The Coolest Location
When: Aug. 3-5
Where: Grant Park, Chicago
Cost: $195
Do not miss: Pearl Jam, Daft Punk, Muse, Iggy & the Stooges, Modest Mouse, Interpol, My Morning Jacket, the Roots, Kings of Leon, the Black Keys, Regina Spektor, Lupe Fiasco, TV on the Radio, LCD Soundsystem, Femi Kuti, Yo La Tengo, !!!, Son Volt, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Rhymefest, Cold War Kids, Chin Up Chin Up.
Make an effort to see: Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Snow Patrol, Spoon, Paolo Nutini, Amy Winehouse, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Slightly Stoopid, Stephen Marley, M.I.A., Blonde Redhead, Polyphonic Spree, Peter Bjorn & John, Silversun Pickups, Cansei De Ser Sexy (CSS), the Rapture, the Wailers, Tapes n' Tapes, the Fratellis, Ghostland Observatory, Tokyo Police Club, Electric Six.
Located inbetween Lake Michigan and the beautiful architecture of Chicago, and having the ablity to watch the sun set over the Sears Tower while listening to some of the greatest music in modern times has made Lollapalooza one of the best music festivals over the last two years. 2007 will be no different with Pearl Jam playing their first U.S. festival in over seven years, and Daft Punk will hopefully play a set reminiscent of their epic stand at last year's Coachella Music Festival. Be prepared to sweat this year as the Roots, LCD Soundsystem, Femi Kuti, !!! and CSS will be sure to keep you dancing throughout the weekend. Also, don't forget Lollapalooza's rock roots as Muse, Iggy & the Stooges, the Kings of Leon, Snow Patrol and Modest Mouse with Johnny Marr in tow will be sure to entice you to crowd surf in the hot Chicago sun.
For the Hipster Hippies
When: June 14-17
Where: Manchester, Tenn.
Cost: $214.50
Do not miss: The Police, Tool, the White Stripes, Wilco, the Flaming Lips, Manu Chao Radio Bemba Sound System, the Roots, Ween, Kings of Leon, Wolfmother, Regina Spektor, the Black Keys, Feist, Hot Chip, Aesop Rock, Tortoise, Cold War Kids, the Nightwatchman, Girl Talk, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Lewis Black & Friends, David Cross, Dave Attell.
Make an effort to see: Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Bob Weir & Ratdog, Damien Rice, Gov't Mule, Ziggy Marley, the Decemberists, Michael Franti & Spearhead, DJ Shadow, Lily Allen, John Butler Trio, Dierks Bentley, Gogol Bordello, Clutch, Dr. Dog, Paolo Nutini, the Slip, Martha Wainwright, Mute Math, Uncle Earl, El-P, Pete Yorn.
Always impressive and rather spectacular, Bonnaroo has been trying to shed its ""dirty, smelly hippy"" image over the past two years by bringing a more diversified array of artists to the fields of Tennessee. If you weren't able to sell your kidney for Police tickets this summer, fear not for they will perform their signature reggae-smothered punk in front of a crowd that for the most part wasn't born when their breakthrough debut, Outlandos d'Amour, was released in 1978. Be sure to check out the White Stripes, who will be performing this summer in support of their new album, Icky Thump. Also be sure not to miss indie-dance punks Hot Chip, for they generated an overwhelming amount of good press between last year's The Warning, and what many are calling a breakthrough performance at this year's Coachella Music Festival.
Summer on the Coasts
When: July 28-29 (New York), Aug. 11 (San Bernardino), Aug. 18 (San Francisco)
Where: Randall's Island (New York), Nos Events Center (San Bernardino), McCover Cove Parking Lot (San Francisco)
Cost: $83 (New York), $76 (San Bernardino & San Francisco)
Do not miss: Rage Against the Machine, Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy, the Roots, Nas, Mos Def, MF Doom, Immortal Technique, the Coup.
Make an effort to see: Cypress Hill, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Sage Francis, Blackalicious, Murs, Jedi Mind Tricks, Brother Ali, Mr. Lif, Blueprint.
Rock the Bells floored the music industry with the release of this year's lineup. A reunited Rage Against the Machine will perform alongside like-minded company, who are also some of the most important, outspoken artists of our generation. What makes Rock the Bells so exciting is the potential each artist has for possible onstage collaborations with other artists. Don't be surprised if Public Enemy's Chuck D and Cypress Hill's B Real sit in with Rage, or if Wu-Tang's Ghostface Killah sits in with MF Doom, as the two's collaboration album, Swift & Changeable will be released this year. Be sure not to miss the socio-political orientated Immortal Technique, and everyone that witnessed the Coup's Terrace debut this semester will probably agree that they are a must-see. Just so you know: Unless you are looking for your ass to get kicked, be sure to leave your 2004 Republican National Convention t-shirt at home.
Easy on the Wallet
When: July 13-15
Where: Chicago, Union Park
Cost: Three-day passes cost $50, Friday night costs $15, Saturday and Sunday individual passes cost $25, and a Saturday/Sunday pass costs $35.
Do not miss: Sonic Youth, Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues, Clipse, Iron and Wine, Girl Talk, the New Pornographers, Stephen Malkmus, De La Soul, Of Montreal.
Make an effort to see: GZA/Genius, Yoko Ono, Grizzly Bear, the Sea and Cake, Deerhunter, the Ponys.
In collaboration with All Tomorrow's Parties, the Pitchfork Music Festival will start off with a bang by having Sonic Youth perform their brilliant 1988 album, Daydream Nation, in its entirety. Be sure not to miss Cat Power and Iron and Wine on Saturday, since they are known for putting on fantastic performances. Everyone who saw Girl Talk at Club 770 knows that a constant party follows him wherever he goes. The New Pornographers will undoubtly rock Union Park along with Stephen Malkmus and De La Soul who will show PMF the reason why they are one of the most respected hip-hop groups to have ever existed.
The Big One
When: June 28- July 8
Where: Milwaukee, Summerfest Grounds
Cost: $15 on weekends and after 4 p.m. $8 before 4 p.m. on weekdays. Shows at the Marcus Amphitheater require a separate ticket whose cost ranges depending on performer.
Do not miss: Tool (Marcus Amphitheater), Roger Waters (Marcus Amphitheater), Built To Spill, Femi Kuti, the Wailers, Buddy Guy, ""Weird Al"" Yankovic, the Black Crowes, B.B. King, Peter Frampton.
Make an effort to see: John Mayer, Ben Folds and Brett Dennen (Marcus Amphitheater), Shiny Toy Guns, Silversun Pickups, Plain White T's, Spoon, Umphrey's McGee, Guster, Heart.
Tucked into the heart of Milwaukee, Summerfest is no longer the place for you to go as a high schooler and get wasted. The 2007 summer brings one of the strongest Summerfest line-ups in recent memory with Pink Floyd's Roger Waters performing all of The Dark Side of the Moon, and Tool coming to Wisconsin for the first time since their cancelled show at the Kohl Center this past fall. Blues fans be sure not to miss Buddy Guy and B.B. King, for they probably wont be with us for much longer. For a taste of some good, new music, check out Shiny Toy Guns and the Silversun Pickups, both of whom are making names for themselves as of late.
The Local Hangout
When: All Summer
Where: The Terrace, Memorial Union
Cost: Free
Do not miss: Seu Jorge (6/16), Seun Kuti (6/27), the Hold Steady (8/2).
Make and effort to see: Grace Potter & the Nocturnals (6/14), the Cinematics w/ Chin Up Chin Up (6/21).
Every summer it seems like the Terrace is the place to be for great music in Madison. Between the constantly flowing good beverages, a cool breeze coming off the lake and some of the best tunes on any given weekend in all of Wisconsin, it is not a surprise that the Terrace wins ""Best Music Venue"" awards every year in local polls. So if you are staying in Madison this summer and are upset that you can't make it to any festivals, fear not because the Wisconsin Union Directorate Music Committee always brings the best musical talent to the best summer hangout every year.
