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With everyone a year older and wiser, this season's festivals are shaping up to be even bigger and more awesome than ever. Check out last year's. Helping you sort out the mess is our annual running list of all the festival goodness North America has to offer: Total festivals: 67
February
What: Noise Pop
Where: San Francisco, CA
When: February 28-March 2
Who: The Mountain Goats, She & Him, The Walkmen, British Sea Power, Cursive, The Magnetic Fields, The Helio Sequence, Holy Fuck, The Rosebuds, Stellastarr*, MSTRKRFT, and many more
Why: Packed lineup spread out in the heart of San Fran. It's not even that cold there this early in the year.
Web: www.noisepop.com/2008
March
What: Langerado
Where: Sunrise, FL
When: March 9-11
Who: Beastie Boys, R.E.M., The Roots, tons of jam bands, The National, !!!, The Walkmen, Vampire Weekend, of Montreal, Dan Deacon, The Felice Brothers, and many more
Why: South Florida is the perfect place to hit an early-season festival. It just keeps getting bigger, drawing indie rock and pothead acts from all corners of the country. Read more in our recap from 2007 here
Web: www.langerado.com
What: South by Southwest
Where: Austin, TX
When: March 12-15
Who: A million. Again. Just look here
Why: The annual industry orgy fills Austin's Sixth Street like nothing else for four straight days, and provides countless opportunities to catch all of the newest next-big-things next door to famous acts. Read our day-by-day recap from 2007 here
Web: 2008.sxsw.com
April
What: MusicNOW
Where: Cincinnati, OH
When: April 2-5
Who: Grizzly Bear, Andrew Bird, The Dirty Projectors, Bang on a Can, and more
Why: Catch some pretty inventive indie rock acts over four days at Memorial Hall.
Web: www.musicnowfestival.org/new
What: Culture Shock
Where: Bloomington, IN
When: April 18
Who: Beach House, Mahjongg, Dead Child, Epochs, and more
Why: Because Chicago can't have all the fun, radio station WIUX throws an all-day free event in Bloomington, Indiana (though the line-up isn't as good as last year's).
Web: www.wiux.org/cultureshock.html
What: Dickson St.
Where: Fayetteville, AR
When: April 25-26
Who: Sonic Youth, Charlie Daniels, .38 Special, Shooter Jennings, Little Feat, Michael Franti and Spearhead
Why: A little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll here for two nights in Western Arkansas. Small, short, and sweet, it's one of the more intresting spring lineups.
Web: www.majesticconcerts.com/DSMF.html
What: Coachella
Where: Indio, CA
When: April 25-27
Who: Roger Waters, Portishead, Jack Johnson, Kraftwerk, The Verve, The Raconteurs, Death Cab For Cutie, My Morning Jacket, Aphex Twin, The Breeders, Justice, Fatboy Slim, Spiritualized, The Streets, Sasha & Digweed, Metric, Hot Chip, Cold War Kids, VHS or Beta, Animal Collective, Kate Nash, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Architecture in Helsinki, The Field, Spank Rock, Diplo, St. Vincent, Bonde Do Role, Rogue Wave, Jens Lekman, and many more
Why: Maybe the trendiest of all of the American summer festivals, Coachella draws a huge SoCal audience to the luxurious Palm Springs area. You're sure to bump elbows with some stars as three days of indie and mainstream acts rock tents and stages at the polo grounds.
Web: www.coachella.com
What: Norman
Where: Norman, OK
When: April 26
Who: The Polyphonic Spree, British Sea Power, The Octopus Project, Evangelicals, Grupo Fantasma, Cheyenne, Chainsaw Kittens, and more
Why: The home of Oklahoma University just put itself on the indie-rock map with a free all-day event, just outside of Oklahoma City, with Texas' Polyphonic Spree & Octopus Project, import British Sea Power, and the best band out of Oklahoma since The Flaming Lips (who are curiously not playing...), Evangelicals. Read & see more in our recap here
Web: www.normanmusicfestival.com
May
What: Beale Street
Where: Memphis, TN
When: May 2-4
Who: The Roots, The Black Crowes, Matisyahu, Santana, Lou Reed, Aretha Franklin, Sheryl Crow, My Chemical Romance, Fergie, Ben Folds, Cat Power, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Tegan & Sara, The Whigs, Lord T & Eloise, Drive By, and much more
Why: Memphis is about much more than the King of Rock 'n' Roll, as historic Beale Street plays home to a mix of blues, hip-hop, jam-band, emo, mainstream, alternative, and more, all over three days and five stages in Tom Lee Park.
Web: www.thebealestreetmusicfestival.com
What: Summer Camp
Where: Chillicothe, IL
When: May 23-25
Who: moe., The Flaming Lips, The Roots, The New Pornographers, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Girl Talk, Phonograph, and many more
Why: This jam band festival just outside Peoria is expanding this year past the usual suspects, including the event's regular, moe., to indie-rock, funk, and more.
Web: www.summercampfestival.com/2008
What: Jam On The River
Where: Philadelphia, PA
When: May 24-25
Who: The Flaming Lips, The Disco Biscuits, RJD2, Josh Ritter, Avett Brothers, and more
Why: In case you can't make it out of the northeast for Memorial Day Weekend, The City of Brotherly Love has you covered with a two-day jaunt on its historic waterfront - though the first day (Flaming Lips, RJD2, Josh Ritter) beats the second day hands-down.
Web: www.electricfactory.com/jam_on_the_river.htm
What: Sasquatch!
Where: George, WA
When: May 24-26
Who: R.E.M., The Cure, The Flaming Lips U.F.O. Show, Death Cab For Cutie, Cold War Kids, Modest Mouse, Mars Volta, Flight of the Conchords, The Breeders, The Hives, The New Pornographers, The National, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, The Kooks, Okkervil River, Destroyer, Battles, Say Hi, White Rabbits, and many more
Why: Nothing wrong with a little peace, love, and music out in the middle of Washington State to kick your summer off right.
Web: www.sasquatchfestival.com/2008
What: River-to-River
Where: Downtown Manhattan, NY
When: May 29-August 30
Who: Sonic Youth, St. Vincent, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Atlas Sound, Ulrich Schnauss, The Long Winters, Dirty Projectors, No Age, Wire, A Place to Bury Strangers, Bang on a Can Marathon, Grand Archives, White Williams, The Feelies, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Die! Die! Die!, Crystal Stilts, Telepathe, Mirah and the Spectratone International, and more - see dates in the QRO Free NYC Concert listings
Why: The most extensive of all the free outdoor summer concert series in New York, downtown Manhattan rocks from the East River to the Hudson. Events include the Friday Seaport Music series at South Street Seaport, Castle Clinton Monument, World Financial Center, and alt-icons Sonic Youth playing Battery Park on The Fourth of July! See our venue review & photos of Battery Park here - See our venue review & photos of Castle Clinton here - See our venue review & photos of South Street Seaport here - See our venue review & photos of World Financial Center here
Web: www.rivertorivernyc.com
What: Central Park Summerstage
Where: Central Park, NY
When: May 30-August 17
Who: Duran Duran, The National, Vampire Weekend, Battles, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Jamie Lidell, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Thievery Corporation, Mark Knopfler, Yeasayer, Los Lobos, Dengue Fever, Santogold, Diplo, Kid Sister, Born Ruffians, Black Dice and more - see dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: The granddaddy of outdoor New York festivals, the most famous city park in the world hosts an eclectic mix of high-minded acts, from world music to electronic to indie. See our venue review & photos of Central Park Summerstage here
Web: www.summerstage.org
June 
What: Wakarusa
Where: Lawrence, KS
When: June 5-8
Who: The Flaming Lips, CAKE, Ben Folds, Built To Spill, Buckethead, Old 97's, Tilly and the Wall, Dr. Dog, Del the Funky Homosapien, Mates of State, Bang Camaro, Stardeath and the White Dwarfs, and many more
Why: If you can't make it to one of the festivals on the coasts or big cities, you can always head to the middle of America for a solid time. See our photos here
Web: www.wakarusa.com
What: Noise For the Needy
Where: Seattle, WA
When: June 11-15
Who: Matt & Kim, YACHT, Two Gallants, Talib Kweli, The Black Angels, and more
Why: Starting off a string of Seattle festivals, and this one's for a good cause!
Web: www.noisefortheneedy.org
What: Bonnaroo
Where: Manchester, TN
When: June 12-15
Who: Pearl Jam, Metallica, Kanye West, Chris Rock, Widespread Panic, Robert Plant & Allison Krauss, My Morning Jacket, The Allman Brothers, The Raconteurs, Willie Nelson, Death Cab For Cutie, B.B. King, Sigur Ros, Cat Power, Broken Social Scene, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Iron & Wine, Tegan & Sara, !!!, Rilo Kiley, Battles, The Felice Brothers, Rogue Wave, and many more
Why: It's a southern-style musical all-star festival with huge acts from a wide variety of genres all converging on a farm in Tennessee as a sea of tents and RVs battle the heat for four days of pure bliss.
Web: www.bonnaroo.com
What: North by Northeastt
Where: Toronto, ONT, Canada
When: June 12-15
Who: The Stills, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Evan Dando, Sloan, The Besnard Lakes, French Kicks, Money Mark, Redd Kross, Swervedriver, Small Sins, The Mohawk Lodge, These New Puritans, Ladyhawk, The High Dials, and many, many more
Why: The Great White North's answer to South by Southwest, Toronto plays host to a billion acts - mostly Canadian, most you've never heard of.
Web: www.nxne.com
What: Celebrate Brooklyn
Where: Brooklyn, NY
When: June 12-August 9
Who: Bob Dylan, Feist, Spoon, Cold War Kids, Isaac Hayes, Ghostland Observatory, Beth Orton, Deerhoof, Elvis Perkins In Dearland, The Jealous Girlfriends, Brazilian Girls, Sam Champion, Extra Golden, and more - see dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: Everyone's favorite borough to give a shout-out to celebrates the 30th summer of events at the one and only Prospect Park Bandshell. See our venue review & photos of Prospect Park Bandshell here
Web: www.briconline.org/celebrate
What: POPPED!
Where: Philadelphia, PA
When: June 20-22
Who: Vampire Weekend, Daniel Johnston w/ The Capitol Years, White T's & White Belts, Mates of State, O'Death, Sam Champion, Crystal Castles, Gogol Bordello, Dan Deacon, The Ting Tings, Takka Takka, Tickley Feather, and more
Why: Philadelphia gets in on the festival act with a three-day, three-locale event. Ranging from Trocadero Theatre and World Cafe to outdoors at Drexel University, the festival feature a nice line-up of acts - though if it were in New York, it'd be free...
Web: www.poppedphiladelphia.org
What: Rock the Garden
Where: Minneapolis, MN
When: June 21
Who: Andrew Bird, The New Pornographers, Cloud Cult, and Bon Iver
Why: Some great bands from up north rock the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, as art truly meets music.
Web: calendar.walkerart.org/event.wac?id=4379
What: Make Music Pasadena
Where: Pasadena, CA
When: June 21
Who: The Raveonettes, Dengue Fever, The Little Ones, Division Day, Jesca Hoop, and more
Why: Free festivals go coast to coast as southern California simmers through the Summer Solstice.
Web: www.makemusicpasadena.org
What: Virgin Calgary
Where: Calgary, AB, Canada
When: June 21-22
Who: Stone Temple Pilots, The Flaming Lips, The New Pornographers, Stars, The Tragically Hip, Constantines, City and Colour, and more
Why: Virgin stakes its claim as the 'coolest company/brand in the world' with two music festivals in Canada (and a third in the old U.S.A.). After expanding to to the west coast last year at Vancouver, Virgin now goes to the Great White North's Conservative, oil, cattle, and guns heartland, Calgary, Alberta. While Yankees like Stone Temple Pilots and the ubiquitous festers Flaming Lips headline, the heart of festival is Maple Leaf acts.
Web: www.virginfestival.ca/calgary
What: Sled Island
Where: Calgary, AB, Canada
When: June 25-28
Who: Broken Social Scene, Tegan & Sara, Yo La Tengo, Mogwai, Okkervil River, Of Montreal, Apostle of Hustle, Grizzly Bear, Jose Gonzalez, Drive-By Truckers, Deerhunter, Portastatic, Langhorne Slim, Blitzen Trapper, The Gutter Twins, Jonathan Richman, Broken West, No Age, Headlights, The Mohawk Lodge, Jane Vain & the Dark Matter, and more
Why: Summers don't last that long up in Alberta, but Calgary's still managed to fit in two in about a week! Now in its second year, Sled Island delivers a mix of emerging and established acts, nicely divided between both sides of the border.
Web: www.sledisland.com
What: Sunset Strip
Where: Los Angeles, CA
When: June 26-28
Who: Hot Hot Heat, Louis XIV, Soul Asylum, Camper Van Beethoven, Juliette & The Licks, and more
Why: To "commemorate the musical history of the Sunset Strip", venues such as the Viper Room, Roxy Theatre and more all along the infamous boulevard will be hosting a collection of rock 'n' roll acts.
Web: www.sunsetstripmusicfestival.com
What: Citysol
Where: Stuyvesant Cove Park, NY
When: June 26-28
Who: Ecstatic Sunshine, Care Bears on Fire, Blitz the Ambassador, A-OK Collective, The Acorn, Apollo Heights, So Percussion, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, No Surrender, and more - see dates in the QRO Free NYC Concert listings
Why: The sunshine-powered SolarOne was green before it was cool, and looks set to follow up last year's eco-friendly, carbon-free fest down along the East River in lower Manhattan. The line-up's more electric, less indie-rock than last year (with a day of comedy in between) - the solar power business has been good... See our venue review & photos of Stuyvesant Cove Park here
Web: citysol.org
What: Summerfest
Where: Milwaukee, WI
When: June 26-July 6
Who: Stone Temple Pilots, Tom Petty and the Heartrbeakers, John Mellancamp, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Alicia Keys, Steve Miller Band, Taylor Swift, The Polyphonic Spree, Cracker, Matisyahu, The Roots, Thievery Corporation, Alkaline Trio, Coheed and Cambria, Rush, Dashboard Confessional, Blondie, They Might Be Giants, Gnarls Barkley, The Bravery, Rodrigo 7 Gabriela, Miranda Lambert, Old 97's, Drive-By Truckers, De Novo Dahl, Ra Ra Riot, Parlor Mob, Tiny Masters of Today, Colourmusic, and many, many more
Why: The "world's largest music festival" in Milwaukee (of course?...) goes on again, with a ton of bands over a ton of stages. The acts run roughly down Main Street in terms of genre, but with so much music, there's a wide variety - and you know the beer will be plentiful...
Web: www.summerfest.com
What: McCarren Park Pool Parties
Where: McCarren Park Pool, NY
When: June 29-August 24
Who: Yo La Tengo, The Breeders, The Hold Steady, MGMT, Matt & Kim, Black Lips, The Felice Brothers, Liars, Aesop Rock, Deerhunter, Langhorne Slim, Fuck Buttons, Titus Andronicus, Team Robespierre, The Ting Tings, Chin Chin, Panther, The Loved Ones, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Tall Firs, and more - see dates in the QRO Free NYC Concert listings
Why: In what seems likely to be its last year (of course, they said that last year about Siren Music Festival...), Brooklyn's Pool Parties come back at the one and only McCarren Park Pool. Look for Jelly NYC to close out the WPA-era community pool-turned abandoned, run-down pool-turned run-down pool refurbished enough to be a concert venue right, before The Powers That Be get their way and turn it into - shudder - an actual community pool again, starting with the borough's own Hold Steady, and ending with the biggest band on the other side of Manhattan, Hoboken's Yo La Tengo. See our venue review & photos of McCarren Park Pool here
Web: www.thepoolparties.com
July 
What: Rothbury
Where: Rothbury, MI
When: July 3-6
Who: Snoop Dogg, Dave Matthews Band, Primus, Modest Mouse, The Black Keys, John Mayer, of Montreal, Sage Francis, The Secret Machines, and many more
Why: It's on a themed ranch, so not only will the wide array of hip-hop, jamming, and indie rock mess with your head, so will people running around dressed like Tombstone extras.
Web: www.rothburyfestival.com
What: Bluesfest Ottawa
Where: Ottawa, ONT, Canada
When: July 3-13
Who: Feist, TV On the Radio, The Tragically Hip, The Black Crowes, Metric, Primus, Widespread Panic, Brian Wilson, Wyclef Jean, Donna Summer, Fergie, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Secret Machines, Ladytron, Stars, Tokyo Police Club, The Weakerthans, Jason Collett, Budos Band, Ray Davies, Melissa Ferrick, Jose Gonzalez, Hayden, The Most Serene Republic, Wintersleep, Plants and Animals, The Acorn, Born Ruffians, That 1 Guy, and many more
Why: Middle America-style wide-ranging rock 'n' roll festival heads north to the capital of Canada. While many of the biggest names come from the States, there's a very strong Maple Leaf contingent, including Feist and Metric...
Web: www.ottawabluesfest.ca/en/
What: 80/35
Where: Des Moines, IA
When: July 4-5
Who: The Flaming Lips, The Roots, Black Francis, Drive-By Truckers, Jakob Dylan, Cracker, Andrew Bird, Headlights, Colourmusic, and more
Why: Even Iowa's getting in on the festival act these days, with a nice collection of acts giving people a reason to pay attention to the state even after the Presidential caucuses are over...
Web: www.80-35.com
What: XpoNential
Where: Camden, NJ
When: July 10-13
Who: Beth Orton, Joan Osbourne, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Shelby Lynne, The Spinto Band, Dean & Britta, The War On Drugs, Amos Lee, Nicole Atkins, The Redwalls, The Shackletons, O'Death, The Budos Band, Zolof the Rock & Rock Destroyer, The Brakes, and more
Why: WXPN public radio throws a relaxed little festival on the waterfront of a Jersey town that makes Newark look good...
Web: www.xpn.org/festival08
What: Sub Pop 20th Anniversary
Where: Redmond, WA
When: July 12-13
Who: Wolf Parade, The Vaselines, Mudhoney, Iron and Wine, Low, The Helio Sequence, Foals, Flight of the Conchords, Fleet Foxes, The Ruby Suns, No Age, Grand Archives, and more
Why: The little indie label that could, turns the big 2-0 this summer, and they're throwing a party! The birthplace of grunge has grown up a lot since it's flannel-wearing early days, and they're showing it off with a line-up of their top acts from today, from Canadian alt-all-stars Wolf Parade to kiwi HBO stars Flight of the Conchords - and Mudhoney will be there to represent the ol' days, along with Nirvana's favorite band, The Vaselines, in their first-ever US performance.
Web: www.subpop.com
What: Whartscape
Where: Baltimore, MD
When: July 17-20
Who: Matmos, Beach House, Celebration, Black Dice, CEX, Oxes, Jana Hunter, Ponytail, Video Hippos, Nautical Almanac, Parts & Labor, The Death Set, Dan Deacon, Ninjasonik, Ecstatic Sunshine, White Williams, and many more
Why: A massive line-up, mostly of bands you've never heard of, but also some choice picks, with a DIY ethos - it all sounds more like a Brooklyn loft party (the likes thrown by Todd P, a fan of many of the bands listed), but it's all that even lower-market B-town, Baltimore, which is quickly making a name for itself with festivals.
Web: www.whamcity.com
What: Pitchfork
Where: Chicago, IL
When: July 18-20
Who: Public Enemy, Spoon, Animal Collective, Mission of Burma, Dinosaur Jr., Spiritualized, Jarvis Cocker, The Hold Steady, Sebadoh, !!!, M. Ward, Vampire Weekend, Les Savy Fav, The Apples in Stereo, Dirty Projectors, No Age, Fleet Foxes, Atlas Sound, Bon Iver, The Ruby Suns, Fuck Buttons, and many more
Why: Pitchfork Magazine expands outside its indie-rock homebase with a festival that reaches from experimental electronica all the way to hip-hop pioneers Public Enemy performing their ground-breaking It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (with Mission of Burma performing Vs. and Sebadoh playing Bubble and Scrape). You know what time it is!
Web: www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com
What: Siren
Where: Coney Island, NY
When: July 19
Who: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Broken Social Scene, The Helio Sequence, Islands, Beach House, Ra Ra Riot, Times New Viking, Jaguar Love, The Dodos, Annuals, Film School, Parts & Labor, Dragons of Zynth, and more - see date in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: Not even developers and gentrification can kill it! Pronounced dead a year ago, along with the 'old' Coney Island, Village Voice's annual music fest is coming back for another 'possibly final' year. Following up a strong 2007, this year has got possibly its strongest line-up yet, mixing Brooklyn locals with Canadian all-stars and a strong Matador contingent. See our recap here
Web: www.villagevoice.com/siren
What: Mile High
Where: Denver, CO
When: July 19-20
Who: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, The Black Crowes, Spoon, Steve Winwood, Flogging Molly, The Roots, Lupe Fiasco, Andrew Bird, Josh Ritter, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, The Photo Atlas and more
Why: After last year's successful first year of Monolith (see below), Colorado adds another new festival this year, this one in a much more easy-to-reach locale. Outside of a few acts, the line-up's pretty mainstream, but maybe that's a good thing, considering it's the same weekend as Pitchfork and Siren...
Web: www.milehighmusicfestival.com
What: HARD Summer Festival
Where: Los Angeles, CA
When: July 19
Who: N.E.R.D., MSTRKRFT, Spank Rock, Kid Sister, Steve Aoki, and more
Why: Down at the Shrine Auditorium is a sweet little street-heavy festival with what will turn out to be more energy and bounce than anyone can probably handle.
Web: www.hardfest.com
What: Download (San Fran)
Where: San Francisco, CA
When: July 19
Who: Atmosphere, Mute Math, M83, Yeasayer, Cut Copy, Mates of State, RJD2, Tapes 'n Tapes, Flosstradamus, The Duke Spirit, and more
Why: Download keeps on evolving (this year into three locations), and while most of these groups will be on all three stops, each is a cool one-day fest to catch a solid handful of indie studs.
Web: www.downloadfestival.com
What: Download (L.A.)
Where: Los Angeles, CA
When: July 20
Who: Atmosphere, Mute Math, M83, Yeasayer, Cut Copy, Caribou, RJD2, Tapes 'n Tapes, The Duke Spirit, and more
Why: The day after San Fran's Download, L.A. gets a slightly different lineup.
Web: www.downloadfestival.com
What: Rogers Picnic
Where: Toronto, ONT, Canada
When: July 20
Who: Cat Power, Tokyo Police Club, Vampire Weekend, Animal Collective, City and Colour, Chromeo, Born Ruffians, and more
Why: Yes, it's another festival in Toronto, this time in historic Fort York. So Canadians, don't fret if you can't make it south of the border on the weekend...
Web: www.rogerspicnic.com
What: Dfest
Where: Tulsa, OK
When: July 25-26
Who: The All-American Rejects, The Roots, The Disco Biscuits, Paramore, Ghostland Observatory, Helmet, Phantom Planet, The Apples In Stereo, The Forms, Gravity Propulsion Systems, Greg Summerlin, Cat-a-tac, Colourmusic, Ryan Lindsey, Ghost of Monkhood and more
Why: Oklahoma's biggest music festival returns for its seventh year with a mix of festival regulars and more mainstream acts.
Web: www.dfest.com
What: Capitol Hill Block Party
Where: Seattle, WA
When: July 25-26
Who: DeVotchka, Les Savy Fav, Vampire Weekend, The Hold Steady, Girl Talk, Grand Ole Party, Chromeo, Kimya Dawson, Jay Reatard, The Dodos, and several more
Why: Small, short, and sweet - Seattle's got a summer weekend of fun planned for its indie folks. Sort of a hidden gem of summer festivals, it should be nothing short of excellent.
Web: www.thestranger.com/blockparty
What: Forecastle
Where: Louisville, KY
When: July 25-27
Who: Method Man, Disco Biscuits, Dr. Dog, Tortoise, Snowden, Film School, Delvin & Darko of Spank Rock, Unwed Sailor, Pomegranates, and more
Why: Practically a veteran at this point, the seventh year of the 'progressive Midwest' music/arts/activism festival draws an eclectic mixture of acts, from hip-hop to jam band to indie-rock.
Web: www.forecastlefest.com
What: Hillside
Where: Guelph, ON, Canada
When: July 25-27
Who: Broken Social Scene, Jason Collett, Joseph Arthur, Hayden, Islands, Jaymay, The Most Serene Republic, Land of Talk, Miracle Fortress, Plants & Animals, Born Ruffians, Cowboy Junkies, The Acorn, and more
Why: Sweet-sounding Canadian indie-rock comes home to the long-running, under-rated, under-the-radar Hillside Festival.
Web: www.hillsidefestival.ca
What: Pemberton
Where: Pemberton, BC, Canada
When: July 25-27
Who: Coldplay, Tom Pety and The Heartbreakers, The Flaming Lips, Nine Inch Nails, Jay-Z, Interpol, Death Cab For Cutie, My Morning Jacket, Metric, Vampire Weekend, The Tragically Hip, Black Mountain, Minus The Bear, Wintersleep, MGMT, Fiery Furnaces, Mates of State, Chromeo, and many more
Why: In its inaugural year, Pemberton throws down a diverse line-up, from mainstream to indie, neo-hippie to hip-hop, as British Columbia tries to bring the British Britain-style festival across the pond.
Web: pembertonfestival.com
August 
What: Lollapalooza
Where: Chicago, IL
When: August 1-3
Who: Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West, Wilco, The Raconteurs, Gnarls Barkley, Bloc Party, The Black Keys, Broken Social Scene, Cat Power, The National, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Iron & Wine, Girl Talk, Jamie Lidell, Spank Rock, Rogue Wave, DeVotchKa, Nicole Atkins & the Sea, Saul Williams, Manchester Orchestra, Wild Sweet Orange, The Postelles, and many more
Why: Over the years, it's become the center stage of all of the American summer festivals, and 2008 is no different. The biggest acts, from alternative to hip-hop to mainstream, starting with the headliners and going on down.
Web: www.lollapalooza.com
What: Download (Philly)
Where: Philadelphia, PA
When: August 2
Who: The Killers, Iggy Pop & the Stooges, Atmosphere, The Stills, Brother Ali, Ghostland Observatory, and more
Why: The final of three Download installments, and the only East Coast one, gets the biggest names of them all.
Web: www.downloadfestival.com
What: Osheaga
Where: Montréal, QUE, Canada
When: August 3-4
Who: Killers, Jack Johnson, Broken Social Scene, Iggy & The Stooges, Cat Power, Duffy, Gogol Bordello, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, CSS, Spiritualized, DeVotchka, Chromeo, The Go! Team, The Black Keys, Plants & Animals, Louis XIV, MGMT, The Kills, Matt Costa, The Weakerthans, Jamie Lidell, Rock Plaza Central, and many more
Why: Because Canada can't let the Yankees have all the fun, the sexiest city in North America throws its own two-day music festival (Sunday to Monday, just to be different), from artsy to rock, 21st century to 18th. While the bottom half of the line-up card is replete with Francophile acts, the top half is pretty States-centric - and the biggest Maple Leaf-waver is from Toronto...
Web: www.osheaga.com
What: New American
Where: Pittsburgh, PA
When: August 8-9
Who: Bob Dylan, The Raconteurs, The Black Keys, Gnarls Barkley, The Roots, Spoon, Black Mountain, The Duke Spirit, and more
Why: You know the festival thing is getting out-of-hand when even Pittsburgh has one. Red Hot Chili Pepper singer Anthony Kiedis has teamed up with American Eagle Outfitters to bring his 'New American Music Union' to the streets of Steel City.
Web: www.ae.com/web/77e/music/festival.jsp
What: All Points West
Where: Jersey City, NJ
When: August 8-10
Who: Radiohead, Jack Johnson, Underworld, Kings of Leon, Cat Power, The Roots, Metric, The New Pornographers, Animal Collective, Andrew Bird, Girl Talk, The Go! Team, The Felice Brothers, Matt Costa, The Duke Spirit, and many more - see dates in the QRO Concert Calender
Why: Brought to you by Goldenvoice, the masterminds of Coachella, APW begins to fill the East Coast void that's plagued the festival season in recent years... by having Radiohead headline the first two nights. See our photos here
Web: www.apwfestival.com
What: Virgin
Where: Baltimore, MD
When: August 9-10
Who: Bob Dylan, Iggy and The Stooges, Foo Fighters, Jack Johnson, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails, Stone Temple Pilots, Wilco, Bloc Party, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Black Keys, KT Tunstall, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Cat Power, Underworld, She & Him, Lupe Fiasco, Shudder To Think, The Go! Team, Andrew Bird, and more
Why: Now in its third year, everyone's favorite 'rebel' billionaire follows up last year's superb line-up by going mainstream, especially when compared to the two he's throwing up in Canada.
Web: www.virginmobilefestival.com
What: Outside Lands
Where: San Francisco, CA
When: August 22-24
Who: Radiohead, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jack Johnson, Beck, Wilco, Broken Social Scene, The Black Keys, Cold War Kids, Andrew Bird, M. Ward, The Walkmen, Bon Iver, Nicole Atkins & The Sea, The Felice Brothers, and more
Why: Star-studded late summer festival in San Fran. Doesn't get much easier than that.
Web: www.sfoutsidelands.com 
What: Sunset Junction
Where: Los Angeles, CA
When: August 23-24
Who: Black Keys, Cold War Kids, Isaac Hayes, Broken Social Scene, Menomena, !!!, Antibalas, Langhorne Slim, Johnathan Rice, Health, Oliver Future, and more
Why: The Silver Lake area of Los Angeles has been putting out lots of great indie music these days, and it's about time something was given back, in the form of a two-day street fair on Sunset & Santa Monica Boulevards.
Web: www.sunsetjunction.org/streetfair.html 
What: F Yeah Fest
Where: Los Angeles, CA
When: August 30-31
Who: No Age, Dan Deacon, Matt & Kim, Two Gallants, Monotonix, Ladyhawk, Mannequin Men, David Dondero, Abe Vigoda, Crystal Antlers, and more
Why: After criss-crossing the country this year, the F Yeah Fest (the 'uck' was dropped to appease concert promoters) returns home to sunny Los Angeles. The line-up screams craziness - watch out for stage divers! Read our recap of the second-to-last night of the F Year Tour here
Web: www.fyeahfest.com 
What: Bumbershoot
Where: Seattle, WA
When: August 30-September 1
Who: Beck, Stone Temple Pilots, Lucinda Williams, Neko Case, Band of Horses, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Jakob Dylan, Black Keys, !!!, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, M. Ward, The Walkmen, Nada Surf, Sondre Lerche, Minus the Bear, Man Man, Battles, Dan Deacon, Blitzen Trapper, Langhorne Slim, Thao, John Vanderslice, Final Fantasy, Arthur & Yu, Saul Williams, and many more
Why: Because Washington State is too big for just one festival, Seattle hosts one all its own over Labor Day Weekend, that's heavy on not just the northwest acts, but also the innovative hip-hop (but where's Sir Mix-A-Lot?...).
Web: www.bumbershoot.org 
What: Stanley Park Singing Exhibition
Where: Vancouver, BC, Canada
When: August 31-September 1
Who: The New Pornographers, Neko Case, Black Mountain, Andrew Bird, Destroyer, Deerhoof, The 1900s, The Evaporators, and more
Why: After their hometown missed out on another Virgin Music Festival (damn Calgary...), alt-super-group The New Pornographers decided to throw their own, with frontman Carl Newman hand-picking the line-up.
Web: www.myspace.com/stanleyparksings
September 
What: Musicfest Northwest
Where: Portland, OR
When: September 3-6
Who: TV on the Radio, Mogwai, Menomena, M. Ward, Vampire Weekend, Dan Deacon, Throw Me the Statue, Deerhunter, The Helio Sequence, and so many more
Why: Portland's a damn fine place to catch a bunch of indie acts in late summer. Way cooler than SxSW or NxNE or any of the other directional festivals.
Web: www.musicfestnw.com
What: Virgin Toronto
Where: Toronto, ON, Canada
When: September 6-7
Who: Oasis, Foo Fighters, Bloc Party, Paul Weller, Stereophonics, Spiritualized, The Weakerthans, Wintersleep, Constantines, MGMT, and more
Why: The third of four festival Virgin is throwing in North American this summer, this two-day fest in Toronto Island Park isn't as Canada-heavy as the one earlier in Calgary, leaning towards the Anglophile.
Web: www.virginfestival.ca/toronto
What: Minitek
Where: New York, NY
When: September 12-14
Who: Richard Hawtin, Tiefschwarz, M.A.N.D.Y., Audion (Matthew Dear), Guy Gerver, Heidi, Magda, and more
Why: New Yorks Electronic Music + Innovation Festival combines trend-setting (and -breaking) electronic artists with new, original technological projects, like Lollapalooza via William Gibson.
Web: minitekfestival.com
What: Monolith
Where: Red Rocks, CO
When: September 13-14
Who: Justice, DeVotchka, TV On the Radio, Silversun Pickups, Band of Horses, Vampire Weekend, Neko Case, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Cut Copy, CSS, Tokyo Police Club, The Kills, Foals, Holy Fuck, White Denim, Liam Finn, A Place To Bury Strangers, The Heavy, Tilly & The Wall, Blitzen Trapper, The Presets, Snowden, The Hood Internet, Pop Levi, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, and more
Why: The famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre looks set to follow-up last year's inaugural festival with a wide mix of acts - guess ticket sales last year were good enough...
Web: www.monolithfestival.com
What: Pygmalion
Where: Champaign-Urbana, IL
When: September 17-20
Who: Yo La Tengo, Black Mountain, Dan Deacon, Shearwater, Asobi Seksu, Headlights, Titus Andronicus, Evangelicals, Monotonix, The Cotton Jones Basket Ride, The Forms, The Foundry Field Recordings, Pontiak, Unwed Sailor, Wye Oak, Gentlemen Auction House, and more
Why: Things get relaxed in central Illinois with a nice collection of bands while the weather's still nice.
Web: 2008.pygmalionmusicfestival.com
What: ATP New York
Where: Monticello, NY
When: September 19-21
Who: My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr., Yo La Tengo, Built To Spill, Tortoise, Thurston Moore, Bob Mould, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Low, Fuck Buttons, Meat Puppets, Mercury Rev, Mogwai, Les Savy Fav, Autolux, Wooden Shjips, Thee Silver Mountain Zion Orchestra, Sonic Boom, Polvo, Lilys, Apse, and more
Why: Famed U.K. fest All Tomorrow's Parties makes it across the Atlantic to Kutshers Country Club in the historic Catskills resort. Curated by ATP & shoe-gaze all-stars My Bloody Valentine, it will include MBV's first US performance in sixteen years, plus full-length album performances by Built To Spill (Perfect From Now On), Meat Puppets (Meat Puppets II), Thurston Moore (Psychic Hearts), and Tortoise (Millions Now Living Will Never Die), all in some of the most beautiful parts of upstate New York.
Web: www.atpfestival.com/events/atp-ny/
What: Treasure Island
Where: San Francisco, CA
When: September 20-21
Who: Justice, The Raconteurs, TV On the Radio, Tegan & Sara, Goldfrapp, Vampire Weekend, Hot Chip, Spiritualized, CSS, Okkervil River, Antibalas, Tokyo Police Club, Aesop Rock, The Kills, Foals, Dr. Dog, John Vanderslice, Fleet Foxes, and more
Why: Another festival in its sophomore year, it takes place on an island smack in the middle of San Fransisco Bay, which had previously been an international exposition center in the thirties, a naval base until the sixties, and where Patch Adams was filmed, before being turned in a green, 'no-car' city in 2005. But what is really interesting is the line-up, which continues last year's tradition of electronica one day, indie-rock the next.
Web: www.treasureislandfestival.com
What: Austin City Limits
Where: Austin, TX
When: September 26-28
Who: Foo Fighters, Beck, Plant & Krauss, John Fogerty, David Byrne, The Raconteurs, Gnarls Barkley, Hot Chip, Band of Horses, Conor Oberst, Spiritualized, and many, many more
Why: It's your chance to see one of the best mixes of indie-dom plus several old guys and old bands getting together again. Not too long ago, this was nowhere near as venerable as the PBS live music show, but by now this event is a regular festival 'veteran'. And when it's on, the 'Live Music Capital of the World' is really that, as alternative-meets-jam-meets-country. See who's on Austin City Limits this week here
Web: www.aclfestival.com
October 
What: CMJ
Where: New York, NY
When: October 21-25
Who: Broken Social Scene, They Might Be Giants, Juliana Hatfield, The Dears, Minus the Bear, Ambulance Ltd., A Place To Bury Strangers, Crystal Castles, Jay Reatard, Lykke Li, Margot & The Nuclear So-and-So's, Octopus Project, Beach House, Parts & Labor, Gang Gang Dance, Deerhoof, The Broken West, Oakley Hall, Death Vessel, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, and many, many, many more
Why: A massive amount of bands, press, and industry come to the Big Apple to meet and greet, see and be seen. While the lion's share of the action is in The Bowery in downtown Manhattan, acts will be playing anywhere they can find a stage. Read our day-by-day recap from 2007 here
Web: www.cmj.com/marathon
What: Voodoo Experience
Where: New Orleans, LA
When: October 24-26
Who: R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails, Stone Temple Pilots, Lil Wayne, Erykah Badu, Thievery Corporation, Dashboard Confessional, Shudder to Think, Death Cab For Cutie, DeVotchKa, The Gutter Twins, Cold War Kids, Wyclef Jean, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Man Man, Ghostland Observatory, Manchester Orchestra, Joseph Arthur, Colour Revolt, Tokyo Police Club, Innerpartysystem, and many more
Why: Now in its tenth year, the Voodoo Experience is held the weekend before Halloween in the spookiest - and wildest - of cities, New Orleans. Even Hurricane Katrina couldn't stop it, as the 2005 Voodoo Experience was one of the first big events in the Big East after the disaster. Expanded to an extra day last year, this year, dubbed 'The Tenth Ritual', looks to be its best - and most indie-rock - yet.
Web: www.thetenthritual.com
Tours Unfortunately, in this day and age of high gas prices, taking your shoes off at airports, and Amtrak being, well, Amtrak, not everyone can make it to the big festivals. That’s why it’s nice that some tours are more than just a band and a bus, but something bigger and bolder, with a line-up of acts and some great sets of wheels. ‘Cause Lollapalooza wussed out and settled down, we’ve added some of the big, multi-band tours coming to your town, U.S.A:
What: True Colors
Where: See schedule in NYC concert listing
When: May 31-July5
Who: Cyndi Lauper, The B-52s, Regina Spektor, Tegan & Sara, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Indigo Girls, Wanda Sykes, and more
Why: Last year’s True Colors Tour raised money and attention to the rights of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community, including the Matthew Sheppard Act, which would expand hate-crimes protection to sexual orientation. And now it returns with everyone from revived 80’s classics like The B-52s to newer groundbreakers like Tegan & Sara – and the one & only Wanda Sykes.
Web: www.truecolorstour.com
What: F*%! Yeah
Where: See schedule in NYC concert listing
When: June 17-July 13
Who: The Circle Jerks, Matt & Kim, The Death Set, Dillinger Four, Monotonix, Team Robespierre, Josh Fadem, Brutal Knights, Crystal Antlers, and more
Why: The F*%! Yeah Fest is a yearly music/comedy/art festival in Los Angeles thrown by Sean Carlson (The Circle Jerks) and Keith Morris (Black Flag). Now in its fifth year, F*%! Yeah is going to be heading out on the road in a 44-passenger ’92 Bluebird Bus, with acts from classics The Circle Jerks to new stars Matt & Kim. Read our recap of the second-to-last night at Highline Ballroom here
Web: www.fyeahtour.com
What: Outernational
Where: See schedule in NYC concert listing
When: June 20-28
Who: Thievery Corporation, TV On the Radio, Gnarls Barkley, Ladytron, Seu Jorge, Bebel Gilberto, Los Amigos Invisibles, Federico Aubele, and more
Why: Washington, D.C.’s Thievery Corporation have long combined world music and electronica into the sound dubbed ‘Outernational’, and now they’re taking it on the road, with acts ranging from Latin America to Electronic America.
Web: www.eslmusic.com
What: Crüefest
Where: See schedule in NYC concert listing
When: July 1-August 31
Who: Mötley Crüe, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, SIXX: A.M., and Trapt
Why: Über-veterans Mötley Crüe rocked hard for twenty years before finally dispersing in 2001. But the siren song of the road called and they returned in 2004, and have only grown since then. There’s the first new full-length in eight years, Saints of Los Angeles, and, modeling after their Black Sabbath icon Ozzy Osbourne’s Ozzfest, the bigger and even louder Crüefest.
Web: motley.com/cruefest/
What: Metal Masters
Where: See schedule in NYC concert listing
When: August 6-31
Who: Judas Priest, Motörhead, Heaven and Hell, and Testament
Why: The loudest bands in rock ‘n’ roll this side of Spinal Tap bring the metal. Some are recently reunited acts like Judas Priest (touring behind their first concept album, Nostradamus) and Heaven & Hell (former members of Black Sabbath, including the one and only Ronny James Dio), while others are road veterans like California’s Testament (the only American act on the otherwise Brit line-up) and the metal-before-there-was-metal-and-even-after Motörhead (which includes the greatest ‘stache in rock ‘n’ roll). See our photos of Judas Priest here - See our photos of Motörhead here
Web: www.judaspriest.com
What: Baltimore Round Robin
Where: See schedule in NYC concert listing
When: October 2-18
Who: Dan Deacon, Beach House, The Deathset, Adventure, Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, Jana Hunter, Video Hippos, and many more
Why: Certainly one of the more unusual tours out there, this 'round robin' is done in a wholly original style: all the bands set up at the same time, along the perimeter of the room, with the audience in the center. Each band does one song per round, no breaks, back to back to back etc., until the show is completed. There is no headliner or opener, no front row or back row. Curated by tech impressario Dan Deacon, the Round Robin will go across the northeast (though, curiously, not to Baltimore...), two nights a stop, first the lighter, more theatrical 'Eyes Night', then the harder, faster 'Feet Night'.
Web: www.myspace.com/dandeacon |
