Rothbury 2010 Canceled; Midwest May Gain Bamboozle Fest

The organizers of the Rothbury Festival revealed late last week that the 2010 fest in Rothbury, Michigan, has been canceled, though they're vowing to bring the multi-day, environmentally conscious event back in 2011. The announcement cited "various artists' recording and touring schedules" that made it difficult for the jam band-heavy festival to recruit a worthwhile lineup. Rothbury, which is presented by Madison House and AEG Live — the organizers of Coachella, Bumbershoot and New Orleans' Jazz Fest — debuted during July 4th weekend in 2008. Previous headliners include Dave Matthews Band, Bob Dylan, Phil Lesh & Friends, Snoop Dogg and current Rolling Stone cover star John Mayer. With the cancellation, it's safe to assume that Rothbury is not the new Bonnaroo.

Look back at Rothbury 2009 in photos: Bob Dylan, The Dead and more.

While the Midwest has lost one of its biggest summer festivals in 2010, it may be gaining a smaller-scale rockathon: the organizers of the bi-coastal Bamboozle are rumored to be announcing a one-day festival in Chicago on May 15th, Absolute Punk reports. While Bamboozle usually caters to a less-stoned audience than Rothbury, it'll definitely help music fans bridge the gap until Lollapalooza descends on the Windy City later that summer.

In one more piece of Bamboozle news, Ke$ha and Drake are expected to be added to the two-day Bamboozle fest in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 1st and 2nd. As Rolling Stone reported last week, MGMT was added as a headliner alongside the previously announced Paramore and Weezer.

Related Stories:
• Rothbury 2009 in Photos: Bob Dylan, The Dead, Nas, More
• Paramore and Weezer to Headline The Bamboozle in May 2010
• Is Rothbury the New Bonnaroo? Mike Gordon, More Weigh In as Fest Announces It'll Return

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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