Three months of music

June 14, 2009

Three Months of Music
Annual Summer Concerts Preview

By Kristi Kates 6/15/09

It’s June, music fans, which means we’ve got your yearly roundup of the summer concert and festival events taking place around the country and around the world, so wherever you are, you’ll be able to catch the best live shows of summer 2009.
We’re halfway through the first month of summer, so let’s get right to it - we’ll start things off Stateside, and then show you what’s going on overseas, too.

JUNE’S TUNES:
Bonnaroo Festival, June 11-14, Manchester TN (www.bonnaroo.com)
Bonnaroo offers, of course, camping, and that whole outdoorsy experience, which this year includes sets from Bruce Springsteen, Phish, Galactic, Wilco, Al Green, Ben Harper, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Gomez, Citizen Cope, and Snoop Dogg.

Rock the Garden, June 20, Minneapolis MN (http://minnesota.publicradio.org/)
The Decemberists, Calexico, Yeasayer, and Solid Gold are the quartet that will entertain the crowds at this year’s big Rock the Garden event in Minneapolis, with the rilly big shew starting at 4 in the afternoon and running until 10 pm.

Summerfest, June 25-July 5, Milwaukee WI (www.summerfest.com)
With its varied roster, Summerfest aims to offer something for everyone, whether you like the stylings of Stevie Wonder, Spoon, The Roots, Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, Elvis Costello, or buzz band The Airborne Toxic Event.

JULY’S JAMS:
Comerica City Fest, July 1-5, Detroit MI (www.newcenter.com/cityfest)
The Motor City may be a little short on cars, but hey, they’ve got a few decent bands, including this year’s Comerica lineup of Todd Rundgren, Deastro, The Handsome Furs, The Veronicas, and retro-returnees De La Soul.

Pitchfork Music Festival, July 17-19, Chicago IL (www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com)
Pitchfork is the smaller hipster sibling to the Lollapalooza fest that’ll take over the Windy City in August, this year showcasing music from the likes of Yo La Tengo, The National, The Walkmen, Lindstrom, The Thermals, and M83.

Warped Tour, July 17-19, Camden NJ and Uniondale NY (www.warpedtour.com)
Be prepared for plenty of crowd-surfing and slam-dancing at this punk extravaganza, which is trashing all stages with the likes of Flogging Molly, Anti-Flag, Bouncing Souls, Less Than Jake, NOFX, and Westbound Train, among others.

Siren Music Fest, Saturday, July 19, Coney Island NY (http://siren.villagevoice.com/siren)
Complete with its yearly mermaid theme, Siren not only presents music from Raveonettes, Monotonix, Built to Spill, Future of the Left, and Micachu, but also offers a chance to grab a Nathan’s famous hot dog and check out the Coney Island rides.

10,000 Lakes Music Festival, July 22-24, Detroit Lakes MN (www.10klf.com)
Many lakes, many bands (well, perhaps not quite as many bands) in a pretty Midwestern setting that plays host to Dave Matthews, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, The Ragbirds, Kinetix, and the rootsy Railroad Earth.

All Points West, July 31-August 2, Liberty State Park NJ (www.apwfestival.com)
Taking over the park with some of the hippest acts of the year, including Coldplay, Beastie Boys, The Ting Tings, MGMT, Black Keys, Elbow, We Are Scientists, Ghostland Observatory, Chairlift, The Cool Kids, and Mogwai.

AUGUST’S ACE:
Lollapalooza, August 7-9, Chicago IL (www.lollapalooza.com)
One of the biggest summer fests each year in nearby Chicago, and the only rilly big shew of August; the 2009 edition includes plenty of big names, among them The Killers, Beastie Boys, Kings of Leon, The Decemberists, Lou Reed, Ben Folds, Ra Ra Riot, Of Montreal, Crystal Castles, and Kaiser Chiefs.

ON TO EUROPE:

Meltdown Fest, June 13-21, London England http://meltdown.southbankcentre.co.uk/
Meltdown encompasses several London venues, and also names a curator to choose each year’s performers - 2009’s curator, Ornette Coleman, picked The Roots, Yo La Tengo, Baaka Maal, Moby, and Yoko Ono’s Plastic Ono Band.
Glastonbury, June 24-28, Glastonbury England www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
Glastonbury takes up 900 acres of space, and also features dance, comedy, theater, cabaret, and other arts and performances along with its roster of bands such as this year’s Blur, Jarvis Cocker, Franz Ferdinand, and Maximo Park.

Roskilde, July 2-5
www.roskilde-festival.dk/
Roskilde started as a hippie fest in 1971, but today covers a much more mainstream roster of pop and rock acts, with all the stages unusually contained in giant tents; 2009 will present Fleet Foxes, Kanye West, and Faith No More.

Rock Werchter, July 2-5, Werchter Belgium www.rockwerchter.be
Belgium’s largest music festival is in its 36 year, and has actually been run by American festival organizers Live Nation since 2003; the 2009 edition of the event will include Coldplay, Fleet Foxes, Franz Ferdinand, and Elbow.

Montreux Jazz Festival, July 3-18, Montreux Switzerland
www.montreuxjazz.com
The first Montreux Jazz Fest in 1967 featured mostly - duh - jazz musicians. But it began broadening its roster in the ‘70s, and this year will showcase the likes of Mos Def, Underworld, Simian Mobile Disco, Lauryn Hill, and Klaxons.
Sziget Fest, August 12-17, Budapest Hungary www.szigetfestival.com
Held on Obudai Island (or “sziget”) in the Danube, this fests’ attendees consist mostly of music fans from Hungary, France, and the UK; this year they’ll be listening to Franz Ferdinand, Morcheeba, Manic St. Preachers, and Fatboy Slim.

V Fest, August 22-23, Chelmsford and Staffordshire England www.vfestival.com
The Richard-Branson-helmed V Fest is well known for its loyal audience, short lines, and organized schedules, of which this year’s bands include The Streets, Elbow, Jet, Dizzee Rascal, The Killers, Fatboy Slim, and MGMT.

Reading and Leeds, August 28-30, Berkshire/West Yorkshire England www.leedsfestival.com and www.readingfestival.com
The English Reading and Leeds share the same weekend, and attendees often wear mud boots to both of these field fests, which also share the same roster. This year it includes Kaiser Chiefs, Glasvegas, Maximo Park, and Maccabees.