Music festivals are a staple of the live music scene. More than just a single-night concert, fans see two, three, four, days and nights of music. Road trips are taken, alcohol is ingested and someone in every group comes home with an embarrassing story. With the sun finally beaming and students coming out of hibernation, music festival season is here.
Lollapalooza—Chicago, Ill., Aug. 2-4
Lake Michigan on one side and the Michigan Avenue skyline on the other, Lollapalooza’s placement is essential to the experience. It’s in the heart of the city, yet there’s more than enough room to breathe—until you make your way to one of the eight stages.
Headlined by ’80s and ’90s rockers The Cure and Nine Inch Nails, new wave pop bands The Killers, Vampire Weekend and Phoenix, as well as Grammy-winning superstars Mumford & Sons, Lollapalooza does a nice job avoiding becoming a one-trick pony. The punk and grunge scenes that used to take a back seat in the media, but dominate Lollapalooza’s lineups are no longer—now replaced by an eclectic list of bands that get regular radio play. This includes an increasing number of electronic and hip-hop acts, such as Steve Aoki and Kendrick Lamar.
Although Lollapalooza is a purely music festival, unlike some other summer festivals that bring in comedians or film, it in one way or another caters to just about every music fan, which makes for a crowd almost as entertaining as the music. A full-fledged ho-down took place last year, after the Midwest monsoon wreaked havoc on the festival (I took refuge in a parking garage along with a man named ‘Blaze’ who had more body hair than clothing). Walking from stage to stage you pass armies of snap-backed bros, as well as nostalgia-struck 40-somethings.
If you can stand Chicago’s humid August heat—and have upwards of $300 to spend on the now sold-out tickets—it’s tough to have a bad day at Lollapalooza. Find your niche, be it bro, hippie or head-banger, and plan your day. Even when you can’t seem to find a band that suits your fancy, grab a surprisingly cheap slice of Lou Malnati’s pizza and take some time to sit in the grass and lose yourself in the atmosphere.
Summerfest—Milwaukee, Wis., June 26-30/July 2-7
Summerfest puts people in a weird position. General admission is just $15, but to get to the main, headliner stage, it’s an extra $40. Thus begins the game of deciding if the headliners are worth it to you. Fun., Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, John Mayer, The Eagles and others will be playing on the main stage. Are they worth the extra toll?
If not, there’s still not much to complain about. You can still see any of the other shows on the grounds over the two week period. Outside the main stage, Summerfest is mainly hosting bands with the “one song on that one album” tag, with no clear headliner, but a few bigger names will be there. AWOLNATION, Imagine Dragons and Atlas Genius, dreamy experimental bands MGMT and Silversun Pickups, as well as seven-hour-set jam bands O.A.R. and Guster will be in attendance.
Unlike Lollapalooza, drunk high schoolers are a rarity at Summerfest—replaced by drunk Sconnies. Though devoid of the intrinsic drug scene found at most music festivals, Summerfest is overflowing with beer taps.
The concrete setting and high-quality stages also give Summerfest an atmosphere different from other festivals. It feels a little more structured, a little more mature and a little more like you need to behave yourself.
Bonnaroo—Manchester, Tenn., June 13-16
During the four days of Bonnaroo, the city of Manchester’s population grows tenfold, as more than 80,000 people find their way to the festival. And it’s for a good reason.
Yet again, Bonnaroo’s lineup has trumped just about everyone else’s. Aside from booking many of the same great acts as Lollapalooza and Summerfest, including Mumford & Sons, Tom Petty and Kendrick Lamar, Bonnaroo has raised the bar with their other acts. Along with a stellar rap lineup (Wu-Tang Clan, R. Kelly, Nas), a killer comedy troupe (Daniel Tosh, David Cross, Weird Al), as well as a phenomenal alternative cast (The National, Wilco, Animal Collective), Bonnaroo saw it fit to bring in Paul McCartney, if you’re familiar.
Even the lesser-known bands would get a prominent billing at many other festivals. Japandroids, Portugal. The Man and Tame Impala—three bands with bright futures ahead of them, also found themselves on the bill.
But what about the vibe, man? Bonnaroo maybe draws the biggest horde of hippies of any summer music festival. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but fair warning: Leave your glow sticks at home. You’d be outnumbered. Bonnaroo is also not for the uptight. Be prepared to sleep by bearded strangers dropping acid in the tent next to you at your campground. Fortunately, everyone seems to respect the sanctity of the music and the festival remains peaceful.
The lengthy walks from your campground to Centeroo—the festival’s vending hub—can be a bit deflating, especially at night after a long day under the sun. But if you can handle the environment, and if you can buy into the camaraderie, Bonnaroo’s music and comedy lineup is too good to pass up.
