Festivals, festivals, festivals. This year, amazing bands have decided to travel throughout the country, playing at music festivals from the great state of Washington to Tennessee. Always an experience, summer music festivals afford attendees the opportunity to live through a hot and bothered, sunburnt music experience with their best buddies. So, as we gear up for the summer, we at the Daily are looking to provide you with a crash course in the music festivals that will either make or break your summer experience. Sit back and relax and, if the lineup speaks to you, you better shell out the big bucks for a ticket.
Sasquatch Music Festival
The first major summer concert kicks off in Quincy, Wash. Famous for its amazing view and relative isolation, Sasquatch will get you plenty of indie street cred. This year’s headliners include Mumford & Sons, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and Vampire Weekend. Sasquatch offers what is arguably the best selection of talented and critically acclaimed artists who are just forging a name for themselves. For instance, this year’s lineup also includes bands like Grimes and Toro Y Moi, solo electro-indie artists who are making exciting and genre-bending music. By virtue of this fact, Sasquatch will inevitably attract the most musically aware and experimental crowds.
Furthermore, Sasquatch is noted for being one of the cleanest and calmest contemporary music festivals. The camping is pristine and relaxed, and it feels a lot like camping at a national park with thousands of people. However, sadly for us East Coasters, the festival is all the way across the country. Sasquatch runs from May 24 through 27.
Bonnaroo
Arguably the best-known of the festivals this summer, Bonnaroo always has an extensive lineup, many corporate sponsors and subsequent perks and an eclectic, massive audience. Set in Manchester, Tenn., Bonnaroo is truly a summer festival — temperatures in past years have exceeded 100 degrees. Thus, camping and living on the green can be particularly taxing. However, the lineup usually makes up for it. This year it includes Paul McCartney, the Lumineers, St. Vincent & David Byrne, Animal Collective, Beach House, A$AP Rocky, Local Natives and Solange.
Bonnaroo takes place in a massive 700-acre area and typically attracts upwards of 80,000 concertgoers. Because of this, Bonnaroo is a time for you to interact with and befriend people from all different walks of life. Unfortunately, you better be willing to hike quite a ways — your camping site could easily be miles away from the main stage. However, once you get to “Centeroo,” the corporate sponsors provide exciting diversions and booth experiences in between headliners. An added perk: Bonnaroo is a four-day festival, while most others are only two days, so your money will be well worth it. Bonnaroo takes place from June 13 to June 16.
Vans Warped Tour
Riddled with the most angsty up-and-comers and a lineup of notoriously mixed quality, Warped Tour remains a tantalizing enigma. This is a touring festival, stopping in many cities throughout the United States. Perhaps the cheapest festival on the list, Warped Tour can have a surprising lineup and, to the festival’s credit, it gives each band the same attention and respect. Bands range from pop punk to reggae groups and rock nuggets, all of whom play to enthusiastic and belligerent audiences. Also, Warped Tour affords its concertgoers the most interaction with their favorite bands — and Warped Tour attendees tend to be incredibly passionate fans. The lineup this year includes all of your high-school favorites: All Time Low, Anti-Flag, New Found Glory, Rise Against and Taking Back Sunday.
Tailored to younger audiences, the festival will offer you an outlet to relive your teen years. However, because the festival typically takes place in big paved parking lots, the heat can become unbearable. Furthermore, the grungy crowd can get pretty physical and mosh pits can take over audiences. Warped Tour will run from June 15 through August 4.
The Newport Folk Festival
Located in the cradle of the indie-folk experience, Newport, R.I., the Newport Folk Festival always attracts hip audiences and even hipper bands. In its beautiful seaside venue, the Newport Folk Festival is less of a festival than it is a musical exhibition. With the attendance capped at 10,000 people and a relatively older crowd, the festival is very low-key and simple and the novelty of the venue rarely wears off. You can take a water taxi from your car to the stage. This year, the headliners are pretty incredible: Feist, The Avett Brothers and Beck.
Furthermore, the festival can be super cheap. It is not uncommon for those in the New England area to purchase a one-day pass for the festival and head back home before sunset. Many artists and musicians from the local area can be seen at the festival, sharing their art and music with willing audiences. The festival runs from July 26 to the 28.
Pitchfork Music Festival
Much like the online music magazine that sponsors the festival, the Pitchfork Festival is certainly the most musically exclusive and just the coolest festival that there is. Held in Chicago’s Union Park, the festival is three days of eccentric music and hipster heaven. This year’s headliners will be Bj:O:rk, R. Kelly and Belle & Sebastian. The festival always has something for everyone. Ranging from start-up electro-synth groups to post-punk experiments, the lineup is small but has great musical variety. The Pitchfork Festival always showcases the bands that are highlighted on the online magazine, allowing loyal fans to experience the music that the magazine so ardently endorses.
Unfortunately for people traveling long distances, the festival does not offer camping on the concert grounds. This makes Pitchfork super classy. In order to avoid spending a massive amount on hotels, many attendees crash with friends or seek out residents of Chicago willing to take in visitors online. The festival is one of the cheapest and, if you’re open to different styles and genres of music, is well worth it. It will run from July 19 to July 21.
