Sure Bonnaroo is over but there are still plenty of days left in the summer to see an intense Music Festival somewhere near you. Listed below are but a few worthwhile musical offerings of summer.
Burlington Waterfront Festival
This is a music festival I found by asking myself where Steve Earle will be playing this summer. I can only imagine discerning audiences would love to hear the music of this under-appreciated American troubador. The Burlington Waterfront Festival also features the music of: Bettye LaVette, Buddy Guy, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Roots and Tony Bennett.
July 8-19, 2009 • Ottawa, Canada
Featuring Ani DiFranco, Ben Harper, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Cake, The Drive By Truckers, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, KISS, Los Lonely Boys, Ludacris, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Shemekia Copeland, Styx.
July 2-5, 2009 • Rothbury, Michigan
Three hours from Detroit and Chicago, this sounds like a fun mid-western music festival that may or may not be located in the beautiful woods featured on their home page. The Rothbury Music Festival features such musical artists as: The Dead, Bob Dylan, The String Cheese Incident, Willie Nelson, The Black Crowes, G. Love and the Special Sauce, Gov’t Mule, Grace Potter and Ani DiFranco.
September 5-7, 2009 • Seattle, Washington
This urban arts festival has been around since 1971 and will feature such musical artists as: The All American Rejects, Brett Dennen, Michael Franti and Spearhead, De La Soul, Elvis Perkins, Sheryl Crow, Jason Mraz, Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand.
August 7-9, 2009 • Chicago, Illinois
Depeche Mode, Tool, The Killers, Jane’s Addiction, Beastie Boys, Kings of Leon, Lou Reed, Ben Harper and the Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, TV on the Radio, Vampire Weekend, Ben Folds, Of Montreal, The Decemberists, Neko Case and Ben Folds.
Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance
July 16-19, 2009 • Trumansburg, New York
Featuring Donna the Buffalo, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Bela Fleck, Toots and the Maytals and Rusted Root.
July 24-26 • Lake Tahoe, California
Featuring Michael Franti & Spearhead, Spoon, Andrew Bird, Jenny Lewis, Gillian Welch, Girl Talk and…..yoga. A bit of a stretch, but why not!
July 31-August 2, 2009 • Jersey City, New Jersey
Featuring Beastie Boys, Tool, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Black Keys, Coldplay, Vampire Weekend, Gogol Bordello, Arctic Monkeys and MGMT. Also includes non-musicians such as Janeane Garofolo and Judah Friedlander (of 30 Rock).
July 10-12, 2009 • Louisville, Kentucky
Featuring The Avett Brothers, Widespread Panic, The Black Crowes, The Black Keys, Dead Confederates, Zappa Plays Zappa and Yonder Mountain String Band.
July 24-25, 2009 • Tulsa, Oklahoma
Featuring The Black Crowes, Gogol Bordello, Blue October, Citizen Cope, Bassnectar, Metro Station, Delta Spirit and Dengue Fever.
George Wein’s Folk Festival 50
August 1-2, 2009 • Newport, Rhode Island
Featuring The Decemberists, Gillian Welch, the Avett Brothers, Pete Seeger, Iron & Wine, Arlo Guthrie, Josh Ritter, Fleet Foxes, The Del McCoury Band and Neko Case.
July 17-19, 2009 • Chicago, Illinois
Featuring Built to Spill, Yo La Tengo, The Flaming Lips, Tortoise, The Lesus Lizard, The National and The Walkmen.
August 28-30, 2009 • San Francisco, California
Featuring Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys, Dave Matthews Band, Deerhunter, Lisa Hannigan, Tom Jones, Ween and the Black Eyed Peas.
