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Lollapalooza
Location: Grant Park, Chicago, IL
Dates: August 4-6, 2006
Performers: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West,
Wilco, Common, Death Cab for Cutie, Queens of the Stone Age,
Raconteurs, more
Tickets: $140 - $150 for a 3-day pass
Why it's cool: There are good reasons why this
festival has a fifteen-year history: The lineup is always uniformly
hot, the turnout is crazy (180,000 fans are expected at this year's
three-day event), and via various contests and booths you'll get to
witness festival co-founder Perry Farrell's latest ideas of what
the kids are into.
Austin City
Limits
Location: Zilker Park, Austin, TX
Dates: September 15-17, 2006
Performers: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Van
Morrison, Willie Nelson, Massive Attack, String Cheese Incident,
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Flaming Lips, John Mayer,
the Raconteurs and more
Tickets: $115 for a 3-day pass
Why it's cool: One word: Austin. With beer,
barbecue and that laidback Texan vibe, it's impossible not to feel
mellow and happy at ACL.
Essence Music
Festival
Location: Relient Park, Houston, TX
Dates: July 1-3, 2006
Performers: Mary J. Blige, Earth, Wind and Fire,
LL Cool J, Yolanda, P. Diddy and Friends, New Edition and Bobby
Brown, Steve Harvey, Jaheim, Toni Braxton, Keyshia Cole, and
more
Tickets: $45 - $110 single day, $123 - $297 3-day
pass
Why it's cool: Jonathan Slocumb, the mainstage
host, is famous for his clean, family-oriented sense of humor.
"Bill Cosby is the king of clean, and Jonathan Slocumb is the
prince!" his Web site announces.
Bonnaroo Music & Arts
Festival
Location: Manchester, TN
Dates: June 16-18, 2006
Performers: Radiohead, Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers, Beck, Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Bonnie
Raitt, Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, Cypress Hill, Buddy Guy,
Damian Marley, Sonic Youth, Cat Power and the Memphis Rhythm Band,
The Streets, Be Your Own Pet, and more
Tickets: Sold out
Why it's cool: Bonnaroo is the perfect summer rock
festival: You can hit at a batting cage, go to the movies, stuff
yourself and rock out all in one place.
Pitchfork Music
Festival
Location: Union Park, Chicago, IL
Dates: July 29-30, 2006
Performers: Silver Jews, The Futureheads, Ted
Leo/Pharmacists, Art Brut, Destroyer, Band of Horses, Man Man,
Spoon, Yo La Tengo, Devendra Banhart, Mission of Burma, Tapes 'n
Tapes, and more
Tickets: $20 single day, $30 2-day pass
Why it's cool: Indie rock finally has its own
place in the summer sun thanks to Pitchfork. Where else can you
inundate your eardrums with two days of obscure rock? Plus, in
keeping with the independent theme, a two-day pass costs less than
most regular rock shows.
Street
Scene Music Festival
Location: San Diego, CA
Dates: August 4-5, 2006
Performers: Tool, Kanye West, Social Distortion,
Snoop Dogg, Sean Paul, Bad Religion, AFI, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest
Mouse, Queens of the Stone Age, My Chemical Romance, Wu-Tang Clan,
Bloc Party, The Futureheads, Editors, Rock Kills Kid, Tapes 'n
Tapes, and more
Tickets: $75 single day, $115 2-day pass
Why it's cool: Street Scene features a good
combination of emerging artists, established indie acts, and rock
stalwarts. This festival is all about Grammy winners playing
alongside the next big thing.
Jazz Aspen
Snowmass
Location: Rio Grande Park, Aspen, CO
Dates: June 22-25, 2006
Performers: Jamie Cullum, Lizz Wright, Diana
Krall, Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Delbert McClinton, Trey
Anastasio, Maceo Parker
Tickets: $30 single day, multi-day passes sold
out
Why it's cool: Snowmass isn't just for skiing,
it's for hearing jazz under one of the most beautiful skies in
America.
Summer Festivals continued
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Hedgpethfest
Location: Shadow Hill Ranch, Twin Lakes, WI
Dates: July 28-29, 2006
Performers: The Flaming Lips, Primus, Kings of
Leon, Peeping Tom featuring Mike Patton, Blue October, They Must Be
Giants, and more
Tickets: $24.95 single day, $44.95 2-day
pass
Why it's cool: Hedgpethfest offers a great chance
to hear older indie rockers plus the new blood, with acts like the
Flaming Lips on the same stage as Kings of Leon.
10,000
Lakes Festival
Location: Detroit Lakes, MN
Dates: July 19-22, 2006
Performers: Phil Lesh and Friends, Trey Anastasio,
String Cheese Incident, Benevento/Russo Duo feat. Mike Gordon, The
Keller Williams Incident, O.A.R., Umphrey's McGee, Big Head Todd
and the Monsters, and more
Tickets: $135 4-day pass incl. camping, $50
single-day
Why it's cool: Keep out of the sweltering heat by
heading to the 10,000 Lakes Festival where the vibe is like a giant
communal campground cookout with a dose of low-key rock.
Rocky Mountain
Folks Festival
Location: Lyons, CO
Dates: August 18-20, 2006
Performers: Kris Kristofferson, Ani Difranco, Jeff
Tweedy, Amos Lee, The Waifs, Martin Sexton, Decemberists, and
more
Tickets: $155 3-day pass
Why it's cool: Camp near the St. Vrain River and
enjoy three days of great folk music.
High Sierra Music
Festival
Location: Plumas Fairgrounds, Quincy, CA
Dates: June 29 - July 2, 2006
Performers: Béla Fleck and the Flecktones,
My Morning Jacket, Nickel Creek, Umphrey's McGee, The Greyboy
Allstars, Keller Williams, Son Volt, Zero, Railroad Earth, The
Disco Biscuits, Garage a Trois, The Radiators
Tickets: $167 4-day pass, $156 3-day pass, $131
2-day pass, single day also available
Why it's cool: Mellow rock with a liberal action
feel; you can register to vote in-between sets.
Kuyahoga
Location: Blossom Music Center, Cleveland,
OH
Dates: August 3, 2006
Performers: The Flaming Lips, Death Cab for Cutie,
Sonic Youth, Secret Machines, The Hold Steady, She Wants Revenge,
Wolfmother, The Go! Team, and more
Tickets: $19.50 - $39.50
Why it's cool: K-Rock presents this awesome lineup
of superhyped artists. Almost everyone you need to see this summer
is playing here.
Siren Music
Festival
Location: Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY
Dates: July 15, 2006
Performers: Scissor Sisters, She Wants Revenge,
Stars, Art Brut, Tapes 'n Tapes, The Stills, The Cribs, Man Man,
The Rogers Sisters, Celebration, and more
Tickets: FREE
Why it's cool: Fried Fish. Seriously, the
combination of Coney Island's creaky Cyclone rollercoaster plus
fried food plus really great indie rock equals the perfect summer
Saturday.
Bumbershoot
Location: Seattle Center, Seattle, WA
Dates: September 2-4, 2006
Performers: Kanye West, AFI, A Tribe Called Quest,
Yellowcard, Atmosphere, Feist, The Blood Brothers, The English
Beat, Gossip, Metric, and more
Tickets: $30 single day, $80 3-day pass, premium
tickets available
Why it's cool: Besides the fact that Seattle's
waterfront vibe makes for a great rock & roll-hearing
atmosphere, if you join the Bumbershoot fan club and buy tickets in
advance you get forty percent off!
Summer Festivals continued
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KCRW's World
Festival
Location: Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
Dates: September 10, 2006
Performers: Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams and Neko
Case
Tickets: $13 - $31, other sections sold out
Why it's cool: Willie Nelson and Ryan Adams were
recently in the studio together; perhaps KCRW World Fest attendees
will get to hear the results of that collaboration.
Common Ground
Festival
Location: Adado Riverfront Park, Lansing,
MI
Dates: July 10-16, 2006
Performers: Steve Miller Band, Bonnie Raitt,
Dwight Yoakam, Poison, Styx, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent, The Bangles,
and more
Tickets: $79 - $89 Common Card pass, $25 - $29
single day
Why it's cool: Um, hello, the Bangles are playing
on the same stage as Ted Nugent.
Feeling Better Than
Everfine Festival
Location: Tower City Amphitheater, Cleveland,
OH
Dates: June 24, 2006
Performers: O.A.R., Matt Nathanson, Virginia
Coalition, Bedouin Soundclash, Dropping Daylight, Jon McLaughlin,
and more
Tickets: $30
Why it's cool: Check out the cheeky name and
you'll get the sense of what this festival is about: attitude,
feel-good tunes and fun.
Newport
Folk Fest
Location: Newport, RI
Dates: August 4-6, 2006
Performers: David Gray, Roseanne Cash, The Meters,
Indigo Girls, Keller Williams, Madeleine Peyroux, and more
Tickets: $120 3-day pass, $95 2-day pass, $55
single day
Why it's cool: Bob Dylan famously appeared here
with Joan Baez in 1964 and the festival was founded in 1959 by
various old-school folkies, including Pete Seeger. The festival has
maintained this tradition of drawing great folk artists year after
year and this year is no exception.
Magnolia Music
Festival
Location: Magnolia, OH
Dates: June 24, 2006
Performers: Lonestar, Mark Chesnutt, Ray Scott,
Tony Rio & Relentless, Bomshel
Tickets: $35 - $45
Why it's cool: This festival features a natural
amphitheater that brings the idea of an outdoor show to a new
place.
Starscape Music and Arts
Festival
Location: Ft. Armistead Park, Baltimore, MD
Dates: June 24, 2006, 6pm- 6am
Performers: The Disco Biscuits, Medeski Martin and
Wood, All Mighty Senators, DJ Craze with MC Sharpness, DJ Feelgood,
Überzone, Michael Myers, Scott Henry, and more
Tickets: $45 - $50
Why it's cool: With a live stage, a buzz stage, and a drum 'n bass
stage, its impossible not to find something you want to hear. Plus,
this party goes on all night!
Summer Festivals continued
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All Good
Festival
Location: Marvin's Mountaintop Masontown,
WV
Dates: July 14-16, 2006
Performers: The Black Crowes, Trey Anastasio and
Mike Gordon with Benevento/Russo Duo, Ween, Robert Randolph and the
Family Band, Les Claypool, The Wailers, The Greyboy Allstars, The
Disco Biscuits, Aquarium Rescue Unit, Umphrey's McGee, Galactic,
and more
Tickets: $119 3-day pass, incl. camping
Why it's cool: The name is the festival's mantra:
With loose, jam-rocking bands it's all about relaxation and good
music at the All Good Fest.
Jerry Garcia
Birthday Bash
Location: Terra Alta, WV
Dates: August 4-6, 2006
Performers: Blues Traveler, Keller Williams, New
Riders of the Purple Sage, ekoostik hookah, and more
Tickets: $85 - $95
Why it's cool: Lest you think deadhead culture
passed away with Jerry Garcia, check out the scene at his annual
Birthday Bash.
Bleeding Kansas Music
Festival
Location: Burcham Park, Lawrence, KS
Dates: August 5, 2006
Performers: Death Cab for Cutie, Keane, Broken
Social Scene, Mates of State, Murder by Death, Boy Kill Boy, Secret
Machines, more
Tickets: $37.50
Why it's cool: A great lineup that includes
now-classic-emo-meets-indie bands and the groups following in their
footsteps.
Island Getaway with Dave
Matthews Band
Location: Randall's Island, New York, NY
Dates: August 6-7, 2006
Performers: Dave Matthews Band, Gov't Mule,
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Slightly Stoopid, Tea Leaf
Green, Yonder Mountain String Band
Tickets: $62.50
Why it's cool: Pretending that Randall's Island is
a tropical island and rocking out to this excellent lineup of
relaxing, pleasantly crunchy rock.
Intonation Music
Festival
Location: Union Park, Chicago, IL
Dates: June 24-25, 2006
Performers: Bloc Party, The Streets, Ghostface
Killah, dead prez, Roky Erickson, The Stills, Boredoms, Lady
Sovereign, and more
Tickets: $20 1-day pass, $35 2-day pass
Why it's cool: Chicago's Union Park makes a great
spot to hear the hippest of all hipster bands at one of the
preeminent indie-rock fests of the year.
Loudoun Summer Music
Fest
Location: Belmont Country Club, Ashburn, VA
Dates: June 4 - August 6, 2006
Performers: Dwight Yoakam, STYX, Blues Traveler,
Little Feat, TOTO, Rick Springfield, Switchfoot, Charlie Daniels
Band, and more
Tickets: $12.50 - $40
Why it's cool: Rock & roll at a country club
is a juxtaposition too wonderful to miss.
Rock'n the
Rally
Location: Sturgis, SD
Dates: August 6-10, 2006
Performers: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The
Black Crowes, Nickelback, Big & Rich, Sammy Hagar, Joe Cocker,
Keith Urban, Foghat, Shooter Jennings, REO Speedwagon, Cheap Trick,
Live, more
Tickets: $50 - $70 single day
Why it's cool: The lineup offers a nice mix of
mainstream rock and country-tinged artists.