Jerk's Summer 2015 Festival Guide
There’s only one way to survive these fucking harsh winters here in Syracuse and that’s daydreaming about summer. And what’s the best part of summer? Outdoor summer concerts. There’s no better vibes than those found at a music festivals: good music, good friends, and good beer. To help you forget the snow falling outside your window, here's your summer guide to the best music festivals around the country right here – festival season is only a few months away.
1. Bonnaroo. Once you’ve been to Bonnaroo, nicknamed “the farm,” you become a groupie and feel compelled to go every year. The lineup this year is unique in the fact that it ranges from Billy Joel to Kendrick Lamar to Deadmau5 to Mumford and Sons. Attending ‘roo, you get an entire spectrum of different genres of music while lounging on blankets on the lawn with your buddies and camping out at night. Everything is so laid back and chill, you’re guaranteed to have a good time. Some acts that are the most exciting to me are Childish Gambino, Flume, Alabama Shakes, Florence and The Machine, Atmosphere, and the list goes on and on. Bonnaroo takes place in Manchester, Tennessee during the weekend of June 11 to 14.
2. The Governors Ball Gov Ball has a totally different feel from Bonnaroo because it takes place in New York City as opposed to bumblefuck nowhere. Taking place June 5 to 7, The Governors Ball also has a very eclectic lineup, with Drake headlining alongside Lana Del Rey (all hail the queen), The Black Keys, and once again, Deadmau5. Some other acts to look out for are Vance Joy, singer of the hit song “Riptide,” Conor Oberst, a personal favorite of mine, Bright Eyes, Logic, Odesza, Angus and Julia Stone. I almost passed out looking at this lineup because there are so many amazing artists and I’d definitely say it’s one of the best ones in the league. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet you should now, because I guarantee that there’s at least one artist that you already love on this lineup, and many that you’d love after attending the concert.
3. Firefly Firefly takes place in Dover, D.E. on June 18 to 21. Although this atmosphere is similar to Bonnaroo, the e
e-up is totally different from both Bonnaroo and The Governors Ball. The headliners consist of Kings of Leon, The Killers, Zedd, Snoop Dogg, and Foster the People. Modest Mouse is going to be a huge hit at the festival, since they’re new album Strangers to Ourselves is coming out this march, along with Matt and Kim who are coming out with a new album in April and AWOLNATION releasing an album in March. Kygo will be at Firefly, and he is huge in the EDM scene right now, and one of my favorite DJs, along with Steve Aoki. Sublime with Rome, The Dirty Heads, and Citizen Cope are all acts that will be performing that have a reggae feel, guaranteed to produce good vibes. Spoon, Bastille, Empire of The Sun, and Bad Suns are some indie acts to look out for. Once again, I could go on and on about this lineup because there are so many amazing acts from many different genres.
4. Osheaga Osheaga is a Canadian music festival in Montreal, which incorporates French, American, and Canadian artists. It takes place this year from July 31- August 2, and although the full lineup has not been released yet, the artists that have been released are killer. First off there’s Stromae. Although Stromae is a Belgian singer-song writer and most of his songs are sung in French, they are guaranteed to make you groove. Listen to “Papaoutai” and “Tous Les Mêmes” and you’ll be addicted to the poppy funky beat. If Stromae puts you in a groovy mood, you can also see Kygo perform here, who as I said before, always has amazing beats. Milky Chance is headlining, known for their song “Stolen Dance,” and although they are not necessarily ‘reggae’ they give a very reggae feel, for they’re super laid-back and just relaxing to listen to. The Avett Brothers, an indie band known for their romantic soft lyrics will be there, along with ScHoolboy Q who I wouldn’t mind seeing again after Juice Jam, and Marina and The Diamonds who is coming out with a new album that is expected to be released in April. Get your passports ready! Osheaga is definitely worth it.
5. Neon Desert Neon Desert in El Paso, Texas, has some really good rap, and hip-hop acts that you can vibe to as you bake in the hot Texan sun. The headliner is J.Cole, who’s latest album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, is straight fire. Earl Sweatshirt from Odd Future is performing along with PARTYNEXTDOOR who has recently been to the SU campus as well. G-Eazy is another hip-hop artist to look out for that will be at Neon Desert. For more reggae vibes, one can watch Slighty Stoopid perform, a band that has been around for a while but still can instantly make me happy with their carefree music. Lastly, Passion Pit is also headlining, which will be exciting since their new album Kindred is expected to be released at the end of April.
6. Coachella Coachella in California is probably the biggest music festival in the nation – so legendary that it takes up two weekends instead of just one. Celebrities are known to flock to this music festival, and nothing makes a person happier than listening to their favorite artists under the beautiful, Californian sun. Besides the weather just being amazing, the festival has probably the most beautiful location for a music festival, with palm trees everywhere you look. The lineup is massive, beginning with ACDC to make you nostalgic, and then following with these talented artists: Alt-J, Brand New (my favorite band of all time !!), Circa Survive, David Guetta, Hozier, Interpol, Kaskade, Lights, Lykke Li, Oliver Heldens, Ratatat, St. Lucia, Steely Dan, Sylvan Esso, The Weeknd, Trippy Turtle, Tyler The Creator, plus so many more. Coachella is your normal fun, wild, music festival but on steroids.
Art by Shawna Rabbas