New Rothbury Festival to Hit U.S. in July: Matthews, Mayer, Snoop, Modest Mouse

A new, environmentally conscious music festival is about to hit the ever-growing U.S. market July 4th weekend: AEG Live (the folks behind Coachella) and Madison House Presents are introducing the Rothbury Festival, to be held in Rothbury, Michigan on July 3rd through 6th at the idyllic Double JJ Ranch near Lake Michigan. Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Widespread Panic, Phil Lesh & Friends, Modest Mouse, 311 and Snoop Dogg are among the many confirmed acts, and organizers say the festival's goal is to draw attention to climate change and clean energy alternatives. To wit, the weekend will feature a think tank featuring panel discussions on those climate concerns, an energy fair where attendees can get their hands on related technology and products, and the festivals' campgrounds will strive for a zero-waste experience via composting, carbon-offsetting and more strategies (alternative lodging will also be available for festival-goers who don't want to pitch a tent). For the initial lineup announcement — the fest promises more than seventy bands on eight stages — keep reading. The first batch of tickets go on sale February 27th at the fest's official site.

Dave Matthews Band
Widespread Panic
John Mayer
311
Phil Lesh and Friends
Primus
Thievery Corporation
Snoop Dogg
Modest Mouse
Michael Franti and Spearhead
Gov't Mule
Sound Tribe Sector Nine
Colbie Caillat
Slightly Stoopid
The Black Keys
Yonder Mountain String Band with Jon Fishman
Gogol Bordello
Citizen Cope
Keller Williams and The WMD'S
The Disco Biscuits
Medeski Martin & Wood
Ray LaMontagne
Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Soul Stew Revival
Drive-By Truckers
Of Montreal
The Dresden Dolls
Gomez
Brett Dennen
Taj Mahal
Mike Gordon
Zappa Plays Zappa
Crystal Method DJ Set
JJ Grey & MOFRO
The Greyboy Allstars
The Secret Machines
Beth Orton
Jakob Dylan and the Green Mountain Rebels
A 3
Bettye Lavette
Lotus
Yard Dogs Road Show
State Radio
The Beautiful Girls
Sage Francis
Tea Leaf Green
Emmitt Nershi Band
EOTO
Panjea with Michael Kang
Railroad Earth
Bassnectar
Pnuma Trio
Diplo
Flosstradamus
The Juan Mclean
The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
Dead Confederate
DJ Rekha
Motion Potion
DJ Rootz
SOJOURN
Busdriver

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Song Stories

“Piano Man”

Billy Joel | 1973

Billy Joel’s first hit, “Piano Man,” was – ironically – an autobiographical lament about how his first album wasn’t a hit. When Cold Spring Harbor didn’t take off, Joel briefly became a lounge pianist in Los Angeles, and this song, about that experience, expressed his frustrations and fears at the time: “And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar/And say, ‘Man, what are you doing here?’” “It was all right,” Joel said later, about the gig. “I got free drinks and union scale, which was the first steady money I’d made in a long time.”

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