what festival is next on your list?

[Screw_Michigan]

music festivals are hit or miss for many of us. for you old fucks (MIKEY), it just might not be worth it anymore to hang around with 200k other people in triple-digit temperatures for an all-day or multi-day festival when you're barely going to be able to see the band in person anyway. and for many of us, when you get used to seeing sweet bands in small venues, the experience might not be the same anymore.

while my enthusiasm for seeing as many festivals as possible has waned, there's still two or three i want to hit:

1) AUSTIN CITY LIMITS

other than SXSW, ACL, to me, is the best festival going on. year after year it features the best lineup of indie, alt-country and rock artists. last year alone featured: bob dylan, the arcade fire, wilco, muse, my morning jacket, queens of the stone age, bloc party, spoon, the decemberists, regina spektor, lcd soundsystem, clap your hands say yeah, bela fleck, the national, yo la tengo and the heartless bastards just to name a few. awesome location in the middle of austin and the after-party shows are the stuff of legends. it's the most bang you can get for your festival $.

2) VEGOOSE

another outstanding festival still making a name for itself. being out in vegas never sucks, location wise, and there were a number of outstanding bands there last year as well. the timing of the festival, the last week of october, is crucial since it's blistering hot in southern nevada during the summer, obviously.

3) COACHELLA

with a lineup almost as good as ACL, coachella has made a name for itself as so cal's festival. big downer for the festival being held when it's regularly pushing 100 degrees in the cali desert. having belle and sebastian at your festival is worth huge points.

Honorable mentions: bonnaroo for the drugs, the Gorge festival in washington, lollapalooza at grant park in chicago and south by southwest.

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

Last year's Bonnaroo roster might have been the single greatest concert lineup ever assembled. It was all I could do to keep from just saying "fuck it," dropping everything, and flying out there last minute. I think I would have if any of my friends had been up for it. I'll probably always regret not going.

If the oft-denied rumors of a Led Zep reunion for this year's festival ultimately prove to be true, I definitely won't make the same mistake twice...

[Dinsdale]

the Gorge festival in washington

ARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!



Sorry, you just invoked the auto-rant.


I might even have to boycott the amphitheater in George until they change the name.


The "Gorge" Amphitheater is nofuckingwhere near the Gorge. Not even close. Like probably around 150 miles away, give or take. If it was in the Northeast, it would be a couple of states over.

But since it is adjacent to the Columbia River, some retarded douchewit decided that it would be cool to name it after a landmark 100+ miles away. I dunno... how ever many miles it is after you pass the sign that says "Leaving Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area"... it's at least 100 miles.


OK, a map check shows it's about 175. So yeah, I guess the amphitheater is kind of in the Gorge, only completely different and nowhere near it.


There is an amphitheater in the Gorge -- at Maryhill Winery (which used to be Sam Hill, but is now Maryhill.... and the origin of the expression "what in the Sam Hill?"

And then you get the people who travel, and tell you about/blog about how beautiful "The Gorge" is. Even though they've never been there.


ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!


Pet peeve... again... sorry.


BTW-their camping setup/rules blow huge ass. If anyone ever does travel there for a show (I guess that's everyone, since no one really lives near there... or no one worth mentioning), find a place off-site to camp. It's a wasteland -- there's no shortage of room. Hope you like snakes.


For myself -- I'm sure I'll hit one of the local festivals. Maybe more than one. Too early to think about it yet. Especially since it's like 50 degrees below zero... OK, that's not quite right... but it's too fucking cold to plan festival attendence.

But anymore, I like small club shows, or the city-festivals, which have lots of stuff going on, and you can come and go. No longer into showing up and camping in front of a stage all day to keep my cool spot.

[Screw_Michigan]

Last year's Bonnaroo roster might have been the single greatest concert lineup ever assembled. It was all I could do to keep from just saying "fuck it," dropping everything, and flying out there last minute. I think I would have if any of my friends had been up for it. I'll probably always regret not going.

i didn't really give bonnaroo the credit it deserved. i do remember seeing the lineup last year and saying to myself "holy christ, that's sick." i've had a few friends who went over the years and they all had a great time, despite the hottest daytime temps you might ever feel.

have you ever been to a festival? i've been to a couple small scale ones: intonation/pitchfork in 05 in chicago and six straight full detroit electronic music festival weekends, but demf was all hotel stays and intonation was one single day, so i've never had to do the camping thing. i'd still like to take the plunge sometime.

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

Last year's Bonnaroo roster might have been the single greatest concert lineup ever assembled. It was all I could do to keep from just saying "fuck it," dropping everything, and flying out there last minute. I think I would have if any of my friends had been up for it. I'll probably always regret not going.

i didn't really give bonnaroo the credit it deserved. i do remember seeing the lineup last year and saying to myself "holy christ, that's sick." i've had a few friends who went over the years and they all had a great time, despite the hottest daytime temps you might ever feel.

have you ever been to a festival? i've been to a couple small scale ones: intonation/pitchfork in 05 in chicago and six straight full detroit electronic music festival weekends, but demf was all hotel stays and intonation was one single day, so i've never had to do the camping thing. i'd still like to take the plunge sometime.

I've been to a few Lollapaloozas, but I've never done the multi-day camping thing either. Like you, I much prefer seeing bands play full headlining sets in smaller venues, but from what I've heard about Bonnaroo, the bands play their full sets, so I think it'd be worth it, assuming they ever put a lineup like that together again.

The Coachella lineup was just released last week. That's only a few hours from me, so it's much more feasible than going to Bonnaroo in Tennessee, but with a couple exceptions, this year's lineup looks like shit, IMO.

[Screw_Michigan]

you're right, that lineup blows. i'd pass on that.

[Truman]

*Bump*

Just pulled the trigger on Rockfest tix today.

The reunion of STfrickin'P headlines an all-day extravaganza featuring 50,000 strong celebrating the efforts of 15 bands, $5 beers, and a bounty of bodacious bare boobies in the shadow of Kansas City's Liberty Memorial.

Can't freaking wait! My 16-year-old suggested that Christmas would come sooner. This is my third-straight year in attendance, and an absolute can't miss party here in the Midwest!

Aside to RadioFan: Alterbridge was invited, but the lads will be touring Iraq instead. Mehbe next year...

http://www.kcradiogod.com/rockfest08/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Dinsdale]

http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


You may now turn green with envy, Sudden Sam and Mikey.


Did I mention it's $8 a day?

[Dinsdale]

Ohhhh yeahhhh....


Lineup for the Bite of Oregon has been announced.

And the Crazy 8's... the GREATEST CLUB BAND EVARRRRRRR...

Is commemorating the "Day of the 8's," which was an insane promotion they did here on the homefront on 8/8/1988 -- they loaded the entire 8 piece band and equipment on to a flatbed truck, and with no permits or authorization from the city, started picking random spots in congested areas, parked the truck in the middle of the street, and played a set. Like including a freeway downtown during rush hour. The 8th set of the day, they pulled up in Waterfront Park (pictured above), and had a huge bash, unannounced. They even did Party Naked, where the band encouraged the crowd to join them in removing clothing during the song... a practice we're thankful has been discontinued for reunion shows.


But bring on 8/8/08. Let us never forget the guys who took U&L partying to a whole new level (back in the days the used to be headliners at Bumbershoot).


RACK the Crazy 8's.


http://www.yousendit.com/download/TTdIZ ... aVBIRGc9PQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



And Dan Reed is doing a reunion. Someone here... Stankho, IIRC, used to be a big Dan Reed Network fan. I seem to remember something about "No one here will have heard of them, but I used to dig this band called Dan Reed Network." But since I am Dinsdale and all, I of course had to respond with "I've met Dan Reed on multiple occasions."

Because that is how I roll.