giants kids show. See our venue review & photos of Prospect Park Bandshell here
Web: www.briconline.org/celebrate
What: Comerica Cityfest
Where: Detroit, MI
When: July 1-5
Who: Todd Rundgren, De La Soul, The Avett Brothers, Handsome Furs, Deastro, The Silent Years and many more
Why: Go see the rhythm & blues-heavy Comerica Cityfest before Detroit completely implodes…
Web: www.newcenter.com/cityfest/2009/home.html
What: High Sierra
Where: Quincy, CA
When: July 2-5
Who: John Butler, Umphrey’s McGee, Ani DiFranco, Disco Biscuits, DeVotchKa, Leftover Salmon, Galactic, The Wailers, Tea Leaf Green, Ollabelle, Dr. Dog, Devil Makes Three, Surprise Me Mr. Davis, The Slip, Assembly of Dust, Everest, Red Cortez, These United States and many more
Why: Any music festival deep in the mountains of northern California was naturally going to be heavy with jam band festival-regulars, but High Sierra’s got a higher class of acts all-around.
Web: www.highsierramusic.com
What: Rothbury
Where: Rothbury, MI
When: July 2-5
Who: The Dead, Bob Dylan & His Band, Willie Nelson & Family, The Black Crowes, Damian Marley & Nas, G. Love & Special Sauce, Broken Social Scene, Broken Social Scene, Les Claypool, Cold War Kids, Chromeo, MSTRKRFT, Matisyahu, Girl Talk, Guster, Martin Sexton, Flogging Molly, The Hold Steady, Son Volt, Man Man, Sam Roberts Band, The Hard Lessons and more
Why: Combining jam band, hip-hop, electronica and more, Rothbury returns for a second Fourth of July weekend – and that’s despite the bankruptcy of the ranch on which it’s held. See our photos from the festival here
Web: www.rothburyfestival.com
What: 80/35
Where: Des Moines, IA
When: July 3-4
Who: Public Enemy, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Broken Social Scene, Matisyahu, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, G. Love & Special Sauce, Man Man, Tilly & The Wall, Brother Ali, Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s, Audrye Sessions, Maps & Atlases, Paper Route, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Girl In a Coma, Wild Sweet Orange, Miss Deringer, Anni Rossi, and more
Why: Iowa’s 80/35 returns for second year, after successfully putting Des Moines on the indie-rock map in 2008, with a nice mix of indie-festival favorites.
Web: www.80-35.com
What: Woodsist/Captured Tracks
Where: Brooklyn, NY
When: July 3-4
Who: Crystal Stilts, Thee Oh Sees, Vivian Girls, Blank Dogs, Kurt Vile, Psychedelic Horseshit, Woods, caUSE co-MOTION!, and more – see dates in the QRO Concert Calendar
Why: Brooklyn DIY concert impresario Todd P throws a two-day festival for the long weekend (assuming you get Friday off) at the new 979 Broadway Backyard, featuring a whole line-up of Todd P acts, thanks to Woodsist & Captured Tracks.
Web: www.woodsist.com
What: Virgin Nova Scotia
Where: Halifax, NS, Canada
When: July 4
Who: The Tragically Hip, The Offspring, Metric, Dinosaur Jr, Hey Rosetta!, Plants and Animals and Arkells
Why: While the Yanks celebrate their independence day, Great Britain’s most loyal colony will have its own party, the second of five up north thrown by The U.K.’s own Richard Branson.
Web: virginfestival.ca/novascotia/
What: Winnipeg Folk
Where: Winnipeg, MB, Canada
When: July 8-12
Who: Elvis Costello, Neko Case, Okkervil River, Iron & Wine, Martha Wainwright, Arlo Guthrie, Josh Ritter, Patrick Watson, Bell Orchestre, Gentleman Reg, Great Lake Swimmers, and many more
Why: In addition to all the (regular) music festivals Virgin is providing Canada, it seems like every city in the Great White North has a folk festival that includes some nice indie.
Web: www.winnipegfolkfestival.ca
What: SPOONX3
Where: Austin, TX
When: July 9-11
Who: Spoon, …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Low, Atlas Sound, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Dale Watson, and The Strange Boys
Why: Three nights in a row of Spoon, at home in Austin’s Stubb’s.
Web: www.spoontheband.com
What: Bluesfest Ottawa
Where: Ottawa, ON, Canada
When: July 9-19
Who: KISS, Stone Temple Pilots, Styx, Ice Cube, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Live, Jeff Beck, The Dead Weather, Brian Setzer Orchestra, CAKE, Les Claypool, Matisyahu, Neko Case, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Ludacris, Drive-By Truckers, Handsome Furs, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, The National, Iron & Wine, The Stills, Sam Roberts Band, Girl Talk, DeVotchKa, Okkervil River, M83, Holy Fuck, Land of Talk, The Dodos, Deer Tick, Black Mountain, John Vanderslice, The Heavy, and many more
Why: Cisco Systems again treats the capital of Canada to a wide span of acts over a wide span of days at a wide span of venues, and the Maple Leaf strain isn’t as heavy this year.
Web: www.ottawabluesfest.ca/en/
What: Québec City Summer Festival
Where: Québec City, QC, Canada
When: July 9-19
Who: Sting, Kiss, Metric, Styx, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ice Cube, Jeff Beck, Patrick Watson, Girl Talk, Beirut, Matisyahu, Malajube, Les Claypool, Brian Setzer Orchestra, The Proclaimers, Plants and Animals, DeVotchKa, Bell Orchestre, The Heavy, Beast, Mishka, Curumin, Thunderheist, and many more
Why: July 9-19 must be the only days of summer, once you get north of the St. Lawrence River, because Québec City is also throwing a festival over the same week-and-a-half (in fact, they share many of the same acts), with a line-up mixing Québécois with the rest.
Web: www.infofestival.com/index.php?lang=en
What: Hudson River Rocks
Where: Pier 54, NY
When: July 9-August 13
Who: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Matt & Kim, Yeasayer, Radio 4, Amazing Baby, Flosstradamus, Extra Golden, Team Robespierre – see July dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: Yet another outdoor, all-free set of concerts along the river in Manhattan – but while there’s only three shows, Hudson River’s Pier 54 makes up for quantity with quality, showcasing pretty much all bands you want to see. – See our venue review & photos of Hudson River Park’s Pier 54 here
Web: www.riverrocksnyc.com
What: Forecastle
Where: Louisville, KY
When: July 10-12
Who: The Black Crowes, The Black Keys, The Avett Brothers, Widespread Panic, Zappa Plays Zappa, Umphrey’s McGee, Dead Confederate, The Whigs, Cage the Elephant, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, The Detroit Cobras, Man Man, Maps & Atlases, Annuals, Gringo Star, These United States, and more
Why: Louisville rocks like Muhammad Ali or Colonel Sanders with the eighth year of Forecastle.
Web: www.forecastlefest.com
What: Whartscape
Where: Baltimore, MD
When: July 10-12
Who: Dan Deacon Ensemble, Celebration, Ponytail, Wye Oak, Team Robespierre, DD/MM/YYYY, Lonnie Walker, Teengirl Fantasy, Adventure, Ear Pwr, Living Things, and many, many more
Why: Baltimore collective Wham City are spreading things out more in the fourth year of Whartscape – less in the headliner department, but 140 bands in total (not that you’ve ever heard of most of them).
Web: www.whamcity.com
What: CitySol
Where: Stuyvesant Cove Park, NY
When: July 11
Who: Fiasco, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, So So Glos, Love Like Deloreans, Dead Prez, and more – see date in the QRO Concert Calendar
Why: Green instituation SolarOne is returning the free CitySol to Stuyvesant Cove Park. Unfortunately, it’s an underwhelming line-up. Last year’s line-up was better – and even that paled in comparison to the year before that. See our venue review & photos of Stuyvesant Cove Park here
Web: citysol.org/2009/index.html
What: KCRW’s World Festival
Where: Hollywood, CA
When: June 21-September 20
Who: Adele, Grace Jones, Ray LaMontagne, of Montreal, Femi Kuti, Jenny Lewis, Santigold, Etta James, Blitzen Trapper, Dengue Fever, Raphael Saadiq, Janelle Monae, and more
Why: Radio station KCRW holds a series of three-act shows at the legendary Hollywood Bowl. While August & September hew decidedly towards the ‘world’ side (including reggae & Indian), there are some strong line-ups in June & July.
Web: www.kcrw.com/events/world-music-festival-2009
What: Pool Parties
Where: Brooklyn, NY
When: July 12-August 30
Who: Mission of Burma, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Grizzly Bear, Girl Talk, …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Dirty Projectors, No Age, Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, The Black Lips, Fiery Furnaces, Beach House, Magnolia Electric Co., Max Tundra, Fucked Up, HEALTH, Ponytail, White Denim, Grupo Fantasma, DD/MM/YYYY, Kenan Bell, and more – see July dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: The subject of many, many rumors in the festival off-season, the beloved free Pool Parties have survived McCarren Park Pool being turned back into a pool (shudder), and this summer are going to be held at Williamsburg Waterfront. See our photos & reviews from this year’s pool parties in our Williamsburg Waterfront venue review See our photos & reviews from previous years’ Pool Parties at McCarren in our McCarren Park Pool venue review
Web: www.thepoolparties.com
What: Evolve
Where: Antigonish, NS, Canada
When: July 17-19
Who: Xavier Rudd, King Khan & The BBQ Show, Shout Out Out Out Out, Mishka, That 1 Guy, Caledonia and many more Canadian acts you’ve never heard of, south of the border
Why: Ever-imperiled by being cut off from the rest of Anglophone Canada by Quebec independence, Atlantic provinces like Nova Scotia have to jump at what they can, like Evolve.
Web: www.evolvefestival.com
What: Pitchfork
Where: Chicago, IL
When: July 17-19
Who: The Flaming Lips, The National, Built to Spill, Grizzly Bear, The Jesus Lizard, Beirut, Yo La Tengo, M83, The Walkmen, Tortoise, Yeasayer, The Thermals, Vivian Girls, Blitzen Trapper, Frightened Rabbit, Black Lips, Final Fantasy, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Plants and Animals, Fucked Up, Matt & Kim, Mew, WAVVES, Ponytail, Bowerbirds, The Antlers, Women and many more
Why: Whether you love or hate Pitchfork, you gotta love their festival in Chicago’s Union Park – including the first evening’s ‘Write the Night: Set Lists by Request’, which is continued on the last night by the one-and-only Flaming Lips. See our photos from the festival here
Web: www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com
What: Vancouver Folk
Where: Vancouver, BC, Canada
When: July 17-19
Who: Iron and Wine, Arrested Development, The Proclaimers, The Weakerthans, Basia Bulat, Great Lake Swimmers, Rock Plaza Central, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, and many more
Why: Canadian folk is celebrated, from indie-folk to roots-revival, world music & more at Jericho Beach Park.
Web: thefestival.bc.ca/
What: What the Heck?
Where: Anacortes, WA
When: July 17-19
Who: Calvin Johnson, Kimya Dawson, Casiotone For the Painfully Alone,, LAKE No Kids, Earth, Mt. Eerie, Mirah, Tara Jane O’Neil, Grouper, Lucky Dragons, Karl Blau and more
Why: But Pacific Northwest anti-folk also has its own little festival in little ol’ Anacortes, Washington, at venues across the town – including dinner shows.
Web: whattheheckfest.com
What: Siren
Where: Coney Island, NY
When: July 18
Who: Built To Spill, Spank Rock, The Raveonettes, Frightened Rabbit, A Place To Bury Strangers, Grand Duchy, Monotonix, Thee Oh Sees, Future of the Left, Japandroids, Michachu & The Shapes, Tiny Masters of Today, Bear Hands, and more
Why: Pronounced dead a year ago, and the year before that, Village Voice‘s Siren has more lives than a cat (though the economic collapse, especially in property markets, plus NYC zoning red tape, no doubt helped…). So whether or not you can still Shoot the Freak or gawk at the Freak Show (though The Cyclone’s definitely still there), Coney Island will be a-rockin’. Read & see more in our 2009 recap here
Web: www.villagevoice.com/siren
What: Mile High
Where: Denver, CO
When: July 18-19
Who: Widespread Panic, Tool, The Fray, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Gov’t Mule, Incubus, Thievery Corporation, The Black Keys, Matisyahu, 3OH!3, G. Love & Special Sauce, Gomez, Gogol Bordello, DeVotchKa, Paolo Nutini, Ani DiFranco, Jet, Guster, Jack’s Mannequin, The Duke Spirit, Dead Confederate, and more
Why: Denver’s more mainstream festival stays that as it returns for second year.
Web: www.milehighmusicfestival.com
What: Midwest Fest
Where: Mount Pleasant, MI
When: July 21-25
Who: Margot and The Nuclear So & Sos, Sybris, The Silent Years, Chris Bathgate, Javelins, Friendly Foes, and a bunch of Midwestern bands you’ve never heard of
Why: A low-level fest with low-level acts at a few venues in the actually low-level Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.
Web: www.myspace.com/midwestfestmtp
What: 10,000 Lakes
Where: Detroit Lakes, MN
When: July 22-25
Who: Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews Band, Wilco, Umphrey’s McGee, Atmosphere, Ozomatli, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Gomez, Tea Leaf Green, Akron/Family, Cloud Cult, The Parlor Mob, and more
Why: Minnesota’s 10,000 Lakes has been mixing hippie, alternative, and mainstream from years now, and will continue to do so in the one week of summer up there.
Web: www.10klf.com/music.php
What: XX Merge
Where: Chapel Hill, NC
When: July 22-26
Who: Spoon, She & Him, Superchunk, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, M. Ward, The Magnetic Fields, The Music Tapes, Lou Barlow, The Rosebuds, Destroyer, Versus, The Clientele, The Broken West, The Essex Green, Oakley Hall, Imperial Teen, The Ladybug Transistor, Wye Oak, Telekinesis, and more
Why: Sub Pop celebrated its twentieth anniversary with a festival last year, and now the southeast will be throwin’ it’s own five-day party for a score years of one of the biggest and best indie labels out there, Merge.
Web: www.mergerecords.com/xxmerge/
What: Calgary Folk
Where: Calgary, AB, Canada
When: July 23-26
Who: The Decemberists, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Arrested Development, Glen Campbell, Mekons, Iron & Wine, Alejandro Escovedo, Gomez, Akron/Family, Apostle of Hustle, Bell Orchestre, LeE HARVeY OsMOND, and more
Why: Another Canadian folk festival, this time in the country’s prairie heartland. There’s actually a fair number of indie acts in the mix, on the main stage Thursday & Friday, but relegated to the Twilight Stage on the weekend – to make room for acts like Glen Campbell…
Web: www.calgaryfolkfest.com
What: Capitol Hill Block Party
Where: Seattle, WA
When: July 24-25
Who: Sonic Youth, The Jesus Lizard, Built To Spill, The Gossip, Deerhunter, Black Lips, The Thermals, Pela, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, The Dutchess & The Duke, Mika Miko, Past Lives, Future of the Left, Michachu & The Shapes, Japandroids, Fences, Awesome Color, and more
Why: While the big-name festivals go mainstream, Seattle’s little ol’ Capitol Hill Block Party stays sweet and small – and cheap.
Web: www.capitolhillblockparty.com
What: Dfest
Where: Tulsa, OK
When: July 24-25
Who: The Black Crowes, Cake, Gogol Bordello, Ozomatli, Metro Station, Rooney, The Delta Spirit, Dengue Fever, The Cool Kids, Mates of State, Ra Ra Riot, Other Lives, Dub Trio, The Uglysuit, Gringo Star, Colourmusic, Unwed Sailor, Crocodile, Gentleman Auction House, Ryan Lindsey, and more
Why: America’s heartland will keep a-rockin’ with the eighth year of Dfest, held in venues across Tulsa.
Web: www.dfest.com
What: Hillside
Where: Guelph, ON, Canada
When: July 24-26
Who: Tokyo Police Club, Holy Fuck, Patrick Watson, Final Fantasy, Gentleman Reg, Grupo Fantasma, Great Lake Swimmers, Clues, Women, Buffy Sainte Marie, Rock Plaza Central, Ohbijou, Rural Alberta Advantage, The Witchies, Kid Coma, The Grates, and more
Why: While most Canadian festivals are relatively new, Hillside just passed its quarter century mark and is still going strong.
Web: www.hillsidefestival.ca
What: Wanderlust
Where: Lake Tahoe, CA
When: July 24-26
Who: Spoon, Andrew Bird, Broken Social Scene, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Jenny Lewis, Gillian Welch, Girl Talk, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Rogue Wave, Amanda Palmer, Kaki King, Mates of State, The London Souls, and more
Why: The latest sponsor of an indie music festival is… yoga? Somehow, the two are coming together in Lake Tahoe in this new festival.
Web: www.wanderlustfestival.com
What: XPoNential
Where: Camden, NJ
When: July 24-26
Who: Annuals, Pete Yorn, Los Straijackets, The Hold Steady, They Might Be Giants, Yeasayer, John Wesley Harding, Illinois, The Bacon Brothers, Matt Duke, Good Old War, East Hundred, Hoots & Hellmouth, The Low Anthem, and more
Why: Public radio station WXPN brings a little light to Wiggins Park along the Delaware River in the most rundown part of New Jersey, Camden.
Web: www.xpn.org/music-artist/festival-2009
What: Virgin BC
Where: Vancouver, BC, Canada
When: July 25-26
Who: Sonic Youth, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Our Lady Peace, Jarvis Cocker, Gomez, Mute Math, Plants and Animals, Future of the Left, Awesome Color, and more
Why: Virgin Mobile’s next festival heads all the west to the west, Vancouver – and Sonic Youth!
Web: virginfestival.ca/bc/
What: Wicker Park
Where: Chicago, IL
When: July 25-26
Who: Junior Boys, Jamie Lidell, Elvis Perkins In Dearland, Grand Duchy, The New Deal, Margot & The Nuclear So & So’s, The Night Marchers, Future Rock, and more
Why: Not amazing, but way better than the crappy movie of the same name (though it did have a good soundtrack)…
Web: www.myspace.com/wickerparkfest
What: All Points West
Where: Liberty State Park, New Jersey
When: July 31-August 2
Who: Jay-Z, Coldplay, Tool, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, My Bloody Valentine, Echo & the Bunnymen, MGMT, Neko Case, Arctic Monkeys, Elbow, The Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, The National, Fleet Foxes, Mogwai, and many more… – view July date in the QRO Concert Calendar
Why: Last year, Radiohead rocked the inaugural edition of this massive East Coast festival for two days, and it appears to be getting stronger. Lots of British acts to help quell your desire to fly across the pond for a festival. See our 2008 photos here
Web: www.apwfestival.com
What: Musikfest
Where: Bethlehem, PA
When: July 31 – August 9
Who: Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Wallflowers, Chris Isaak, The B-52s, Blondie, Yes, Asia, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Panic! At the Disco, Rufus Wainwright, The Donnas, Pat Benatar, David Cook, Martin Sexton, Third Eye Blind, Dar Williams, and more
Why: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has a bunch of shows at the start of August, many of them free, showcasing bands that were big & an alternative to the mainstream twenty to forty years ago, along with some pseudo-younger, pseudo-big name groups.
Web: www.musikfest.org
August
What: All Points West
Where: Liberty State Park, New Jersey
When: July 31-August 2
Who: Jay-Z, Coldplay, Tool, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, My Bloody Valentine, Echo & the Bunnymen, MGMT, Neko Case, Arctic Monkeys, Elbow, The Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, The National, Fleet Foxes, Mogwai, and many more… – view August dates in the QRO Concert Calendar
Why: Last year, Radiohead rocked the inaugural edition of this massive East Coast festival for two days, and it appears to be getting stronger. Lots of British acts to help quell your desire to fly across the pond for a festival. See our 2008 photos here
Web: www.apwfestival.com
What: Newport Folk
Where: Newport, RI
When: August 1-2
Who: Pete Seeger, The Decemberists, Joan Baez, Fleet Foxes, Gillian Welch, Arlo Guthrie, Neko Case, The Avett Brothers, Billy Bragg, Iron & Wine, Josh Ritter, Elvis Perkins In Dearland, Tom Morello, Del McCoury, Ben Kweller, The Low Anthem, Deer Tick, Tift Merritt, Langhorne Slim, Joe Pug, and more
Why: The festival where Bob ‘Judas’ Dylan went electric is celebrating it’s fiftieth year (!) with a pair of headlining performances by the legendary Pete Seeger, who’s celebrating his ninetieth year (!!), as well classic folk acts & a strong spectrum of alt-folk.
Web: www.folkfestival50.com
What: Osheaga
Where: Montréal, QC, Canada
When: August 1-2
Who: Coldplay, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Roots, Rufus Wainwright, Vampire Weekend, Arctic Monkeys, The Decemberists, The Stills, Girl Talk, Crystal Castles, Lykke Li, Eagles of Death Metal, The Ting Tings, Beast, Elbow, Josh Ritter, Heartless Bastards, Gentleman Reg, Amazing Baby, and more
Why: But going up against APW & Newport Folk is Montréal’s Osheaga, though it’s own Anglo-bent is a little more curious, being in Franchophone Quebec.
Web: www.osheaga.com/2009/en/
What: Musikfest
Where: Bethlehem, PA
When: July 31 – August 9
Who: Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Wallflowers, Chris Isaak, The B-52s, Blondie, Yes, Asia, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Panic! At the Disco, Rufus Wainwright, The Donnas, Pat Benatar, David Cook, Martin Sexton, Third Eye Blind, Dar Williams, and more
Why: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has a bunch of shows at the start of August, many of them free, showcasing bands that were big & an alternative to the mainstream twenty to forty years ago, along with some pseudo-younger, pseudo-big name groups.
Web: www.musikfest.org
What: River-to-River
Where: Downtown Manhattan, NY
When: May 31 – August 7
Who: Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Bang on a Can Marathon, Jenny Lewis, Superchunk, Tift Merritt, Luminiscent Orchestrii, School of Seven Bells, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Anthony Gonzalez, Arlo Guthrie, Versus, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Polvo, Here We Go Magic, Obits, Casiokids, Zaza, Bachelorette, and more – see August dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: Wall Street may be in the crapper, but downtown Manhattan still has River-to-River Festival, with music from the Hudson to the East River to the Atlantic Ocean. The whole thing kicks off with the twelve-hour ‘Bang On a Can’ marathon (photos), and includes Conor Oberst & Jenny Lewis on the Fourth of July, tributes to Woodstock at Castle Clinton, and a litany of great bands at South Street Seaport. Oh, and the whole thing, 100%, is free! See our venue review & photos of Battery Park here – See our venue review & photos of Castle Clinton here – See our venue review & photos of South Street Seaport here – See our venue review & photos of World Financial Center here
Web: www.rivertorivernyc.com
What: Central Park SummerStage
Where: Central Park, NY
When: June 5-August 15
Who: TV On the Radio, 311, Explosions In the Sky, Indigo Girls, Dinosaur Jr., M. Ward, Josh Ritter, Juana Molina, Q-Tip, The Constantines, Ziggy Marley, Dirty Projectors, The Walkmen, Mike Watt, Nels Cline, Matt Nathanson, Budos Band, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Curumin, Chester French, The Expendables and more – see August dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: There’s no summerstage bigger-time than the Central Park SummerStage, and the venue has another season with a diverse collection of artists, reggae to post-rock, R&B to singer/songwriter. See our venue review & photos of Central Park SummerStage here
Web: www.summerstage.org
What: Celebrate Brooklyn!
Where: Brooklyn, NY
When: June 8-August 15
Who: David Byrne, TV On the Radio, MGMT, Animal Collective, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Blonde Redhead, They Might Be Giants, Dean & Britta, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Dr. Dog, Buckwheat Zydeco, Femi Kuti, Big Daddy Kane, Crystal Stilts, Deer Tick, Phosophorescent, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, Ólöf Arnalds, These United States, Jones Street Station, and more – see August dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: Brooklyn may no longer have McCarren Park Pool, but Prospect Park Bandshell & Celebrate Brooklyn! are still going strong, kicking off their 31st season with the one-and-only David Byrne, and featuring the Mexico Tourism Series and a They Might Be Giants kids show. See our venue review & photos of Prospect Park Bandshell here
Web: www.briconline.org/celebrate
What: Pool Parties
Where: Brooklyn, NY
When: July 12-August 30
Who: Mission of Burma, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Grizzly Bear, Girl Talk, …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Dirty Projectors, No Age, Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, The Black Lips, Fiery Furnaces, Beach House, Magnolia Electric Co., Max Tundra, Fucked Up, HEALTH, Ponytail, White Denim, Grupo Fantasma, DD/MM/YYYY, Kenan Bell, and more – see August dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: The subject of many, many rumors in the festival off-season, the beloved free Pool Parties have survived McCarren Park Pool being turned back into a pool (shudder), and this summer are going to be held at Williamsburg Waterfront. See our photos & reviews from this year’s pool parties in our Williamsburg Waterfront venue review See our photos & reviews from previous years’ Pool Parties at McCarren in our McCarren Park Pool venue review
Web: www.thepoolparties.com
What: Edmonton Folk
Where: Edmonton, AB, Canada
When: August 6-9
Who: Neko Case, Arrested Development, Sarah McLachlan, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Iron & Wine, Patty Griffin, Great Lake Swimmers, Tift Merritt, and more
Why: Edmonton has its own Canadian folk festival, too – focusing on the ladies.
Web: www.edmontonfolkfest.org
What: Wolfe Island
Where: Wolfe Island, ON, Canada
When: August 7-8
Who: Holy Fuck, Apostle of Hustle, Busdriver, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Ohbijou, and more
Why: Located on the largest of the 1,000 islands in the St. Lawrence River, Wolfe Island is accessible to Yanks & Canucks alike.
Web: wolfeislandmusicfest.com
What: Lollapalooza
Where: Chicago, IL
When: August 7-9
Who: Depeche Mode, Tool, The Killers, Jane’s Addiction, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kings of Leon, Lou Reed, Snoop Dogg, TV On the Radio, The Decemberists, Neko Case, Band of Horses, of Montreal, Ben Folds, Silversun Pickups, Kaiser Chiefs, Bon Iver, Cold War Kids, Deerhunter, Lykke Li, Peter Bjorn and John, Heartless Bastards, Dan Deacon, Passion Pit, The Gaslight Anthem, White Lies, Ra Ra Riot, No Age, Los Campesinos!, Friendly Fires, Manchester Orchestra, Constantines, Langhorne Slim, Gringo Star, and many, many more
Why: Yet another festival – this time the granddaddy of today’s indie fests – follows this year’s recession-age tradition of mainstream headliners, with the interesting stuff going on during the day at Chicago’s Grant Park.
Web: www.lollapalooza.com
What: Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival
Where: Brooklyn, NY
When: August 8
Who: The Juan Maclean, Young Love, 33hz, Shy Child, Designer Drugs, Bell, Jupiter One, Free Blood, Awesome New Republic, Home Video, and more – view date in the QRO Concert Calendar
Why: 4:00 PM – 4:00 AM, the beats will be thumping at The Old American Can Factory. Read & see more in our 2009 recap here
Web: brooklynemf.com
What: HARD Summer Festival
Where: Los Angeles, CA
When: August 8
Who was supposed to play: Underworld, Chromeo, Crookers, Crystal Castles, A-Trak, Tiga, The Bloody Beetroots, Sebastian, Busy P, Amanda Blank, Steve Aoki, Rye Rye, and more
Why: The dancetronic HARD comes back to L.A. – until fans jumping from the balcony & rushing the stage forced the whole thing to be canceled barely as it began…
Web: www.hardfest.com
What: Free Press
Where: Houston, TX
When: August 8-9
Who: Broken Social Scene, of Montreal, Explosions in the Sky, Voxtrot, The Sword, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Octopus Project, Ume, Wild Moccasins, and more
Why: Free Press & Eleanor Tinsley Park in Houston holds a nice fest – and while it ain’t free, it’s one of the cheapest around – $7 for one day, $12 for two (and $35 ‘Two Day Fancy Pants Pass’ is still a nice bargain, with $20 worth of food/drink vouchers & access to the VIP tent – though, for $35 bucks, that ain’t exactly ‘VIP’…).
Web: www.freepresssummerfest.com
What: Virgin Alberta
Where: Calgary, AB, Canada
When: August 8-9
Who: Pearl Jam, Billy Talent, Metric, K-OS, Tokyo Police Club, White Lies, Thunderheist, and more
Why: Virgin Mobile’s 5 (!) Canadian festivals goes into the prairie heartland of Canada for two days in August – though, headliner aside, Sunday easily beats Saturday.
Web: virginfestival.ca/alberta
What: Hudson River Rocks
Where: Pier 54, NY
When: July 9-August 13
Who: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Matt & Kim, Yeasayer, Radio 4, Amazing Baby, Flosstradamus, Extra Golden, Team Robespierre – see August date in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: Yet another outdoor, all-free set of concerts along the river in Manhattan – but while there’s only three shows, Hudson River’s Pier 54 makes up for quantity with quality, showcasing pretty much all bands you want to see. – See our venue review & photos of Hudson River Park’s Pier 54 here
Web: www.riverrocksnyc.com
What: KahBang
Where: Bangor, ME
When: August 15
Who: Matt & Kim, Ra Ra Riot, Ida Maria, Royal Bangs, The Gay Blades and more
Why: Little ol’ Bangor, Maine gets a nice little festival, headlined by two of QRO’s favorites: Matt & Kim and Ra Ra Riot.
Web: www.kahbang.com
What: Green Music
Where: Chicago, IL
When: August 15-16
Who: Art Brut, Lucero, Tapes ‘n Tapes, Murder by Death, Say Hi, These United States and more
Why: The eco-friendly Green Music fest goes alt one day, rock the other at Eckhart Park.
Web: www.greenmusicfestchicago.com
What: Sunset Junction
Where: Los Angeles, CA
When: August 22-23
Who: Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Built To Spill, Islands, Arrested Development, Martin Luther & Cody Chestnutt, The Delta Spirit, The Submarines, Tiny Masters of Today, Nico Vega, War Tapes, Miss Derringer, and more
Why: Silverlake’s street fair returns to Sunset & Santa Monica Boulevards.
Web: www.sunsetjunction.org/streetfair.html
What: After the Jump
Where: Brooklyn, NY
When: August 28-30
Who: NinjaSonik, Blood Warrior, My Teenage Stride, Wild Yaks, Das Racist, Holiday Shores, Drink Up Buttercup, Hospitality, Dinosaur Feathers, and more – see dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: The collection of bloggers known as After The Jump hold their third annual festival, at the new Littlefield, with a bunch of Brooklyn bands you’ve always meant to see. Read & see much more in our recap
Web: www.afterthejumpfest.com
What: Nophest
Where: Atlanta, GA
When: August 28-30
Who: Nerd Parade, Extraordinary Contraptions, Onset, Fishhawk, Free Ticket & more
Why: The recession has forced Atlanta’s Randy Garcia to scale back his annual Nophest, but he’s still throwing three days of southeast bands in Atlanta’s Wonderroot – without any from his psuedo-eponymous labe, Nophi… Read & see more in our recap
Web: nophest.blogspot.com
What: Street Scene
Where: San Diego, CA
When: August 29-30
Who: Black Eyed Peas, M.I.A., Thievery Corporation, Modest Mouse, The Dead Weather, Silversun Pickups, Cake, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Girl Talk, Band of Horses, MSTRKFT, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Chromeo, No Age, Ra Ra Riot, Deehunter, Matt & Kim, Los Campesinos!, Holy Fuck, and many more
Why: Celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, San Diego’s Street Scene has grown from a one-stage, one-day, semi-annual event into a multi-stage, multi-day, yearly festival, now in the shadow of Padres’ Petco Park.
Web: www.street-scene.com
What: Outside Lands
Where: San Francisco, CA
When: August 28-30
Who: Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Tenacious D, Incubus, Black Eyed Peas, M.I.A., Ween, The Mars Volta, Thievery Corporation, Modest Mouse, Band of Horses, TV On the Radio, The Dead Weather, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Silversun Pickups, The National, Built To Spill, Deerhunter, The Dodos, Los Campesinos!, Dengue Fever, Heartless Bastards, Akron/Family, Matt & Kim, Portugal. The Man, The Morning Benders, The Duke Spirit, and many, many more
Why: After becoming the West Coast Lollapalooza last year with a great and varied line-up of all-stars, San Fran’s Outside Lands follows the trend of many other big festivals this year and goes mainstream. Still a great collection of alt acts during the day.
Web: www.sfoutsidelands.com
What: Virgin Ontario
Where: Oro-Medonte, ON, Canada
When: August 29-30
Who: The Pixies, Nine Inch Nails, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Pet Shop Boys, Franz Ferdinand, Our Lady Peace, N.E.R.D., Paolo Nutini, Cold War Kids, Mew, Mates of State, Plants and Animals, Sloan, Datarock, Trouble Andrew, Rural Alberta Advantage, and more
Why: The fifth-of-five (!) festival Virgin Mobile is throwing in Canada, and it’s got maybe the best line-up of all of ’em, including still-somehow-reunited Pixies and Nine Inch Nails’s farewell tour.
Web: virginfestival.ca/ontario
What: Virgin Mobile Free
Where: Columbia, MD
When: August 30
Who: Blink-182, Weezer, Franz Ferdinand, Girl Talk, Jet, Mates of State, Public Enemy, Taking Back Sunday, The Bravery, The Hold Steady, The National, St. Vincent, Holy Fuck, and more
Why: To go along (and even compete) with its many Canadian festivals, Virgin Mobile throws one south of the border (and just south of the Mason-Dixon) near Baltimore. Bowing to the demands of the recession, they’ve shrunk it to one day – but also made it free! Unfortunately, Merriweather Post Pavillion (of Animal Collective fame), where it’s being held, isn’tnear the train, so gotta schlep it for the day – if you got gone-in-a-flash tix (which are now being given out for volunteering).
Web: www.virginmobilefestival.com
September
What: FYF
Where: Los Angeles, CA
When: September 5
Who: The Black Lips, No Age, Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Dillinger Escape Plan, Fucked Up, Glass Candy, Time New Viking, Converge, Dan Deacon, Telepathe, Torche, WAVVES, Lucero, The Thermals, Cold Cave, Crystal Antlers, Woods, Peanut Butter Wolf, Lightning Bolt, Japanther, Ninjasonik, and more
Why: After criss-crossing the country last year, the FYF Fest (the ‘uck’ was dropped last year to appease concert promoters) somehow survived all of that to return for another year, with more wild bands (of varying quality), this time in downtown Los Angeles. Read more in our preview here
Web: fyeahfest.com
What: Bumbershoot
Where: Seattle, WA
When: September 5-7
Who: Sheryl Crow, Modest Mouse, Jason Mraz, Franz Ferdinand, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The All-American Rejects, The Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Metric, Kasabian, De La Soul, Cold War Kids, The Long Winters, Akron/Family, MSTRKFT, No Age, Matt & Kim, The Ting Tings, Helio Sequence, Vivian Girls, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Say Hi, Todd Barry, Holy Fuck, and more
Why: Washington State strikes again with Seattle’s Bumbershoot, though like so many other festivals this year, it’s gone more mainstream.
Web: www.bumbershoot.org
What: Sunset Strip
Where: Los Angeles, CA
When: September 10-12
Who: Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, Shiny Toy Guns, Shwayze, The Donnas, Augustana, Unwritten Law, Fishbone, Nico Vega, Earl Greyhound, Eulogies, Trouble Andrew and more
Why: From a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne on Thursday to the man himself on Saturday – that’s what goes for a festival on The Sunset Strip…
Web: www.sunsetstripmusicfestival.com
What: ATP New York
Where: Monticello, NY
When: September 11-13
Who: The Flaming Lips, Boredoms, Atlas Sound, Animal Collective, Bob Mould, No Age, Surfjan Stevens, Panda Bear, Caribou, Deerhunter, Crystal Castles, Suicide, David Cross, Jesus Lizard, Super Furry Animals, Menomena, Deerhoof, Iron and Wine, Melvins, Akron/Family, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Black Dice, Sleepy Sun and more
Why: U.K.’s famed All Tomorrow’s Parties festival holds its sister event in upstate New York for a second year, this time curated by festival experts, The Flaming Lips, including The Boredoms doing BOREDRUM and No Age playing an entire Hüsker Dü record with Bob Mould.
Web: www.atpfestival.com/atp/Events/ATPNewYork2009.php
What: Future Classic
Where: Miami, FL
When: September 12
Who: N.E.R.D., Awesome New Republic, Spam All Stars, Locos Por Juana, Afrobeta, Suenalo, Modernage, and more
Why: The sounds of the next world from all over the world come to multicultural Miami.
Web: www.futureclassicfestival.com
What: Monolith
Where: Red Rock Amphitheatre, CO
When: September 12-13
Who: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mars Volta, Girl Talk, MSTRKFT, of Montreal, M. Ward, Method Man & Redman, The Dandy Warhols, Chromeo, Phoenix, Passion Pit, The Walkmen, OK Go, The Thermals, Ida Maria, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Frightened Rabbit, Thao, Harlem Shakes, Monotonix, Deer Tick, The Twilight Sad, These United States, Cymbals Eat Guitars, The Antlers, and much more
Why: The most acclaimed natural venue in North America brings back its festival for a third year, but te drip-drip-drip of bands announced via Facebook & Twitter is finally over…
Web: www.monolithfestival.com
What: Musicfest
Where: Cranford, NJ
When: September 12-13
Who: Fastball, They Might Be Giants, Gin Blossoms, The Alarm, The Minus 5, and more
Why: It may not be the most creatively named festival ever, but Union County, NJ can still throw a party.
Web: www.ucmusicfest.com
What: Pygmalion
Where: Champaign-Urbana, IL
When: September 16-19
Who: Ra Ra Riot, Iron and Wine, Lucero, WAVVES, Low, RJD2, The Antlers, YACHT, Japandroids, Maps & Atlases, Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s, My Brightest Diamond, Paper Route, Headlights, The Hood Internet, The 1900s, Pomegranates, BLK JKS, Mason Proper, Princeton, Rock Plaza Central, and more
Why: Central Illinois will celebrate nearly a year of Obama – and try to forget about Blagoyevich…
Web: 2009.pygmalionmusicfestival.com
What: Musicfest Northwest
Where: Portland, OR
When: September 16-20
Who: Modest Mouse, Arctic Monkeys, Sunny Day Real Estate, Explosions In the Sky, Bad Brains, Girl Talk, Black Francis, Get Up Kids, Will Sheff, Dr. Dog, Helio Sequence, Monotonix, Mudhoney, Frightened Rabbit, Twilight Sad, Beach House, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Langhorne Slim, All Smiles, Amazing Baby, Say Hi, F**ked Up, The Bronx, Southerly, and more
Why: Go to the (north)West, young man, for this interesting festival, which features a ton of solid acts in a middle-heavy line-up – though Glacial Pace Recordings stepped up with their own showcase to finish things out, headlined by Modest Mouse. Read & see much more in our recap here
Web: www.musicfestnw.com
What: Forward
Where: Madison, WI
When: September 17-19
Who: Andrew Bird, Low, Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s, YACHT, Ra Ra Riot, Fruit Bats, Atlas Sound, Iran, Savoir Adore, Rock Plaza Central, Princeton, WAVVES, BLK JKS, All Tiny Creatures, Maps & Atlases, The Antlers, MegaFaun, and more
Why: Wisconsin’s own college town matches Illinois’ with the second year of its own, multi-venue Forward Music Festival.
Web: fmf09.com
What: OohLaLA
Where: Los Angeles, CA
When: September 23-25
Who: Sébastien Tellier, Nouvelle Vague, Gonzalez, Brodinski, The Dø and more
Why: The Consulate General of France in Los Angeles is stepping into the game (aided by Goldenvoice, of Coachella & APW), with a Francophone line-up three days at Henry Fonda Theater. See our photos from the festival here
Web: www.oohlalafestival.com
What: Midpoint
Where: Cincinnati, OH
When: September 24-26
Who: Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Chairlift, Heartless Bastards, The Subjects, Micachu, Middle Distance Runner, Yourself & The Air, The Rosewood Thieves, Telling On Trixie, The Pomegranates, Mock Orange, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, and more
Why: Queen City’s festival-cum-industry showcase returns to the Over-the-Rhine district.
Web: www.mpmf.com
What: Rifflandia
Where: Victoria, BC, Canada
When: September 24-27
Who: Tegan & Sara, Holy Fuck, Mother Mother, Final Fantasy, Beach House, Pink Mountaintops, Buck 65, Champion, The Most Serene Republic, Jets Overhead, Cuff the Duke, Timber Timbre, Bahamas, Hey Rosetta!, Fritz Helder & The Phantoms, An Horse, Basia Bulat, The Pack A.D., Dan Mangan, and more
Why: Canada gets another festival (must be bulking up for the winter…), at venues across the Victoria, the city even further west than Seattle & Vancouver.
Web: www.rifflandia.com
What: Pop Montréal
Where: Montréal, QC, Canada
When: September 30-October 4
Who: Dinosaur Jr., Sufjan Stevens, Yo La Tengo, Butthole Surfers, Fever Ray, Mono, Chairlift, Matt & Kim, Destroyer, Thee Oh Sees, The Homosexuals, Rural Alberta Advantage, Young Galaxy, Amy Millan, By Divine Right, Micachu & The Shapes, Japandroids, Bear Hands, AIDS Wolf, NinjaSonik, The Black Hollies, Das Racist, Screaming Females, Mardeen, Steve Schiffman & The Land of No, Kiss Kiss, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Shapes & Sizes, and many more
Why: The artistic alt-CMJ (see below) showcases acts based on artistic style, not commercial viability, in the snowly but beautifully European Montreal.
Web: www.popmontreal.com
October
What: Pop Montréal
Where: Montréal, QC, Canada
When: September 30-October 4
Who: Dinosaur Jr., Sufjan Stevens, Yo La Tengo, Butthole Surfers, Fever Ray, Mono, Chairlift, Matt & Kim, Destroyer, Thee Oh Sees, The Homosexuals, Rural Alberta Advantage, Young Galaxy, Amy Millan, By Divine Right, Micachu & The Shapes, Japandroids, Bear Hands, AIDS Wolf, NinjaSonik, The Black Hollies, Das Racist, Screaming Females, Mardeen, Steve Schiffman & The Land of No, Kiss Kiss, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Shapes & Sizes, and many more
Why: The artistic alt-CMJ (see below) showcases acts based on artistic style, not commercial viability, in the snowly but beautifully European Montreal.
Web: www.popmontreal.com
What: Austin City Limits
Where: Austin, TX
When: October 2-4
Who: Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, John Legend, The Dead Weather, Ghostland Observatory, Sonic Youth, Mos Def, Flogging Molly, The B-52s, Lily Allen, Arctic Monkeys, The Decemberists, Andrew Bird, Girl Talk, Phoenix, Bon Iver, !!!, Grizzly Bear, Heartless Bastards, Passion Pit, White Lies, Dan Auerbach, The Walkmen, Blitzen Trapper, The Felice Brothers, School of Seven Bells, Bell X1, and many more
Why: Even the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’ is hit, as the venerable PBS live music show goes mainstream – Dave Matthews Band?!? See who’s on Austin City Limits this week here
Web: www.aclfestival.com
What: Riot Fest Chicago
Where: Chicago, IL
When: October 7-11
Who: Dead Milkmen, Butthole Surfers, Screeching Weasel, NOFX, Alkaline Trio, 7Seconds, Murder City Devils, Cock Sparrer, New Bomb Turks, Naked Raygun, Strike Anywhere, and more
Why: The fun side of punk rock comes to Chicago, thanks to Riot Fest.
Web: www.riotfest.org/chicago
What: Treasure Island
Where: San Francisco, CA
When: October 17-18
Who: The Flaming Lips, MGMT, The Decemberists, MSTRKRFT, Girl Talk, Beirut, Brazilian Girls, The Streets, Grizzly Bear, Yo La Tengo, Passion Pit, The Walkmen, Bob Mould, Thao, Dan Deacon, Spiral Stairs, Sleep Sun, and much more
Why: Returning for a third year, Treasure Island had already made a name for itself, and not just with its interesting locale – San Francisco’s ‘no car’, converted naval base island in the middle of the Bay – but also with its interesting line-up: Saturday’s electro-dance, Sunday’s indie-rock. The divide isn’t as stark this year, but the line-up very strong, with two stages & no overlapping sets. Read more in our preview here
Web: www.treasureislandfestival.com
What: CMJ
Where: New York, NY
When: October 20-24
Who: Múm, Superdrag, Atlas Sound, Midnight Juggernauts, School of Seven Bells, Patrick Watson, Malajube, Saul Williams, Budos Band, Wild Light, Portugal. The Man, Japandroids, The Temper Trap, Cymbals Eat Guitars, The XX, The Antlers, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Crystal Antlers, Das Racist, Screaming Females, Bear Hands, and many, many more
Why: Even the collapse of Wall Street can’t stop the rock, as everyone in the industry comes to New York’s plethora of venues, from Bowery to Brooklyn and beyond. Read much more in our day-by-day recap here
Web: www.cmj.com/marathon
What: Voodoo Experience
Where: New Orleans, LA
When: October 29-November 1
Who: KISS, Eminem, Jane’s Addiction, Widespread Panic, The Flaming Lips, Justice, Gogol Bordello, Wolfmother, Eagles of Death Metal, The Black Keys, The Pogues, Ween, Silversun Pickups, Cool Kids, Meat Puppets, Fischerspooner, D12, Earl Greyhound, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Black Lips, Mates of State, All Time Low, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Alejandro Escovedo, Drive-By Truckers, and more – including a ton of New Orleans music
Why: A three-day music fest in New Orleans over Halloween weekend sounds like something incredible. But between the mainstream headliners and all the jazz, blues, & zydeco locals at the bottom of the bill, there’s precious room for anything indie in the Big Easy. See more in our photo gallery here
Web: http://thevoodooexperience.com/2009/index.php
November
What: Voodoo Experience
Where: New Orleans, LA
When: October 29-November 1
Who: KISS, Eminem, Jane’s Addiction, Widespread Panic, The Flaming Lips, Justice, Gogol Bordello, Wolfmother, Eagles of Death Metal, The Black Keys, The Pogues, Ween, Silversun Pickups, Cool Kids, Meat Puppets, Fischerspooner, D12, Earl Greyhound, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Black Lips, Mates of State, All Time Low, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Alejandro Escovedo, Drive-By Truckers, and more – including a ton of New Orleans music
Why: A three-day music fest in New Orleans over Halloween weekend sounds like something incredible. But between the mainstream headliners and all the jazz, blues, & zydeco locals at the bottom of the bill, there’s precious room for anything indie in the Big Easy. See more in our photo gallery here
Web: http://thevoodooexperience.com/2009/index.php
What: Fun Fun Fun Fest
Where: Austin, TX
When: November 7-8
Who: of Montreal, Ratatat, Danzig, Jesus Lizard, Kid Sister, The Pharcyde, Destroyer, Whitest Kids You Know, Crystal Castles, Les Savy Fav, GZA/Genius, The Cool Kids, Shearwater, Brian Posehn, Mission of Burma, Yeasayer, Fucked Up, Todd Barry, Lucero, Torche, HEALTH, No Age, MC Chris, Dead Confederate, King Khan & BBQ Show, Atlas Sound, Shonen Knife, Alaska In Winter, Fuck Buttons, Times New Viking, Sugar & Gold, Crystal Antlers, Mika Miko, and many more
Why: After seriously delivering last year, the worst-titled music festival in the world returns to Austin’s Waterloo Park with an impressive mix of alternative, hard rock, hip-hop, comedy & more. Read & see much more our recap here
Web: www.funfunfunfest.com
What: We the People
Where it would have been: Los Angeles, CA
When it would have been: November 21
Who it would have had: Bad Religion, Suicidal Tendencies, Pepper, Madvillian, Glitch Mob, Flobots, Anti-Pop Consortium, LA Riots, Crown City Rockers, and more
Why: The 2009 festival season started with an cancellation, and now it’s ending with a postponement, in Los Angeles’ We the People. Guess the stimulus ain’t working…
Web: www.wethepeoplefestival.com/2009