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April showers bring...music festivals. With all the killer line-ups, scenic venues, and $5 hot dogs to choose from among this year's options, it can be difficult to decide just where exactly to pitch your tent and go mad for your favorite acts. It's a good thing we broke the must-see festivals down for you, with everything you need to know -- from lineups to the price of bottled water -- before you pack your cooler. Better get moving, Coachella is in a few weeks and the lineup is overwhelming!
Coachella
History: Active since 1999, Coachella has become known for its ability to reunite cult faves and penchant for booking surprise appearances by high-profile guests. Jane's Addiction, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Iggy Pop and the Stooges and the Pixies have all delivered mythic performances at Coachella.
Where: Indio, California
Dates: April 27th -- 29th
Lineup: Bjork, Arctic Monkeys, Sonic Youth, Amy Winehouse, Arcade Fire, The Good, The Bad and The Queen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, The Kooks, LCD Soundsystem and more
Tickets: 3-Day passes: $249, limited single day passes: $85 Buy Tickets
Crowd: 100,000
Transportation Free onsite parking is available. Carpooling is strongly encouraged due to traffic. There are Greyhound and Amtrak stations in Indio from which you can take a cab to the festival site. The Palm Springs airport is 23 miles away, which has shuttle buses and cabs that will take you to the festival. Grade: B
Where To Stay Onsite camping is available for $45 for all four nights- perhaps the best option since the festival is on a giant grassy polo field and it's a way to be close to the action. Hotels in the range from Indio Motel 6 or Budget Inn at $55 a night to more upscale Spa Central Palm Springs hotels (about 20 minutes away) which start around $80 a night. House and condo rentals in the area are $700-$2400 a week. All of the above get booked very far in advance, so better move quickly. Grade: A
Getting Around All of the stages and tents are within a 10 minute walk from one another. Grade: B
Food $2 bottled water. No outside food and beverage are allowed. Grade: C
Facilities Unlike some other festivals, Coachella is all grass, so none of that muddy, dusty festival scene and you can actually lie out on the grass during shows. Port-a-potties with sinks and water fountains are stationed throughout the festival. But be warned, Coachella is in the desert which means temperatures over 100 degrees during the day so staying hydrated is a must to avoid heat stroke. Also, winds get pretty intense, so much that one year during a Beastie Boys performance a record actually blew off of the turntables and the show had to be interrupted. Grade: B
X-Factor: This year's festival will feature a Rage Against the Machine reunion (and presumably a performance that will serve to voice the band's opposition to the Bush administration, among other political sentiments). In general, Coachella tends to have that reunion draw that makes long-split bands come together for yet another go. This is your best bet if you're holding out for a surprise Pavement gig.
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The Bamboozle
History: Active since 2002, Bamboozle's specialty is emo/punk bands -- or at least more so than the other festivals on this list. It was held at Asbury Park until 2006, at which point it moved to the Meadowlands Sports Complex, where it will be held this year.
Where: New Jersey
Dates: May 5th -- 6th
Lineup: My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park, MC Hammer(?!), Bayside, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Yellowcard, Valencia, Say Anything, Hellogoodbye, New Found Glory
Tickets: On sale now. Single day passes are $35. Buy Tickets
Crowd: 65,000-80,000
Transportation The easiest way is to drive. The Giants Stadium parking lot is available for parking. There are no camping grounds. Buses from Manhattan will take you directly to the Stadium. Grade: C
Where To Stay Hotel rooms in the area range from $89 a night (Red Roof Inn) to $299 (Marriott). Rooms get booked far in advance so at this point you may not be able to find anything for less than $129. Grade D
Getting Around Two main stages are on opposite ends of the lot, but set times alternate so you are less likely to miss major acts. It takes about five minutes to make your way from one stage to another. Grade: B
Food Typical overpriced hot dogs and the like: Hot dogs $3, burgers $5.25, burritos and cheesesteaks will cost you $8 and bottled water is $3.25. You are not allowed to bring in food or beverage into the festival. Grade: F
Facilities The festivals takes place in a parking lot and has a Warped Tour vibe. Port-a-potties are available. (Insider's tip: You can actually get into Giants Stadium and use their nice bathrooms, take a seat in the stands to rest and avoid having to pop a squat on the asphalt in the parking lot. No water fountains are in the parking lot, but there are some in the stadium.) Grade: C
X-Factor: This year? A rare MC Hammer (what?!) appearance that doesn't seem to fit in any way with the rest of the acts booked. And generally, the most serious (read: mopey) fanbase.
Sasquatch!
History: Sasquatch, active since 2002, has a lineup heavy on indie bands and singer-songwriters. The festival takes place outdoors at the, ahem, gorgeous Gorge Amphitheatre near the Columbia River and is primarily a camping festival.
Where: George, Washington
Dates: May 26th -- 27th
Lineup: Bjork, Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire, Interpol, Spoon, M.I.A., Neko Case, The Blacks Angels, Clinic and more
Tickets: On sale now: $65 per day, after May 21st tickets are $75 per day Buy Tickets
Crowd: 22,000
Transportation Designated parking areas are available, but run $25 a vehicle. No public transportation is available to the festival. Grade: F
Where To Stay Onsite camping is available for $40 per day for each vehicle, $80 for two days, $120 for three days, or a three-day value pass available only through Ticketmaster for $100. Camping is really the way to go for this one. The (very) few hotels in the area range from $78 a night (Traditional Inn) to condo rentals for $100-$150 a night (Crescent Bar Resort). Grade: B
Getting Around The three stages are very close together and it takes about 5 minutes to get from one act to another. Grade: A
Food Typical festival fare: hamburgers, hot dogs, and Domino's pizza costing anywhere from $5 to $10. Since this is a camping festival, outside water containers and food are allowed inside the camping grounds. Grade: C
Facilities Those awesome misting tents as well as port-a-potties can be found throughout the festival grounds. Grade: B
X-Factor: This year promises an all instrumental performance by the Beastie Boys!
Bonnaroo
History: Five-year-old Bonarroo has earned a reputation for featuring a diverse array of acts -- everything from hip-hop to folk, alternative, country, and even reggae. (Fun fact: "Bonnaroo" is a Cajun slang word that means "a really good time" -- and it sure is!)
Where: Manchester, Tennessee
Dates: June 14th -- 17th
Lineup: The Police, Widespread Panic, The White Stripes, The Flaming Lips, Wilco, Franz Ferdinand, Damien Rice, The Decembrists, The Roots, The Black Keys and more
Tickets: On sale now. 4-day passes: first limited number of tickets will be priced at $184.50 each, after first allotment of tickets is sold out ticket prices will increase to $199.50, and then to $214.50. Buy Tickets
Crowd: 80,000
Transportation Shuttles are available from the airport. Carpooling is strongly encouraged due to the traffic congestion when entering the festival by car. There is also a Greyhound station that will have shuttles going to and from the festival. Grade: B
Where To Stay Camping zones near the Main Stage area are provided. There are also RV parking areas. Hotels in the area range from $50 a night (Day Inn) to $105 a night (Holiday Inn), but go quickly so you have to book well in advance. Grade: B
Getting Around The main stages are fairly close together and the schedule is staggered, which means you won't miss your favorite acts and you won't be bored in the interim. Grade: A
Food Falafel, salads, sandwiches and more go for $5 to $10. Pizza is a few bucks a slice. (Inside tip: The festival allows you to bring your own food and drink, so pack a cooler and camp out!) Grade B
Facilities Drinking water, wash stations, showers (you'll need these after you try on that attractive mud-crusted look), and port-a-potties are stationed throughout the grounds. Grade: A
X-Factor: Your classic muddy hippie paradise if you want to relive the days of Woodstock. Centeroo (an area that has three large music tents), Bonnaroo Market (what it sounds like), an arcade tent, music sharing areas, a cinema tent, and a comedy tent -- all are open 24 hours!
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Summerfest
History: Holding the Guinness World Records title for the World's Biggest Music Festival since 1999, Summerfest was started by Milwaukee's Mayor Henry W. Maier in 1968 to be modeled after Oktoberfest in Munich.
Where: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Dates: June 28th -- July 8th
Lineup: Toby Keith with Miranda Lambert, Bon Jovi, Roger Waters, The Fray with OK Go and John Mayer with Ben Folds. More acts will be announced over the next month, with a near-complete line-up available online in mid-May.
Tickets: On sale now. $14 per day. Two-day passes are $23. Tickets purchased at the gate will be $8 noon-4pm and $15 evenings and weekends. (Insider's tip: Look for coupons in the local paper to get discounts on tickets.)
Crowd: About one million
Transportation You can park for free at one of 11 park-and-ride lots listed on the festival's site and take the Freeway Flyer to Summerfest for $6 roundtrip. Shuttles are also available to take you from downtown Milwaukee for $3 roundtrip. Grade: A
Where To Stay Hotels range from $40 a night (Motel 6) to $189 (Hotel Metro). Grade: B
Getting Around It takes a while to get between stages, and as there are always five or six acts going on at the same time, you might have to pick and choose what you see. Grade: D
Food Lots of options: Fish and chips ($6), Gyros $5.50, salads ($5), chicken wings ($3), etc. Bottled water is $2.50. Grade: B
Facilities: Bathrooms are standing stations much like beach bathrooms-- lots of stalls and sinks. Water fountains are located throughout the grounds. There is also a respite area with a shower, and an air-conditioned area for when you get too damned hot. Grade: A
X-Factor: It's "The World's Biggest Music Festival!!!" Translation: The biggest bang for your buck, with 550 acts over a period of 11 days -- more than any other festival listed here.
Pitchfork Music Festival
History: Pitchfork's music fest was organized by indie-rock news source Pitchfork Media in 2006. Although this festival is young, it has gained popularity as the indie music fan's mecca, booking many smaller acts that do not perform at other festivals.
Where: Union Park, Chicago
Dates: July 13th -- 15th
Lineup: Sonic Youth, Cat Power, Girl Talk, De La Soul, Stephen Malkmus, New Pornographers, Iron and Wine, Grizzly Bear, Of Montreal, The Ponys and more
Tickets: On sale now. Three day passes are $50, Two day passes are $35, Saturday and Sunday single day passes are $25, and Friday single day passes are $15.
Crowd: 40,000 over two days (although this year attendance is expected to go up 50% due to the addition of a special, All Tomorrow's Parties-sponsored "Don't Look Back" day during which several bands will be performing classic albums in their entirety.
Transportation The festival is just west of the Chicago Loop so public transportation is the best way to go by bus or train and the festival provides bike racks if you want to ride your bike. Grade: B
Where To Stay Downtown Chicago hotels can get pretty pricey; The cheapest we found was $129 for the Red Roof Inn, but there is a hostel -- HI-Chicago -- where you can stay for an amazing $31 a night if you're willing to rough it. Grade: B
Getting Around The festival has alternating performances on stages that are right next to each other. You can literally be standing in front of one stage, turn to your right and see a different performer. It might be sensory overload, but at least you won't have to jog to catch the next act. Grade: A
Food Food and beverages are not allowed within the festival grounds with the exception of sealed bottled water. However lots of options are available, such as items provided by Whole Foods and a handful of local restaurants. A variety of yummy foods can be had for as little as $3. Bottled water is $1 -- a rarity for festivals. Grade: A
Facilities Port-a-potties, wash sinks, and water fountains are located throughout the park. Port-a-potties are emptied daily (not the always the case elsewhere). Grade: B
X-Factor: This year, Sonic Youth will perform Daydream Nation all the way through on opening night.
Rocklahoma
History: This is the festival's inaugural year, and judging from the lineup, something tells us that it's trying to become the official metal destination fest. Its calling card seems to be bands that many of us haven't listened to (in public) since the early 90s.
Where: Pryor, Oklahoma
Dates: July 13th -15th
Lineup: Poison, Ratt, Vince Neil, Warrant, Slaughter, L.A. Guns, Winger, Dokken, Jackyl, Faster Pussycat, Firehouse
Tickets: On sale now. Single day passes are $30 and three-day passes are $70 until April 9th. After April 9th, single day passes are $40 and three day pasess are $90.
Crowd: 50,000
Transportation The only option is to drive to this venue since parking is available and public transportation is not. Grade: C
Where To Stay Hotels in the area range from $40 a night (Days Inn) to $99 a night (Comfort Inn Suites), but there aren't many in Pryor so they get booked up quickly. (Insider's tip: Tulsa is 30 miles from the venue and has more places to stay. There will also be camping areas available for $30 for all three days with room for 4,000 campers.) Grade: C
Getting Around One giant stage (the largest in all of Oklahoma and Texas) will feature all the major acts so you won't have to make your way across the grounds to catch the main performers. Tents with smaller local acts are within minutes of each other. Grade: A
Food Typical festival fare: burgers and hotdogs ($4), beer ($3), bottled water goes for $2.
Facilities: A Port-a-potties with sinks, water fountains, misting tents, and the camping area has 60 showers. Grade: D
X-Factor: Did you not see the lineup?
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Lollapalooza
History: Lollapalooza was conceived and executed by former Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell in 1991. Originally a touring festival, Lolla began to lose popularity by the late 90s and the 1998 shows were cancelled altogether. In 2003 it was revived as a destination festival and has been held in Chicago's Grant Park ever since.
Where: Grant Park, Chicago
Dates: August 3rd -- 5th
Lineup: Official lineup announced April 12th. Confirmed acts include: Pearl Jam, !!!, Annuals, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, David Vandervelde, LCD Soundsystem, Peter Bjorn and John, The Roots and more
Tickets: On sale April 3rd
Buy Tickets
Crowd: 65,000 a day
Transportation There is no parking provided by the festival and local parking garages can get pricey. Your best bet is to take public transportation since Lollapalooza is smack in the middle of Chicago, best accessed from the El train. Grade: B
Where To Stay Hotels in Chicago are pricey and start at $135 a night (Best Western), but there is a hostel called Hi-Chicago where you can stay for as low as $30 a night. Grade: B
Getting Around The biggest stages are on opposite ends of the park -- about one mile apart -- so if you want to make it to see all the major acts, you might never be able to see a full set. Grade: C
Food Chicago style deep-dish pizza, hot dogs, and items from the organic farmer's market will cost between $4 and $8. Bottled water goes for $3. Grade: C
Facilities Port-a-potties, water fountains and hand sinks with soap are available. Last year the sinks ran out of water by late afternoon, so bring your own hand-sanitizer as a backup. Grade: A
X-Factor: The festival is smack in the middle of Chicago, so you're within walking distance of everything the city has to offer -- including bars and restaurants. After each day ends, you aren't stuck in the middle of nowhere, In fact, you're steps from Buckingham Fountain and the beautiful lakefront.
Bumbershoot
History: Bumbershoot (slang "umbrella"), takes place both indoors and out, and has been run by the city of Seattle since 1973. The festival was free until 1980 when the city stopped financing it.
Where: Seattle, Washington
Dates: September 1st-3rd
Lineup: The Shins, Wu Tang Clan, Panic! At The Disco, Crowded House, DeVotchka, Plain White T's, Lupe Fiasco, Gogol Bordello and more
Tickets: Go on sale this summer.
Crowd: 150,000
Transportation There will be parking, bicycle racks, and shuttle service available to the festival from downtown and North Seattle. Bumbershoot can also be reached by bus, monorail, or ferry. Bus or train will take you from the airport or Greyhound station.Grade: A
Where To Stay Hotels in the area start around $69 a night (Days Inn) and go as high as $345 (Grand Hyatt). Grade: C
Getting Around The festivals is about 74 acres and has indoor and outdoor stages, but it never really takes more than five minutes to get from one stage to the other in the main area. Grade: B
Food All manner of food is available: Indian, Thai, and Mexican treats plus festival standards like corndogs, hot dogs, and pizza -- all of which cost under $10. Bottled water goes for about $3. You can also bring in your own food and drink (non-alcoholic). Grade: B
Facilities In additon to outdoor port-a-potties, there iare some indoor restrooms. Water fountains are located by each of the stages. Grade: B
X-Factor: The lineup is incredibly diverse. Where else can you see Panic! At the Disco, Wu Tang, and The Shins in the same day?
Austin City Limits
History: Put on in collaboration with the PBS television show, Austin City Limits "the festival" has been active since 2002 and is produced by Capitol Sports and Entertainment and Charles Attal Presents, who also co-produces Lollapalooza.
Where: Austin, Texas
Dates: September 14th - 16th
Lineup: Official lineup has not yet been announced, but Kings of Leon, Wilco, Bloc Party, Asleep at the Wheel, and Robert Earl Keen are among the rumored performers.
Tickets: Last year, a one-day pass cost about
$55. Tickets go on sale April 17th.
Buy Tickets
Crowd: 65,000 a day
Transportation Although there is no parking offered, free shuttle buses will take you between Republic Square and the festival grounds. There will also be bicycle racks and a drop-off area designated for cabs. Grade: B
Where To Stay There are no on-site camping areas. Hotels/motels start around $50 a night, but you must book far in advance. Grade: C
Getting Around The two main stages are about 7 minutes' walk away from each other. Grade: B
Food Steak sandwiches and falafels go for about $6. All food items in the food court range from $4 to $6. Bottled water is $2. Grade: B
Facilities Port-a-potties, hand sanitizers, and water fountains. Grade: B
X-Factor: The festival takes place in huge green park, and it's also right in the middle of scenic Austin.