2012 Festival Guide

<div> <a href="features/2012_festival_guide/"><img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/festivals2012.jpg" alt="2012 Festival Guide" /></a><br /> </div> <div align="left"> <p> 2012 has come up on us, and as long as the Mayans are wrong, that means...
2012 Festival Guide
2012 Festival Guide

2012 has come up on us, and as long as the Mayans are wrong, that means another year full of festivals across North America.  Keep track of them all with our massive, constantly-updated year-round guide.  See last year’s Festival Guide

Total festivals: 272

Updated continuously throughout the year with new acts, dates, festivals & coverage

 


View QRO Magazine 2012 Festival Guide in a larger map

 


January & February

Todos SantosWhat:  Todos Santos
Where:  Todos Santos, Mexico
When:  January 5-21
Who:  Peter Buck, Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3, Scott McCaughey, Steve Wynn, The Baseball Project, The Minus 5, and more
Why:  Peter Buck of R.E.M. curates & performs a festival with friends down Mexico way at the tip of Baja California, all to benefit The Palapa Society of Todos Santos, AC.
Web:  todossantosmusicfestival.com

American Songbook

What: American Songbook
Where: Lincoln Center, New York, NY
When: January 11-February 11
Who: Thurston Moore, tUnE-yArDs, Ozomatli, Keren Ann, Jonatha Brooke, Bill Callahan, and more See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why: Pretty much the classiest venue out there, Lincoln Center celebrates American songwriting in the first two months of 2012 at Allen Room. See our venue review & photos of Lincoln Center’s Allen Room here
Web: www.americansongbook.org

Ladyfest

What:  Ladyfest
Where:  Cambridge, MA
When:  February 3-5
Who:  Girlfriends, Thick Shakes, Shoppers, This Is My Fist, Donna Lethal & Alice Bag, and more
Why:  Celebrate feminism at Ladyfest.  Read more in our preview here
Web:  ladyfestboston.blogspot.com

Shivering Songs

What:  Shivering Songs
Where:  Fredericton, NB, Canada
When:  February 3-5
Who:  Mark Kozelek, The Olymphic Symphonium, Hot Toddy, Postdata, David Myles, and more
Why:  The Olymphic Symphonium’s hometown festival returns for a second year.
Web:  shiveringsongs.com

Ecstatic

What:  Ecstatic
Where:  Merkin Concert Hall, New York, NY
When:  February 4-March 28
Who:  Richard Reed Parry, Dan Deacon, This Will Destroy You, Glasser, Oneida, Sxip Shirley, yMusic, Rhys Chatham, Calder Quartet, and more  See February dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  The burgeoning indie-classical genre gets Ecstatic with the second year of this two month series of events at Merkin Concert Hall.
Web:  www.ecstaticmusicfestival.com

Bruise Cruise

What:  Bruise Cruise
Where:  Miami, FL to the Bahamas
When: 
February 10-13
Who:  Fucked Up, King Khan & The Shrines, Thee Oh Sees, The Soft Pack, The Dirtbombs, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Neil Hamburger, Jello Biafra, and more
Why:  Garage-rock takes the high seas for a secon year at the Bruise Cruise returns to international waters?…  See photos of 2011 kick-off party in Miami here
Web:  www.bruisecruisefestival.com

Noise Pop

What:  Noise Pop
Where:  San Francisco, CA
When: 
February 21-26
Who:  Flaming Lips, Built To Spill, Sleigh Bells, Bob Mould, Archers of Loaf, Die Antwoord, Atlas Sound, Porter Robinson, Surfer Blood, Cursive, The Dodos, Wye Oak, Matthew Dear, Craig Finn, Veronica Falls, Imperial Teen, Budos Band, The Soft Pack, Grimes, Papercuts, John Vanderslice, Big Freedia, Two Gallants, Laura Viers, The Fresh & Onlys, Bleached, Born Gold, Ume, Sea of Bees, Hollerado, Talkdemonic, The Lonely Forest, Hospitality, AU, Cate Le Bon, Chapter 24, Fidlar, Tropicle Popsicle, and many more
Why:  Venues across San Francisco start the 2012 festival season, with a nice line-up of acts from the hottest in today’s indie-rock to ultra-vets & in between for Noise Pop’s 20th anniversary.
Web:  2012.noisepop.com/

 

 


March

Ecstatic

What:  Ecstatic
Where:  Merkin Concert Hall, New York, NY
When:  February 4-March 28
Who:  Richard Reed Parry, Dan Deacon, This Will Destroy You, Glasser, Oneida, Sxip Shirley, yMusic, Rhys Chatham, Calder Quartet, and more  See March dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  The burgeoning indie-classical genre gets Ecstatic with the second year of this two month series of events at Merkin Concert Hall.
Web:  www.ecstaticmusicfestival.com

Musink

What:  Musink
Where:  Costa Mesa, CA
When: 
March 2-4
Who:  Alkaline Trio, New Found Glory, Tiger Army, Against Me!, Yellowcard, Bayside, and more
Why:  An eclectic mix of acts come to Vail Valley for the skiing & the music.
Web:  www.musink.org

Snowball

What:  Snowball
Where:  Vail Valley, CO
When: 
March 2-4
Who:  Snoop Dogg, TV On the Radio, Big Boi, The Kooks, Rusko, Major Lazer, Ghostland Observatory, Deer Tick, Beats Antique, Bassnecatar, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., The Head and The Heart, Tribes, Big Freedia, Princeton, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Princeton, Gardens & Villa, Small Black, Pictureplane, Gauntlet Hair, Bag Raiders, Nathaniel Rateliff, and more
Why:  An eclectic mix of acts come to Vail Valley for the skiing & the music.
Web:  snowballmusicfestival.com

Smokeout

What:  Smokeout
Where:  San Bernadino, CA
When: 
March 3
Who:  Cypress Hill, Sublime with Rome, Korn, Thievery Corporation, Wiz Khalifa, Wolfgang Gartner, Rusko, Mobb Deep, Curren$y, and more
Why:  Cypress Hill throws a Smokeout with herb-loving acts, a medical mairjuana expo, and even a “patient consumption area”.
Web:  www.smokeoutfestival.com

Savannah Stopover

What:  Savannah Stopover
Where:  Savannah, GA
When: 
March 7-10
Who:  The War On Drugs, The Love Language, Caveman, Grimes, Girl In a Coma, PUJOL, Jukebox the Ghost, Oberhofer, The Men, Zambri, Prince Rama, Royal Baths, Born Gold, Turbo Fruits, Eternal Summers, Savoir Adore, Delected Scenes, Delicate Steve, Dinosaur Feathers, The Suzan, The Big Sleep, Milagres, Christopher Paul Stelling, and more
Why:  Before heading to SXSW (see below), stopover in Savannah.  Read & see much more in our recap here
Web:
  savannahstopover.com

Orange You Glad

What:  Orange You Glad
Where:  Orlando, FL
When: 
March 8-11
Who:  Cults, Tennis, Caveman, Everything is Terrible!, Fake Problems, The Big Sleep, Zambri, Hospitality, Spectrals, Mr. Gnome, Grandchildren, Deleted Scenes, and more
Why:  Another warm city in the south schedules a small fest before SXSW (see below).
Web:
  www.orangeyougladfest.com

35 Denton

What:  35 Denton
Where:  Denton, TX
When: 
March 8-11
Who:  The Jesus & Mary Chain, Built To Spill, Mountain Goats, Devin the Dude, Atlas Sound, Dum Dum Girls, John Vanderslice, Thee Oh Sees, The Hood Internet, El Ten Eleven, Class Actress, Oberhofer, Light Asylum, Gardens & Villa, High Places, Bleached, Julianna Barwick, Evangelicals, Sleep ∞ Over, Dinosaur Feathers, Xray Eyeballs, Mannequin Men, Psychedelic Horseshit, Twin Tigers, Chapter 24, and more
Why:  35 Conferette drops the ‘Conferette’, picks up the ‘Denton’ & about a million indie bands hitting the town before SXSW (see below).
Web:
  www.35conferette.com

Winter Music Conference

What:  Winter Music Conference
Where:  Miami, FL
When: 
March 8-12
Who:  Paul Oakenfold, Sander Kleinenberg, LA Riots, Felix Cartal, Treasure Fingers, Umek, Groove Junkies, Black Coffee, Stacy Kidd, Jamie Lewis, Todd Terry, Heavy Grinder, Robin S., Gramophonedzie, Luis Radio, Static Plastic, Alex Kenji, and more
Why:  Right before SXSW (see below), the Winter Music Conference hosts parties, panels & more – often pool-side.
Web:  www.wintermusicconference.com

Foburg

What:  Foburg
Where:  New Orleans, LA
When: 
March 9-11
Who:  Maps & Atlases, Japanther, J Roddy Walston & The Business, Big Freedia, David Vandervelde, The Men,The Pharmacy, The Features, Backwords, and more
Why:  Frenchmen Street gives people a reason to stick around in New Orleans the month after Mardi Gras (and the weekend before South-by-Southwest – see below).
Web:
  foburgneworleans.com

72810

What:  72180
Where:  Puebla, Mexico
When: 
March 10
Who:  Public Enemy, Modest Moust, Peter Murphy, Blonde Redhead, Z-Trip, Datarock, Kid Sister, VHS or Beta, and more
Why:  Head down Mexico way to the 72810.
Web:  www.72810.mx

Nrmal

What:  Nrmal
Where:  Monterrey, Mexico
When: 
March 10
Who:  Girls, Davila 666, Bam Bam, Los Rakas, Astro, Liturgy, Grimes, Friends, James Ferraro, Javelin, Teengirl Fantasy, Pictureplane, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Pricne Rama, Widowspeak, Coasting, and more
Why:  Mexico has not one, but two festivals on March 10th…
Web:  www.festivalnrmal.net

Never Say Never

What:  Never Say Never
Where:  Mission, TX
When: 
March 13-14
Who:  Wiz Khalifa, Asking Alexandra, The Early November, hellogoodbye, I See Stars, Forever the Sickest Kids, We Are the In Crowd, Outasight, and more
Why:  Has the temerity to overlap with South-by-Southwest (see below), in the same state, and share the same name as an emo band & Justin Bieber song/’movie’.
Web:  www.neversayneverfestival.com

South-by-Southwest

What:  South by Southwest
Where:  Austin, TX
When: 
March 13-18
Who:  A million-and-one forever
Why:  Still the bar by which all other of the multiplying indie music industry expos are judged by – and still the best.  Read & see much, much more in our recap here
Web:
  sxsw.com

Beyond Wonderland Southern California

What:  Beyond Wonderland Southern California
Where: 
San Bernadino, CA
When: 
March 17
Who:  Armin van Buuren, Dirty South, Magnetic Man, Steve Aoki, Felix Cartal, and more
Why:  The usual electo-DJ line-up.
Web:
  www.beyondwonderland.com

Valley of the Vapors

What:  Valley of the Vapors
Where:  Hot Springs National Park, AR
When: 
March 18-24
Who:  Oberhofer, Maps and Atlases, The Big Sleep, Ume, Japanther, Jeffrey Lewis, The Black Belles, Cloud Nothings, Maps & Atlases, Japanther, Girl In a Coma, Prince Rama, Grandchildren, Pujol, Wooden Wand, and more
Why:  Those traveling from Austin’s SXSW (see above) can go to to the northeast for The Valley of the Vapors, ‘America’s most humble rock festival’, at Hot Springs National Park.
Web:
  www.valleyofthevapors.com

Neon Reverb

What:  Neon Reverb
Where:  Las Vegas, NV
When: 
March 20-25
Who:  YACHT, VHS or Beta, Crystal Antlers, Nico Vega, Chapter 24, and more
Why:  Right after SXSW (see above), Las Vegas has it’s own festival in venues across the city (including Vegas’ own Beauty Bar).
Web:
  www.neonreverb.com

Canadian Music

What:  Canadian Music Fest
Where:  Toronto, ON, Canada
When: 
March 21-25
Who:  Slash, Jeff Beck, Passion Pit, Childish Gambino, Saul Williams, Temper Trap, Fanfarlo, Dan Mangan, The Cat Empire, Hot Panda, Dragonette, Rich Aucoin, Twin Atlantic, Housse de Racket, Oberhofer, Via Audio, Filigar, Cadence Weapon, The Big Sleep, The Sheepdogs, and more
Why:  Just after SXSW (see above), Toronto has it’s own multi-venue music industry fest (not to be confused with North-by-Northeast – see below), with about a billion Canadian bands that you’ve never heard of (let’s hear it for the Factor program!…) – and Slash!
Web:
  canadianmusicfest.com

Fareveller

What:  Fareveller
Where:  Memphis, TN
When: 
March 22-24
Who:  Maps & Atlases, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Those Darlins, The Hood Internet, The Black Belles, Canon Blue, Ume, and more
Why:  Memphis music of today tries to step out of the shadow of Memphis music of yesterday in this new indie festival.
Web:
  www.fareveller.com

Ultra

What:  Ultra
Where:  Miami, FL
When: 
March 23-25
Who:  Tiësto, Kraftwerk, Justice, Avivii, David Guetta, Armin Van Buuren, Carl Cox, Skrillex, Afrojack, Miike Snow, Pretty Lights, New Order, Fatboy Slim, M83, 2manyjs, Kaskade, Bassnectar, Chase & Status, Bloody Beetroots, A-Trak, Porter Robinson, Neon Indian, Metronomy, Little Dragon, 12th Planet, Skream & Benga, Magnetic Man, Steve Aoki, Sander Van Doorn, Flying Lotus, SBTRKT, Benny Benassi, Gossip, DJ Shadow, and many more
Why:  Downtown Miami throws down the beats with America’s best electro-dance festival.  See much more in our photo gallery here
Web:  www.ultramusicfestival.com

 

JunoFest

What:  JunoFest
Where:  Ottawa, ON, Canada
When: 
March 30-31
Who:  Austra, Fucked Up, Hollerado, and more
Why:  Venues around Canada’s capital celebrate the Great White North’s Grammy, the Juno.
Web:
  junoawards.ca/events/juno-week-events/junofest

Nowadays

What:  Nowadays
Where:  Bethlehem, PA
When: 
March 30-31
Who:  RJD2, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., We Are Scientists, Jukebox the Ghost, Xylos, Ambassadors, Caveman, Maps & Atlases, Buried Beds, Bleeding Rainbow, Sun Airway, ARMS, and more
Why:  Nowadays everyone’s throwing a festival.
Web:
  www.artsquest.org/festivals/nowadays

Extreme Thing

What:  Extreme Thing
Where:  Las Vegas, NV
When: 
March 31
Who:  The Used, Underoath, Less Than Jake, Everlast, Unwritten Law, Mickey Avalon, Transit, and more
Why:  ‘Extreme Thing’ is seriously it’s name – how much more UNextreme can you get?
Web:  www.extremething.com

Mission Creek

What:  Mission Creek
Where:  Iowa City, IA
When: 
March 27 – April 1
Who:  The Magnetic Fields, David Cross, Seun Kuti & Egypt 60, The Antlers, William Elliot Whitmore, Justin Townes Earle, Sharon Van Etten, Tim Hecker, Rhys Chatham, The War On Drugs, Kimya Dawson, Dirty Beaches, Bowerbirds, Mike Doughty, Oberhofer, Erase Errata, Like Pioneers, Rene Hell, The Poison Control Center, Gardens & Villa, and more
Why:  Iowa City kicks if off early with some interesting names.  Read & see more in our 2011 coverage here
Web:  missionfreak.com

Music Now

What:  Music Now
Where:  Cincinnati, OH
When: 
March 29 – April 1
Who:  Philip Glass, Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Sam Amidon, and more
Why:  One of the classiest music festivals out there.
Web:  www.musicnowfestival.org

SnowMont

What:  SnowMont
Where:  Killington, VT
When: 
March 30 – April 1
Who:  Kaskade, Snoop Dogg, The Flaming Lips, Slightly Stoopid, Big Boi, Chromeo, Diplo, Lotus, Porter Robinson, Railroad Earth, DJ Shadow, Kid Sister, and more
Why:  Climb Killington for SnowMont.
Web:  snowmontmusicfestival.com

 

 


April

Mission Creek

What:  Mission Creek
Where:  Iowa City, IA
When: 
March 27 – April 1
Who:  The Magnetic Fields, David Cross, Seun Kuti & Egypt 60, The Antlers, William Elliot Whitmore, Justin Townes Earle, Sharon Van Etten, Tim Hecker, Rhys Chatham, The War On Drugs, Kimya Dawson, Dirty Beaches, Bowerbirds, Mike Doughty, Oberhofer, Erase Errata, Like Pioneers, Rene Hell, The Poison Control Center, Gardens & Villa, and more
Why:  Iowa City kicks if off early with some interesting names.  Read & see more in our 2011 coverage here
Web:  missionfreak.com

Music Now

What:  Music Now
Where:  Cincinnati, OH
When: 
March 29 – April 1
Who:  Philip Glass, Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Sam Amidon, and more
Why:  One of the classiest music festivals out there.
Web:  www.musicnowfestival.org

SnowMont

What:  SnowMont
Where:  Killington, VT
When: 
March 30 – April 1
Who:  Kaskade, Snoop Dogg, The Flaming Lips, Slightly Stoopid, Big Boi, Chromeo, Diplo, Lotus, Porter Robinson, Railroad Earth, DJ Shadow, Kid Sister, and more
Why:  Climb Killington for SnowMont.
Web:  snowmontmusicfestival.com

Brain-Cave

What:  Brain-Cave
Where:
  Brooklyn, NY
When:
  April 5 & 7
Who:
  Monogold, She Keeps Bees, Caged Animals, Family Band, Shilpa Ray, Spanish Prisoners, Firehorse, Team Genius, Magentic Island, GunFight!, EULA, Quiet Loudly, backwords, and more
Why:  Two (non-consecutive) days at Bell House (QRO venue review) thanks to Paper Garden Records.  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Web:
  papergardenrecords.com/brain-cave

Middle of the Map

What:  Middle of the Map
Where:
  Kansas City, MO
When:
  April 5-7
Who:
  Mission of Burma, Neon Indian, fun., Fucked Up, Mates of State, Murder By Death, White Denim, Hooray For Earth, Deastro, El Ten Eleven, Owen, The Appleseed Cast, Jonquil, Chad Valley, Acid Mothers Temple, Mr. Gnome, Friends, Molly Mcguire, Old Canes, Minus Story, Unicycle Loves You, Sleeper Agent, The Loom, Christopher Paul Stelling, and many more
Why:  Head to the middle of the Google Map.
Web:
  www.middleofthemapfest.com

Together

What:  Together
Where:  Boston, MA
When:  April 2-8
Who:  Nero, RJD2, Big Freedia, Break Science, Fenster, Oneohtrix Point Never, Phill Niblock, RJD2, Treasure Fingers, and more
Why:  The Together New England Electronic Music Festival expands as it criss-crosses Boston, graduating from colleges to venues across the city.
Web:  www.togetherboston.com

Paid Dues

What:  Paid Dues
Where:
  San Bernadino, CA
When:
  April 7
Who:
  Wu Tang Clan, Odd Future, Living Legends, Dipset, Kendrick Lamar, Dilated Peoples, Doomtree, and more
Why:  Hip-hop acts who have paid their dues.
Web:
  www.paidduesfestival.com

Ravinia

What:  Ravinia
Where:  Highland Park, IL
When:  April 7 – September 9
Who:  Earth, Wind & Fire, Iron & Wine, Al Green, Jimmy Cliff, Philip Glass, Steve Martin, Esperanza Spalding, Glen Campbell, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Sarah McLachlan, Idina Menzel, Santana, Natalie Merchant, The Blues Brothers, Diana Krall, Seal, James Taylor, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Train, Tony Benett, Arlo Guthrie, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and more
Why:  Old-timers are at Ravinia.
Web:  www.ravinia.org

Desert Daze

What:  Desert Daze
Where:
  Palm Springs, CA
When:
  April 12-22
Who:
  Dengue Fever, Akron/Family, Moving Units, Dead Meadow, Here We Go Magic, The Soft Pack, The Fresh & Onlys, Spindrift, The Entrance Band, Crystal Antlers, Bleached, Young Prisms, THe Henry Clay People, Mini Mansions, and many more
Why:  11 days of music with over 111 bands – all for free.
Web:
  moonblockparty.org

McDowell Mountain

What:  McDowell Mountain
Where:
  Phoenix, AZ
When:
  April 13-15
Who:
  Galactic, Keller Williams, Ozomatli, Soulive, EOTO, Carolina Chocolate Drops, and more
Why:  Phoenix gets a jam-band festival.
Web:
  www.mmmf.net/2012

Coachella

What:  Coachella
Where:
  Indio, CA
When:
  April 13-15 & 20-21
Who:
  Radiohead, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg, The Black Keys, Bon Iver, At the Drive-In, Swedish House Mafia, The Shins, Pulp, Justice, Florence & The Machine, David Guetta, Noel Gallagher, Arctic Monkeys, Mazzy Star, Miike Snow, Jeff Mangum, La Roux, Explosions In the Sky, Beirut, M83, Andrew Bird, The Weeknd, Feist, Girl Talk, fIREHOSE, Cat Power, Calvin Harris, The Hives, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, St. Vincent, Wild Flag, Girls, The Rapture, Porter Robinson, Santigold, M. Ward, The Horrors, James, Manchester Orchestra, Neon Indian, Dawes, The Black Angels, Buzzcocks, Real Estate, Kaiser Chiefs, Destroyer, The Head and The Heart, Laura Marling, tUnE-yArDs, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Black Lips, First Aid Kit, Oberhofer, Lissie, Metronomy, Wild Beasts, Housse de Racket, Fanfarlo, and many, many more
W
hy:  The biggest & best festival has grown so big as to now have expanded to a second weekend, repeating it’s once again amazing line-up.  See much more in our photo gallery here
Web:
  www.coachella.com

 

Telus World Ski & Snowboard

What:  Telus
Where:
  Whistler, BC, Canada
When:
  April 13-22
Who:
  Cat Empire, Michael Franti, Tea Leaf Green, Trouble Andrew, Dragonette, The Sheepdogs, and more
W
hy:  In addition to the snow, come for the sounds at Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival.
Web:
  www.wssf.com

 

Wanee

What:  Wanee
Where:
  Live Oak, FL
When:
  April 19-21
Who:
  The Allman Brothers Band, Furthur, Gov’t Mule, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Bruce Hornsby, Mickey Hart Band, Leftover Salmon, North Mississippi Allstars, Charles Bradley, and more
Why:  Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Florida hosts a jam-band festival.
Web:
  www.waneefestival.com
Rites of Spring

What:  Rites of Spring
Where:
  Nashville, TN
When:
  April 20-21
Who:
  Wiz Khalifa, MUTEMATH, Sleigh Bells, Fitz & The Tantrums, and more
Why:  Vanderbilt University knows how to book ’em for its Rites of Spring (fling).
Web:  www.vanderbilt.edu/ros

BuzzFest

What:  BuzzFest
Where:
  Houston, TX
When:
  April 21
Who:
  Korn, Evanescence, Blue October, Cage the Elephant, MUTEMATH, Foxy Shazam, The Features, Neon Trees, Band of Skulls, and more
Why:  This counts for ‘buzz’ in Houston.
Web:  www.woodlandscenter.org

Move

What:  Move
Where:
  Albany, NY
When:
  April 21
Who:
  The Wombats, Black Taxi, The Aviation Orange, Dead Leaf Echo, and more
Why:  Be like Andrew Cuomo and Move up to the town’s that played host to David Patterson, Elliott Spitzer, and papa Cuomo.
Web:  www.movemusicfest.com

Waterfront Wednesday

What:  Waterfront Wednesday
Where:  Louisville, KY
When:  April 25 – September 19
Who:  Mumford & Sons, The Walkmen, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Dawes, Trample by Turtles, These United States, and more
Why:  Louisville’s Waterfront Wednesday has a show a month on hump day.  See more in our photo galleries from Louisville Waterfront here
Web:  www.louisvillewaterfront.com

Norman

What:  Norman
Where:
  Norman, OK
When:
  April 26-28
Who:
  Portugal. The Man, Hayes Carll, Alejandro Escovedo, Olivia Tremor Control, Other Lives, The Skylar Brothers, Woods, The Giving Tree, MMOSS, Red Wanting Blue, and more
Why:  Now in its fifth year, Norman Oklahoma’s own free festival & QRO favorite stays sweet.  Read & see more in 2010 our recap here
Web:
  www.normanmusicfestival.com

Nocturnal Texas

What:  Nocturnal Texas
Where:  Apache Pass, TX
When: 
April 27-28
Who:  Tiësto, Rüyksopp, Chromeo, STS9, 12th Planet, AraabMUSIK, AWOLNATION, Calvin Harris, CSS, EOTO, MiM0SA, Nero, Pendulum, Purity Ring, Steve Aoki, and more
Why:  A dancetronic festival with many ümlauts & CAPS hits Apache Pass, Texas.
Web:
  www.nocturnalfestival.com

Austin PsychFest

What:  Austin Psychfest
Where:
  Austin, TX
When:
  April 27-29
Who:
  Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Black Angels, The Black Lips, Olivia Tremor Control, Dead Meadow, Woods, Prince Rama, Sleep Over, Ringo Deathstarr, and more
Why:  The new Emo’s East & Beauty Ballroom play host to a mixture of indie & psych.
Web:
  www.austinpsychfest.com

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage

What:  New Orleans Jazz & Heritage
Where:
  New Orleans, LA
When:
  April 27-May 6
Who:
  Trombone Shorty, Eagles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Foo Fighters, The Beach Boys, Zac Brown Band, John Mayers, The Neville Brothers, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, Ne-Yo, My Morning Jacket, Bon Iver, Jill Scott, Florence & The Machine, Allen Toussaint, Feist, Bonnie Raitt, Maze, Janelle Monae, Iron & Wine, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Esperanza Spalding, Levon Helm, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Aaron Neville, Galactic, Ani DiFranco, Gomez, and many, many more
Why:  My Morning Jacket, Florence & The Machine and Feist playing the same festival as Eagles, Tom Petty, and The Beach Boys (plus a ton of jazz & zydeco)?  Only in the Big Easy…
Web:
  www.nojazzfest.com

Sweetlife

What:  Sweet Life
Where:
  Baltimore, MD
When:
  April 28
Who:
  Avicii, Kid Cudi, The Shins, Explosions In the Sky, Fitz & The Tantrums, A$AP Rocky, fun., Twin Shadow, Zola Jesus, Delta Spirit, U.S. Royalty, The Knocks, and more
Why:  An early festival with some big names comes to Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Web:
  sweetlifefestival.com

 

Rockville

What:  Rockville
Where:
  Jacksonville, FL
When:
  April 29
Who:
  Korn, Five Finger Death Punch, Evanescence, Shinedown, P.O.D., and more
Why:  Unfortunately, the festival named ‘Rockville’ is just about what you’d expect from that name (and not the R.E.M. song…).
Web:
  www.welcometorockvillefestival.com

 

 


May

Ravinia

What:  Ravinia
Where:  Highland Park, IL
When:  April 7 – September 9
Who:  Earth, Wind & Fire, Iron & Wine, Al Green, Jimmy Cliff, Philip Glass, Steve Martin, Esperanza Spalding, Glen Campbell, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Sarah McLachlan, Idina Menzel, Santana, Natalie Merchant, The Blues Brothers, Diana Krall, Seal, James Taylor, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Train, Tony Benett, Arlo Guthrie, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and more
Why:  Old-timers are at Ravinia.
Web:  www.ravinia.org

Waterfront Wednesday

What:  Waterfront Wednesday
Where:  Louisville, KY
When:  April 25 – September 19
Who:  Mumford & Sons, The Walkmen, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Dawes, Trample by Turtles, These United States, and more
Why:  Louisville’s Waterfront Wednesday has a show a month on hump day.  See more in our photo galleries from Louisville Waterfront here
Web:  www.louisvillewaterfront.com

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage

What:  New Orleans Jazz & Heritage
Where:
  New Orleans, LA
When:
  April 27-May 6
Who:
  Trombone Shorty, Eagles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Foo Fighters, The Beach Boys, Zac Brown Band, John Mayers, The Neville Brothers, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, Ne-Yo, My Morning Jacket, Bon Iver, Jill Scott, Florence & The Machine, Allen Toussaint, Feist, Bonnie Raitt, Maze, Janelle Monae, Iron & Wine, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Esperanza Spalding, Levon Helm, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Aaron Neville, Galactic, Ani DiFranco, Gomez, and many, many more
Why:  My Morning Jacket, Florence & The Machine and Feist playing the same festival as Eagles, Tom Petty, and The Beach Boys (plus a ton of jazz & zydeco)?  Only in the Big Easy…
Web:
  www.nojazzfest.com

 

SunFest

What:  SunFest
Where:
  West Palm Beach, FL
When:
  May 2-6
Who:  Counting Crows, Creed, Pitbull, The Fray, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Passion Pit, Foreigner, Third Eye Blind, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Girl Talk, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Herbie Hancock Matisyahu, Coheed & Cambria, All-American Rejects, NEEDTOBREATH, Jesse Baylin, Mean Creek, The Deep Dark Woods, and more
Why:  The sun always shines on Palm Beach with this diverse festival.  Read & see much more in our 2010 recap here
Web:
  www.sunfest.com

Crossing Brooklyn Ferry

What:  Crossing Brooklyn Ferry
Where:
  Brooklyn, NY
When:
  May 3-5
Who:  The Walkmen, St. Vincent, Beirut, Sharon Van Etten, The Antlers, Atlas Sound, Ava Luna, Buke and Gase, Caveman, Muy Brightest Diamond, Oneohtrix Point Never, Twin Shadow, Tyondai Braxton, yMusic, and more  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  The Roots’ ?uestlove & The National’s (QRO spotlight on) Dessner Brothers curate this festival at Brooklyn Academy of Music  See our venue review & photos of Brooklyn Academy of Music here
Web:
  www.crossingbrooklynferry.com

Beale Street

What:  Beale Street
Where:
  Memphis, TN
When:
  May 4-6
Who:
  Jane’s Addiction, My Morning Jacket, Florence & The Machine, Wiz Khalifa, Evanescence, Primus, Girl Talk, Alison Krauss, Al Green, Megadeath, The Civil Wars, Bush, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Lupe Fiasco, The Cult, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Coheed & Cambria, NEEDTOBREATH, Childish Gambino, Cold War Kids, Three 6 Mafia, Son Volt, The Head and the Heart, Jerry Lee Lewis, Black Lips, Volbeat, Gary Clark Jr., Dr. Dog, Robert Randolph, Old 97’s, and more
Why:  Beale Street’s alive with music.
Web:
  www.thebealestreetmusicfestival.com

What:  Carolina Rebellion
Where:
  Rockingham, SC
When:
  May 5
Who:
  Shinedown, Korn, Evanescence, Staind, Five Finger Death Punch, Slash, Chevelle, P.O.D., Volbeat, and more
Why:  This is why The North won.
Web:
  www.carolinarebellion.com

Secret Stages

What:  Secret Stages
Where:  Birmingham, AL
When: 
May 11-12
Who:  Lambchop, Cities Aviv, Dope Body, Cortney Tidwell, The Kid Daytona, The Deep Dark Woods, and more
Why:  A mostly free event that includes a Third Man Rolling Record Store.
Web:  www.secretstages.net

NYC Popfest

What:  NYC Popfest
Where:  New York, NY
When: 
May 17-20
Who:  Saturday Looks Good To Me, Habibi, Allo’ Darlin, The Ladybug Transistor, Wild Moccasins, The Wave Pictures, Seapony, and more
Why:  Artists from around the world come to NYC to go pop.  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Web:  www.nycpopfest.org

Bamboozle

What:  Bamboozle
Where:
  Asbury Park, NJ
When:
  May 18-20
Who:
  Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, Skrillex, Blink-182, Incubus, Mac Miller, Incubus, Jimmy Eat World, The Bouncing Souls, DJ Pauly D, Mike Posner, Andrew Dice Clay, The All-American Rejects, Kreayshawn, Outasight, A$AP Rocky, Miss May I, Bayside, Never Shout Never, The Maine, Motion City Soundtrack, The Dear Hunter, Hot Water Music, Anti-Flag, and more
Why:  Bamboozle leaves the Meadowlands and heads to the Jersey Shore for the Jersey-est line-up ever (it’s t-shirt time!).
Web:
  thebamboozle.com

Hangout

What:  The Hangout
Where:
  Gulf Shores, AL
When:
  May 18-20
Who:
  Dave Matthews Band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, The String Cheese Incident, Wilco, Skrillex, The Flaming Lips, Chris Cornell, STS9, Gogol Bordello, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Flogging Molly, Coheed & Cambria, Paul Oakenfold, G. Love and Special Sauce, Randy Newman, Young the Giant, Dr. Dog, Cage the Elephant, Dawes, M. Ward, YelaWolf, Switchfoot, Big Freedia, Hey Rosetta!, Rich Aucoin, and more
Why:  Hangout on the Shores with this odd line-up.
Web:
  www.hangoutmusicfest.com

HoZac Blackout

What:  HoZac Blackout
Where:  Chicago, IL
When:  May 18-20
Who:  Roky Erikson, Red Kross, Davila 666, Fungi Girls, White Mystery, Estrogen Highs, and more
Why:  HOZAC Records takes over Chicago’s Empty Bottle for three nights.  Read & see much more in our 2011 recap here
Web:  hozacrecords.com

Rock On the Range

What:  Rock On the Range
Where:
  Columbus, OH
When:
  May 18-22
Who:
  Incubus, Rob Zombie, Shinedown, Marilyn Manson, Five Finger Death Punch, Slash, Megadeath, Chevelle, Cypress Hill, Mastodon, Theory of a Dead Man, Volbeat, The Darkness, P.O.D., and more
W
hy:  How is Columbus, Ohio “where rock lives” (or a “range”, for that matter?)?  Thought that was Cleveland’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame…
Web:
  www.rockontherange.com


Electric Daisy New York

What:  Electric Daisy New York
Where:  New York, NY
When:  May 18-20
Who:  Armin van Buuren, Avicii, Afrojack, Bassnectar, Calvin Harris, Chase & Status, Fatboy Slim, Pendulum, Erick Morillo, Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, and more
Why:  Before the big event in Las Vegas (see below), Electric Daisy comes to the East Coast for its first time ever.  Read and see much more in our recap here
Web:  electricdaisycarnival.com/NewYork


Googa Mooga

What:  Googa Mooga
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
When:  May 19-20
Who:  Hall & Oates, The Roots, Fitz & The Tantrums, Holy Ghost!, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Escort, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, Bear Hands, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Peelander-Z, Fort Lean, and more
Why:  The Bonnaroo (see below) people are heading to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.  See much more in our photo gallery here
Web:  googamooga.com

 


Lightning In a Bottle

What:  Lightning In a Bottle
Where:  Silverado, CA
When:  May 24-28
Who:  Bassnectar, The Glitch Mob, Shpongle, Tipper, Lucent Dossier Experience, Apparat, EOTO, Big Giantic, Gramatik, and many more
Why:  Trance/electronica captures lightning in a bottle.  See much more in our photo gallery here
Web:  lightninginabottle.org


I Love This City (San Francisco)

What:  I Love This City (San Francisco)
Where:  San Francisco, CA
When:  May 25-26
Who:  Tïesto, Duck Sauce, Afro-Jack, David Guetta, Steve Aoki, James Murphy, Apparat, Crystal Method, Holy Ghost!, Felix Cartal, Holy Fuck, Shit Robot, Pictureplane, and more
Why:  If you love San Fran & dancetronica.
Web:  ilovethiscityfestival.com/wp


Bella Fiore

What:  Bella Fiore
Where:  Clarks Grove, MN
When:  May 25-27
Who:  Primus, Weir, Robinson & Greene Acoustic Trio, Big Gigantic, Shpongle, EOTO, Chali 2na, and more
Why:  A smaller but nicer jam fest.
Web:  bellafiore.bellamusicfest.com


Rocklahoma

What:  Rocklahoma
Where:  Pryor, OK
When:  May 25-27
Who:  Rod Zombie, Chickenfoot, Creed, Megadeath, Slash, Queensryche, Chevelle, Theory of a Deadman, Puddle of Mudd, P.O.D., Volbeat, The Darkness, Rival Sons, and more
Why:  A bunch of hard rock acts?  At least the name’s good (though it doesn’t pronounce right…).
Web:  www.rocklahoma.com


Summer Camp

What:  Summer Camp
Where:  Chillicothe, IL
When:  May 25-27
Who:  moe., Umphrey’s McGee, Jane’s Addiction, Pretty Lights, Primus, Weir/Robinson/Greene Acoustic Trio, Common, Gov’t Mule, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gogol Bordello, G. Love & Special Sauce, Lotus, Zeds Dead, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Shpondgle, EOTO, Ozomatli, 12th Planet, AraabMUSIK, Devil Makes Three, Rubblebucket, and more
Why:  Summer Camp mixes a little something more into its jam.
Web: 
www.summercampfestival.com


Punk Rock Bowling

What:  Punk Rock Bowling
Where:  Las Vegas, NV
When:  May 25-28
Who:  Rancid, NOFX, Pennywise, GBH, English Beat, 7 Seconds, Hepcat, The Adicts, Hot Water Music, and more
Why:  Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall takes the punks bowling.
Web:  www.punkrockbowling.com


Sasquatch!

What:  Sasquatch!
Where:  George, WA
When:  May 25-28
Who:  Jack White, Beck, Bon Iver, Pretty Lights, Tenacious D, The Shins, Beirut, Girl Talk, The Roots, Portlandia, Feist, Silversun Pickups, Metric, The Head & The Heart, Explosions In the Sky, Mogwai, M Ward, Childish Gambino, St. Vincent, The Civil Wars, The Joy Formidable, Little Dragon, tUnE-yArDs, Wild Flag, The Walkmen, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Mark Lanegan Band, Blitzen Trapper, Shabazz Palaces, Grouplove, Ted Loe & The Pharmacists, Deer Tick, Dum Dum Girls, Helio Sequence, Kurt Vile, Cloud Cult, Here We Go Magic, Zola Jesus, The War On Drugs, Shearwater, Active Child, Com Truise, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, I Break Horses, STRFKR, We Are Augustines, Hey Rosetta!, Gardens & Villa, Todd Barry, and many, many more
Why:  Another amazing line-up from this top-tier festival  Read & see much more in our recap here
Web:  www.sasquatchfestival.com


Ann Arbor Summer

What:  Ann Arbor Summer
Where:  Ann Arbor, MI
When:  May 25-July 8
Who:  Bonnie Raitt, Feist, Al Green, Rufus Wainwright, Esperanza Spalding, Nelie McKay, Ira Glass, The Low Anthem, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Macpodz, and more
Why:  Home of the University of Michigan (and The Dharma Initiative…), all those kind of guys who are hailing from Ann Arbor get a much-needed reason to smile with this three-week Summer Fest.
Web:  www.annarborsummerfestival.org


Homegrown

What:  Homegrown
Where:  Dallas, TX
When:  May 26
Who:  Hayes Carll, Centro-Matic, The Octopus Project, Ume, Girl In a Coma, and more
Why:  A nice little fest in Dallas for only fifteen bucks.
Web:  homegrownfest.com


I Love This City (San Diego)

What:  I Love This City (San Diego)
Where:  San Diego, CA
When:  May 26-27
Who:  Skrillex, A-Trak, The Crystal Method, 12th Planet, MiM0SA, and more
Why:  If you love San D & dancetronica.
Web:  www.ilovethiscityfestivalsd.com


Santa Cruz Blues

What:  Santa Cruz Blues
Where:  Santa Cruz, CA
When:  May 26-27
Who:  The Doobie Brothers, Jonny Lang, Los Lobos, Los Lonely Boys, Joan Osbourne, The Holmes Brothers, and more
Why:  Go bluesin’ in Santa Cruz.
Web:  santacruzbluesfestival.com


Movement Electronic

What:  Movement Electronic
Where:  Detroit, MI
When:  May 26-28
Who:  Public Enemy, Major Lazer, SBTRKT, Claude VonStroke, AraabMUSIK, Lindstrøm, Zeds Dead, and more
Why:  Electronic music returns to the city where techno (and much more) was born.
Web:  www.movement.us


Nitefall on the River

What:  Nitefall On the River
Where:
  Des Moines, IA
When:  May 26 – September 12
Who:
  Jimmy Cliff, Andrew Bird, Bruce Hornsby, Ingrid Michaelson, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Matisyahu, Umphrey’s McGee, Greg Laswell, The Dirty Heads, and more
Why:  Nite falls over the Simon Estes Amphitheater on the Des Moines river.  See more in our photo galleries from Simon Estes Amphitheater here
Web:
  nitefalldsm.com


Downtown Sound

What:  Downtown Sound
Where:  Chicago, IL
When:  May 28 – July 30
Who:  Charles Bradley, Jonathan Richman, Chico Trujillo, Cloud Cult, Joan of Arc, James Vincent McMorrow, and more
Why:  Chicago’s Millennium Park hosts some great outdoor shows all summer – for free!  See more in our photo galleries from Millennium Park here
Web:  millenniumpark.org


Chaos In Tejas

What:  Chaos In Tejas
Where:  Austin, TX
When:  May 31 – June 3
Who:  Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, The Clean, No Age, A Place To Bury Strangers, Big Freedia, Antisect, Japanther, The Mob, Best Coast, Saint Vitus, Iceage, Xeno and Oaklander, This Will Destroy You, Main Attrakionz, Municipal Waste, and more
Why:  Tejas rocks hard.
Web:  www.chaosintejas.com


Mountain Jam

What:  Mountain Jam
Where:  Hunter Mountain, NY
When:  May 31 – June 3
Who:  Steve Winwood, Gov’t Mule, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Roots, Ben Folds Five, James Murphy, Lotus, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Dawes, Gary Clark Jr., Carolina Chocolate Drops, Givers, Charles Bradley, Mariachi El Bronx, Simone Felice, The Sheepdogs, Kelli Scar, and more
Why:  Despite the name, the festival at Hunter Mountain has been more than just another jam-fest.
Web:  mountainjam.com


Wakarusa

What:  Wakarusa
Where:  Mulberry Mountain, AR
When:  May 31 – June 3
Who:  Pretty Lights, The Avett Brothers, Primus, Weir/Robinson/Greene Acoustic Trio, Umphrey’s McGee, Slightly Stoopid, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Girl Talk, Fitz & The Tantrums, Matisyahu, G. Love & Special Sauce, Ghostland Observatory, Beats Antique, Tinariwen, Tea Leaf Green, Gary Clark Jr., Blitzen Trapper, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, 12th Planet, Assembly of Dust, Toubab Krewe, The Sheepdogs, Heartless Bastards, Rubblebucket, Nathaniel Rateliff, and more
Why:  Now fully enscounced in the Ozarks (after having to exit Kansas after 2008), Bill Clinton’s backwoods gets their jam on.  See much more in our photo gallery here
Web:
  www.wakarusa.com

 

 


June

Ravinia

What:  Ravinia
Where:  Highland Park, IL
When:  April 7 – September 9
Who:  Earth, Wind & Fire, Iron & Wine, Al Green, Jimmy Cliff, Philip Glass, Steve Martin, Esperanza Spalding, Glen Campbell, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Sarah McLachlan, Idina Menzel, Santana, Natalie Merchant, The Blues Brothers, Diana Krall, Seal, James Taylor, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Train, Tony Benett, Arlo Guthrie, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and more
Why:  Old-timers are at Ravinia.
Web:  www.ravinia.org


Waterfront Wednesday

What:  Waterfront Wednesday
Where:  Louisville, KY
When:  April 25 – September 19
Who:  Mumford & Sons, The Walkmen, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Dawes, Trample by Turtles, These United States, and more
Why:  Louisville’s Waterfront Wednesday has a show a month on hump day.  See more in our photo galleries from Louisville Waterfront here
Web:  www.louisvillewaterfront.com


Ann Arbor Summer

What:  Ann Arbor Summer
Where:  Ann Arbor, MI
When:  May 25-July 8
Who:  Bonnie Raitt, Feist, Al Green, Rufus Wainwright, Esperanza Spalding, Nelie McKay, Ira Glass, The Low Anthem, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Macpodz, and more
Why:  Home of the University of Michigan (and The Dharma Initiative…), all those kind of guys who are hailing from Ann Arbot get a much-needed reason to smile with this three-week Summer Fest.
Web:  www.annarborsummerfestival.org


Nitefall On the River

What:  Nitefall On the River
Where:
  Des Moines, IA
When:  May 26 – September 12
Who:
  Jimmy Cliff, Andrew Bird, Bruce Hornsby, Ingrid Michaelson, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Matisyahu, Umphrey’s McGee, Greg Laswell, The Dirty Heads, and more
Why:  Nite falls over the Simon Estes Amphitheater on the Des Moines river.  See more in our photo galleries from Simon Estes Amphitheater here
Web:
  nitefalldsm.com


Downtown Sound

What:  Downtown Sound
Where:  Chicago, IL
When:  May 28 – July 30
Who:  Charles Bradley, Jonathan Richman, Chico Trujillo, Cloud Cult, Joan of Arc, James Vincent McMorrow, and more
Why:  Chicago’s Millennium Park hosts some great outdoor shows all summer – for free!  See more in our photo galleries from Millennium Park here
Web:  millenniumpark.org


Chaos In Tejas

What:  Chaos In Tejas
Where:  Austin, TX
When:  May 31 – June 3
Who:  Sham 69, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, The Clean, No Age, Big Freedia, Antisect, Winter, The Mob, Best Coast, Saint Vitus, Iceage, Xeno and Oaklander, Main Attrakionz, Municipal Waste, and more
Why:  Tejas rocks hard.
Web:  www.chaosintejas.com


Mountain Jam

What:  Mountain Jam
Where:  Hunter Mountain, NY
When:  May 31 – June 3
Who:  Steve Winwood, Gov’t Mule, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Roots, Ben Folds Five, James Murphy, Lotus, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Dawes, Gary Clark Jr., Carolina Chocolate Drops, Givers, Charles Bradley, Mariachi El Bronx, Simone Felice, The Sheepdogs, Kelli Scar, and more
Why:  Despite the name, the festival at Hunter Mountain has been more than just another jam-fest.
Web:  mountainjam.com


Wakarusa

What:  Wakarusa
Where:  Mulberry Mountain, AR
When:  May 31 – June 3
Who:  Pretty Lights, The Avett Brothers, Primus, Weir/Robinson/Greene Acoustic Trio, Umphrey’s McGee, Slightly Stoopid, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Girl Talk, Fitz & The Tantrums, Matisyahu, G. Love & Special Sauce, Ghostland Observatory, Beats Antique, Tinariwen, Tea Leaf Green, Gary Clark Jr., Blitzen Trapper, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, 12th Planet, Assembly of Dust, Toubab Krewe, The Sheepdogs, Heartless Bastards, Rubblebucket, Nathaniel Rateliff, and more
Why:  Now fully enscounced in the Ozarks (after having to exit Kansas after 2008), Bill Clinton’s backwoods gets their jam on.  See much more in our photo gallery here
Web:
  www.wakarusa.com


Campout East

What:  Campout East
Where:  Buena Vista, VA
When:  June 1-2
Who:  Cracker, Southern Culture On the Skids, Dexter Romweber Duo, and more
Why:  Campout comes to David Lowery’s home state on the East Coast – but can it be a Camp Out without Camper Van Beethoven?
Web:  www.campouteast.com

 


Dancefestopia

What:  Dancefestopia
Where:  Kansas City, MO
When:  June 1-2
Who:  Wiz Khalifa, Flo Rida, 3OH!3, Matisyahu, DEV, Yelawolf, 2 Live Crew, Outasight, XV, and more
Why:  Get your dance on in the middle of the country.  Read much more in our preview here
Web:  www.dancefestopia.com


Do Division

What:  Do Division
Where:  Chicago, IL
When:  June 1-3
Who:  JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Le Butcherettes, The Antlers, O’Death, Murder By Death, BBU, Mannequin Men, Chris Connelly, The Soft Pack, Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons, White Mystery, Teengirl Fantasy, and more
Why:  Held on ten blocks of Chicago’s Division Street, Ashland to Leavitt, the Do-Division Street Fest and Sidewalk Sale features Chicago indie rock thanks to local music clubs The Empty Bottle & Subterranean.
Web:  do-divisionstreetfest.com

 


HockeyFest

What:  Hockeyfest
Where:  Brantford, ON, Canada
When:  June 1-3
Who:  Creed, Weezer, Foxy Shazam, Mariana’s Trench, Theory of a Deadman, The Trews, Puddle of Mudd, Sloan, Foxy Shazam, and more
Why:  “Country, Rock, and Bonus” makes for a painfully mainstream festival celebrating Canada’s greatest pasttime.
Web:  www.brantfordhockeyfest.com


Noise For the Needy

What:  Noise For the Needy
Where:  Seattle, WA
When:  June 1-10
Who:  The Thermals, The Duke Spirit, Laura Gibson, David J, Emily Jane White, and more
Why:  Seattle’s benefit-cum-festival returns at venues across the city.
Web:  www.noisefortheneedy.org


Beach Ball

What:  Beach Ball
Where:  Kansas City, KS
When:  June 2
Who:  Metric, The Shins, Foster the People, The Kooks, Flogging Molly, Sublime with Rome, The Joy Formidable, Kimbra, The Antlers, and more
Why:  KBRZ throws a Ball about as far away from the Beach as you can get.
Web:  beachballkc.com


Huichica

What:  Huichica
Where:  Sonoma, CA
When:  June 2
Who:  Beachwood Sparks, Papercuts, Sonny & The Sunsets, Cotton Jones, The Donkeys, Sea of Bees, and more
Why:  Gundlach Bundschu Winery gives you some music to go with you wine-tasting.
Web:  huichica.com


Meltdown

What:  Meltdown
Where:  Grand Pairie, TX
When:  June 2
Who:  Pretty Lights, Passion Pit, Steve Angello, Sander Van Doorn, Flux Pavilion, Feed Me, Shiny Toy Guns, and more
Why:  Melt down under the heat.
Web:  www.meltdowndallas.com


Free Press Summerfest

What:  Free Press
Where: 
Houston, TX
When: 
June 2-3
Who:  The Avett Brothers, Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson, Pretty Lights, Afrojack, Flaming Lips, Primus, Erykah Badu, Descendents, Major Lazer, Young the Giant, Major Lazer, Fitz & The Tantrums, Portugal. The Man, Two Door Cinema Club, Best Coast, Diplo, Shabazz Palaces, Starfucker, JEFF: The Brotherhood, Wallpaper., Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Maps and Atlases, Valient Thorr, Big Freedia, Ume, Quintron & Miss Pussycat, Girl In a Coma, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Bad Veins, Wild Moccasins, The Big Sleep, and more
Why:  Check this cheap & winning festival.  Read much more in our preview here
Web:
  www.freepresssummerfest.com


Roots Picnic

What:  Roots Picnic
Where:  Philadelphia, PA
When:  June 2-3
Who:  The Roots, Kid Cudi, De La Soul, James Murphy, Wale, Major Lazer, Diplo, St. Vincent, tUnE-yArDs, Danny Brown, Shabazz Palaces, Flosstradamus, The Hood Internet, Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, and more
Why:  The best band in late night returns to Philly’s Festival Pier & expands to two days (but will they slow jam the news?).
Web:  www.okayplayer.com/rootspicnic


Hot 97 Summer Jam

What:  Hot 97 Summer Jam
Where:  East Rutherford, NJ
When:  June 3
Who:  Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Waka Flocka Flame, 2Chainz, J. Cole, Wale, A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Azealia Banks, and more
Why:  Radio station Hot 87 puts on a hip-hop Summer Jam at MetLife Stadium.
Web:  www.hot97.com/summerjam

 

Celebrate Brooklyn!

What:  Celebrate Brooklyn!
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
When:  June 5 to August 11
Who:  Wilco, M. Ward, Sigur Rós, Dirty Projectors, Hot Chip, Jimmy Cliff, Lyle Lovett, Mission of Burma, Ghostface Killah, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Laura Marling, Keb’ Mo’, The Head and the Heart, Balkan Beat Box, Little Dragon, Yo La Tengo, Gang Gang Dance, Wye Oak, Wild Flag, Frankie Rose, Lee Fields, Purity Ring, and more  See June dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  Once again, Prospect Park Bandshell’s Celebrate Brooklyn! delivers all summer long.  See our venue review & photos of Prospect Park Bandshell here
Web:  www.briconline.org/celebrate

SummerStage

What:  Central Park SummerStage
Where:  Central Park, NY
When:  June 5 to August 30
Who:  Foster the People, M83, Young the Giant, Norah Jones, Beach House, Childish Gambino, Guided by Voices, Alabama Shakes, Gary Clark Jr., Carolina Chocolate Drops, Amadou & Mariam, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Dawes, AraabMUSIK, Deer Tick, Tokyo Police Club, Ozomatli, Theophilus London, Cloud Nothings, Das Racist, EPMD, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Givers, and more  See June dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  A mixture of paid benefit shows and free shows receiving those benefits are a staple every summer in the Big Apple at the iconic Central Park – as well as other parks in all five boroughs!  See our venue review & photos of Central Park SummerStage here  
Web:
  www.summerstage.org

Twangfest

What:  Twangfest
Where:  St. Louis, MO
When:  June 6-9
Who:  John Doe, Langhorne Slim, Ha Ha Tonka, and more
Why:  88.1 KDHX brings some twang to Middle America.
Web:  twangfest.com

 

Bonnaroo

What:  Bonnaroo
Where:  Manchester, TN
When:  June 7-10
Who:  Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phish, The Beach Boys, Bon Iver, Avett Brothers, The Shins, Foster the People, Skrillex, Aziz Ansari, Feist, The Roots, Alice Cooper, Black Star, The Word, Ludacris, Ben Folds Five, Flogging Molly, Mac Miller, Childish Gambino, Major Lazer, tUnE-yArDs, Flying Lotus, Umphrey’s McGee, Little Dragon, St. Vincent, City and Colour, Civil Wars, Young the Giant, Two Door Cinema Club, NEEDTOBREATHE, Fitz & The Tantrums, Bad Brains, YelaWolf, Dawes, Battles, Black Lips, Phantogram, Charles Bradley, The Kooks, The Joy Formidable, The Antlers, Kurt Vile, Delta Spirit, Laura Marling, Mogwai, War On Drugs, Grouplove, White Denim, EMA, Here We Go Magic, Fruit Bats, Lonely Forest, Mariachi El Bronx, Big Freedia, Dale Earnhardt J. Jr., and many, many more
Why:  The granddaddy of indie-meets-jam & more music festivals celebrates its 11th genre-crossing year.
Web:  www.bonnaroo.com


Electric Daisy

What:  Electric Daisy
Where:  Las Vegas, NV
When:  June 8-10
Who:  Armin Van Buuren, Tiësto, David Guetta, Moby, Avicii, MSTRKRFT, Blue Man Group, will.i.am, Pretty Lights, Calvin Harris, Digitalism, Bassnectar, Little Boots, Steve Aoki, Dada Life, Bassjackers, Martin Solveig, Sander Van Doorn, Erick Morillo, Tommy Trash, and more
Why:  After going to the East Coast for its first time ever (see above), Electric Daisy consolidates to one location – but three days.
Web:  electricdaisycarnival.com/LasVegas


Higher Vision

What:  Higher Vision
Where:  Santa Rosa, CA
When:  June 9
Who:  Burning Spear, Tinariwen, The Motet, and more
Why:  While Harmony Festival takes the year off, Sonoma County still gets a day of Higher Vision.
Web:  www.highervisionpresents.com


H2O - Dallas

What:  H20 – Dallas
Where:  Dallas, TX
When:  June 9
Who:  Tiësto, Juanes, Snoop Dogg, Gym Class Heroes, Weezer, Damian Marley, Ozomatli, Yelawolf, and more
Why:  Univision holds two muy bueno festivals in Dallas & Los Angeles (see below).
Web:  h2omusicfestival.com/dallas

North-by-Northeast

What:  North by Northeast
Where:  Toronto, ON, Canada
When:  June 11-17
Who:  The Flaming Lips, Bad Religion, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Matthew Good, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, of Montreal, Purity Ring, The Men, No Use For a Name, Bleached, 2:54, Metz, The Death Set, Oberhofer, Plants and Animals, Rival Schools, Hayes Carll, The Black Belles, Grass Widow, Violens, Action Bronson, Eight and a Half, Bass Drum of Death, Porcelain Raft, DZ Deathrays, The Hundred In the Hands, Hollerado, and more
Why:  State support has given Canada a ton of great alternative acts, and even their own version of South by Southwest in North by Northeast.
Web:  www.nxne.com

Burlington Steamboat Days

What:  Burlington Steamboat Days
Where:  Burlington, IA
When:  June 12-17
Who:  Alice Cooper, Twister Sister, Chevelle, Blake Shelton, and more
Why:  Burlington Steamboat Days celebrates its fiftieth year with acts that old.
Web:  www.steamboatdays.com

Friendly Gathering

What:  Friendly Gathering
Where:  Windham, VT
When:  June 14-16
Who:  Soja, Railroad Earth, Deer Tick, Dr. Dog, Z-Trip, Gold Town, The Felice Brothers, Nicole Atkins, Jaymay, Mason Jennings, Jesse Malin, and more
Why:  Gather some friends for a Friendly Gathering.
Web:  frendlygathering.com

Northside

What:  Northside
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
When:  June 14-17
Who:  GZA, of Montreal, Jens Lekman, The Thermals, Beach Fossils, Grupo Fantasma, Tinariwen, Starfucker, Kool Keith, The Felice Brothers, Dåm-Funk, Future of the LEft, Screaming Females, Asobi Seksu, Crystal Stilts, Beach Fossils, Mucca Pazza, Chain & The Gang, Frankie Rose, Grass Widow, Buke and Gase, These United States, Neil Hamburger, Pontiak, Eternal Summers, Kid Sister, and more
Why:  L Magazine‘s Northside Festival returns for a fourth year, taking place in venues across the Williamsburg & Greenpoint neighborhoods, with showcases curated by all sorts of New York City music industry players.  Read & see much more in our recap here
Web:  www.northsidefestival.com

Winnipeg Jazz

What:  Jazz Winnipeg
Where:  Winnipeg, MB, Canada
When: 
June 14-23
Who:  Robert Plant & The Band of Joy, Janelle Monae, Blonde Redhead, The Hold Steady, Wynton Marsalis, The Antlers, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Dåm-Funk, Vijay Iyer, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Luyas, PUJOL, Born Ruffians, Pink Martini, and more
Why:  Instead of another Canadian city’s folk music festival, a jazz one. 
Web:
  www.jazzwinnipeg.com

Taste of Randolph Street

What:  Taste of Randolph Street
Where:  Chicago, IL
When:  June 15-17
Who:  Los Campesinos!, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, The Hold Steady, Empires, Those Darlins, David Vandervelde, and more
Why:  Middle America gives Randolph Street a taste.
Web:  tasterandolph.com

Make Music Pasadena

What:  Make Music Pasadena
Where:  Pasadena, CA
When:  June 16
Who:  Grouplove, Grimes, Cults, Dengue Fever, SoKo, Electric Guest, Dam-Funk, Y La Bamba, Mile Greene, The Chain Gang of 1974, and more
Why:  Pasadena’s free fest mixes world & more.
Web:  www.makemusicpasadena.org

Clearwater

What:  Clearwater
Where:  Croton Point Park, NY
When:  June 16-17
Who:  Ani DiFranco, Martin Sexton, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Béla Fleck, Josh Ritter, Arlo Guthrie, Dawes, The Punch Brothers, Deer Tick, Balkan Beat Box, Alejandro Escovedo, Tinawiren, Ollabelle, Melissa Ferrick, Jill Sobule, Sara Watkins, The Chapin Sisters, Joe Purdy, Forro In the Dark, Elizabeth Mitchell, and more
Why:  Head upstate for the Clearwater of the Hudson River and all the folk you can shake a stick at.
Web:  www.clearwater.org/festival

Spring Awakening

What:  Spring Awakening
Where:  Chicago, IL
When:  June 16-17
Who:  Skrillex, Afrojack, Benny Benasi, Moby, Carl Cox, Wolfgang Gartner, Diplo, A-Trak, Claude VonStroke, Destructo, Green Velvet, Nobody Beats the Drum, and more
Why:  Spring starts in Chicago with electrodance at Soldier Field.
Web:  springawakeningfestival.com

River to River

What:  River to River
Where:  Downtown Manhattan, NY
When: June 17-July 15
Who:  George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic, Philip Glass Ensemble, Patrick Watson, Eleanor Friedberger, Chico Mann, Veronica Falls, The Miracles Club, Loney, Dear, Body Language, The People’s Temple, Ecstatic Summer, and more  See June dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  River to River celebrates a decade of bring free art to downtown Manhattan, starting with the Bang On a Can Marathon (QRO photos), with free shows at Castle Clinton, World Financial Center, and especially South Street Seaport.  See our venue review & photos of Castle Clinton hereSee our venue review & photos of South Street Seaport hereSee our venue review & photos of World Financial Center here
Web:  www.rivertorivernyc.com

Sled Island

What:  Sled Island
Where:  Calgary, AB, Canada
When:  June 20-23
Who:  Feist, The Hold Steady, Archers of Loaf, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Hot Snakes, Andrew W.K., Thurston Moore, The Antlers, Lou Barlow, Craig Finn, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, The Strange Boys, Timber Timbre, Hayes Carll, Tim Hecker, Russian Circles, Todd Barry, Tim Heidecker, Neil Hamburger, and more
Why:  The mammoth & varied Sled Island returns to Calgary.
Web:  www.sledisland.com


AthFest

What:  AthFest
Where:  Athens, GA
When:  June 20-24
Who:  Reptar, Yip Deceiver, Atlas Sound, and more
Why:  The home of R.E.M. & The B-52s throw another year of local & imported acts in AthFest.
Web:  www.athfest.com


Vans House Parties

What:  Vans House Parties
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
When: 
June 20 – August 29
Who:  The Rapture, H20, Washed Out, King Khan & The Shrines, Cursive, Turbonegro, Tanlines, 7 Seconds, Chairlift, Titus Andronicus, Lemonade, The Everymen, and more  See June dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  In addition to the Warped Tour (QRO 2011 recap), Vans is also hosting a series of free Brooklyn house parties at the House of Vans.  See our venue review & photos of House of Vans here 
Web:
  www.vans.com/microsites/houseparties

Telluride Bluegrass

What:  Telluride Bluegrass
Where:  Telluride, CO
When:  June 21-24
Who:  Alison Kraus & Union Station, John Fogerty, Sam Bush Band, Glen Hansard, John Prine, k.d. lang, Bruce Hornsby, Laura Marling, Dan Mangan, and more
Why:  The ski resort of Telluride’s bluegrass festival always brings some big names in along with the jam.
Web:  www.bluegrass.com/telluride

 

Wanderlust Vermont

What:  Wanderlust Vermont
Where: 
Bondville, VT
When: 
June 21-24
Who:  Ziggy Marley, Ani DiFranco, Beats Antique, The Barr Brothers, and more
Why:  Lake Tahoe’s yoga-sponsored music festival (see below) criss-crosses America.
Web:
  stratton.wanderlustfestival.com

Hillstock

What:  Hillstock
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
When:  June 22-24
Who:  Ava Luna, Askalators, The Honey Dos, Math the Band, Pree, You Can Be a Wesley, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt!, and more  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  Three-day Brooklyn D.I.Y. block party – and the middle day is the best & free.  See more in our 2011 photo gallery here
Web:  www.neverbreakdown.com/hillstock

Moon Block Party

What:  Moon Block Party
Where:  Pomona, CA
When:  June 23
Who:  Fools Gold, Tne Entrance Band, Sleepy Sun, Crystal Antlers, and more
Why:  Free outdoor party in Pomona.
Web:  moonblockparty.org

Governors Ball

What:  Governors Ball
Where:  Randalls Island, NY
When:  June 23-24
Who:  Beck, Kid Cudi, Passion Pit, Modest Mouse, Duck Sauce, Explosions In the Sky, Chromeo, Fiona Apple, Devendra Banhart, Special Disco Version, Cage the Elephant, Atmosphere, Built To Spill, Major Lazer, Cults, Big Gigantic, Phantogram, Penguin Prison, Freelance Whales, Walk the Moon, Alberta Cross, and more
Why:  In its second year, Governors Ball moves off of Governors Island – and seriously up its game to two days, one electro-dance, one indie-rock.  Read & see much more in our recap here
Web:  governorsballmusicfestival.com

Green Music

What:  Green Music
Where:  Chicago, IL
When: 
June 23-24
Who:  Dinosaur Jr., The Raveonettes, Hey Rosetta!, and more
Why:  The eco-friendly Green Music fest comes to Chicago Ave for only a five dollar donation. 
Web:
  www.greenmusicfestchicago.com

 

Orion

What:  Orion
Where: 
Atlantic City, NJ
When: 
June 23-24
Who:  Metallica, Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold, Modest Mouse, The Gaslight Anthem, Cage the Elephant, Fucked Up, Jim Breuer, Best Coast, Hot Snakes, Titus Andronicus, Gary Clark Jr., Lucero, Roky Erickson, The Black Angels, the Sword, A Place To Bury Strangers, Liturgy, Torche, Red Fang, and more
Why:  To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Black Album, Metallica headlines two nights in Atlantic City playing Black & Ride the Lightning in their entireties.
Web:
  www.orionmusicandmore.com

River's Edge

What:  River’s Edge
Where:  St. Paul, MN
When:  June 23-24
Who:  Dave Matthews Band, Tool, The Flaming Lips, Sublime with Rome, Brand New, Poliça, Motion City Soundtrack, Puscifer, Coheed & Cambria, Scissor Sisters, MUTEMATH, Delta Spirit, Civil Twilight, An Horse, Gardens & Villa, AM & Shawn Lee, Hey Rosetta!, Yawn, and more
Why:  Harriet Island welcomes St. Pauli girls & boys to a new festival.
Web:  www.riversedgemusicfestival.com

KCRW World

What:  KCRW World
Where:  Los Angeles, CA
When:  June 24-September 9
Who:  Hot Chip, Ziggy Marley, Animal Collective, Ben Harper, Glen Campbell, Passion Pit, Flying Lotus, Fitz & The Tantrums, Jackson Browne, Toots and the Maytals, Kris Krisofferson, Dawes, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Omar Souleyman, and more
Why:  KCRW brings the world to the Hollywood Bowl.  Read & see much more in QRO’s recap of the closing night
Web:  www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/series-detail.cfm?id=61

Summerfest

What:  Summerfest
Where:  Milwaukee, WI
When:  June 27-July 1 & July 3-8
Who:  Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, The Beach Boys, Foo Fighters, Neil Diamond, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Train, Lady Antebellum, The Avett Brothers, Steve Miller Band, Tiësto, Chicago, Alice Cooper, The Roots, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, Cake, Death Cab for Cutie, Young the Giant, Scorpions, B-52s, Hanson, Bush, Ziggy Marley, 311, Robyn, Ben Folds Five, fun., The Hives, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Mould, Thievery Corporation, DeVotchKa, AWOLNATION, Gavin DeGraw, Heartless Bastards, Silversun Pickups, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Mutemath, The Walkmen, Fitz & The Tantrums, The Joy Formidable, The Head and the Heart, tUnE-YaRdS, Robert Francis, Walk the Moon, and many, many more
Why:  The biggest music festival in the world is also the most mainstream, but there’s so many bands over so many days, bound to be someone you want to see.
Web:  www.summerfest.com

Electric Forest

What:  Electric Forest
Where:  Rothbury, MI
When: 
June 28 – July 1
Who:  The String Cheese Incident, Bassnectar, STS9, Thievery Corporation, Girl Talk, Santigold, Steve Aoki, Ghostland Observatory, Wolfgang Gartner, Major Lazer, Dada Life, Beats Antique, 12th Planet, Das Racist, Reggie Watts, Gary Clark Jr., Big Freedia, Chali 2na, Glass Candy, Fruit Bats, Pictureplane, Nathaniel Rateliff, Franki Chan, The Knocks, and more
Why:  Double JJ Resort in Rothbury gets its own music festival (QRO photos of final year of Rothbury Festival). 
Web:
  www.electricforestfestival.com

Montreal Jazz

What:  Montreal Jazz
Where:  Montreal, QC, Canada
When: 
June 28-July 7
Who:  B.B. King, Beirut, George Thorogood & The Destroyer, Liza Minelli, Ben Harper, Billy Bragg, Dirty Projectors, Janelle Monaé, Norah Jones, Rufus Wainwright, Ziggy Marley, Chromeo, JJ Grey & Mofro, Lee Fields, Nellie McKay, Yann Tiersen, The Barr Brothers, Escort, and more
Why:  Jazz has always fit best in Francophone America. 
Web:
  www.montrealjazzfest.com

Deep Blues

What:  Deep Blues
Where:  Bayport, MN
When: 
June 29-July 1
Who:  William Elliott Whitmore, Radio Moscow, Buffalo Killers, Left Lane Cruiser, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, and more
Why:  Blues & BBQ in Bayport. 
Web:
  www.bayportbbq.com

Kate Wolf

What:  Kate Wolf
Where:  Laytonville, CA
When: 
June 29-July 1
Who:  k.d. lang, Lucinda Williams, Texas Tornados, Richard Thompson, Leftover Salmon, Bluehouse, Justin Townes Earle, Loudon Wainwright III, Lucy Wainwright Roche, and more
Why:  Ladies & gents are welcome at Kate Wolf. 
Web:
  katewolfmusicfestival.com

Spy

What:  Spy
Where:  New York, NY
When: 
June 29-July 15
Who:  Rhys Chatham, Eugene Chadbourne, PC Worship, Dan Friel, Magik Markers, and more
Why:  Spy some more experimental music. 
Web:
  spymusicfestival.com

 

 


July

Ravinia

What:  Ravinia
Where:  Highland Park, IL
When:  April 7 – September 9
Who:  Earth, Wind & Fire, Iron & Wine, Al Green, Jimmy Cliff, Philip Glass, Steve Martin, Esperanza Spalding, Glen Campbell, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Sarah McLachlan, Idina Menzel, Santana, Natalie Merchant, The Blues Brothers, Diana Krall, Seal, James Taylor, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Train, Tony Benett, Arlo Guthrie, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and more
Why:  Old-timers are at Ravinia.
Web:  www.ravinia.org


Waterfront Wednesday

What:  Waterfront Wednesday
Where:  Louisville, KY
When:  April 25 – September 19
Who:  Mumford & Sons, The Walkmen, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Dawes, Trample by Turtles, These United States, and more
Why:  Louisville’s Waterfront Wednesday has a show a month on hump day.  See more in our photo galleries from Louisville Waterfront here
Web:  www.louisvillewaterfront.com


Ann Arbor Summer

What:  Ann Arbor Summer
Where:  Ann Arbor, MI
When:  May 25-July 8
Who:  Bonnie Raitt, Feist, Al Green, Rufus Wainwright, Esperanza Spalding, Nelie McKay, Ira Glass, The Low Anthem, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Macpodz, and more
Why:  Home of the University of Michigan (and The Dharma Initiative…), all those kind of guys who are hailing from Ann Arbot get a much-needed reason to smile with this three-week Summer Fest.
Web:  www.annarborsummerfestival.org


Nitefall On the River

What:  Nitefall On the River
Where:
  Des Moines, IA
When:  May 26 – September 12
Who:
  Jimmy Cliff, Andrew Bird, Bruce Hornsby, Ingrid Michaelson, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Matisyahu, Umphrey’s McGee, Greg Laswell, The Dirty Heads, and more
Why:  Nite falls over the Simon Estes Amphitheater on the Des Moines river.  See more in our photo galleries from Simon Estes Amphitheater here
Web:
  nitefalldsm.com

Downtown Sound

What:  Downtown Sound
Where:  Chicago, IL
When:  May 28 – July 30
Who:  Charles Bradley, Jonathan Richman, Chico Trujillo, Cloud Cult, Joan of Arc, James Vincent McMorrow, and more
Why:  Chicago’s Millennium Park hosts some great outdoor shows all summer – for free!  See more in our photo galleries from Millennium Park here
Web:  millenniumpark.org

Celebrate Brooklyn!

What:  Celebrate Brooklyn!
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
When:  June 5 to August 11
Who:  Wilco, M. Ward, Sigur Rós, Dirty Projectors, Hot Chip, Jimmy Cliff, Lyle Lovett, Mission of Burma, Ghostface Killah, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Laura Marling, Keb’ Mo’, The Head and the Heart, Balkan Beat Box, Little Dragon, Yo La Tengo, Gang Gang Dance, Wye Oak, Wild Flag, Frankie Rose, Lee Fields, Purity Ring, and more  See July dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  Once again, Prospect Park Bandshell’s Celebrate Brooklyn! delivers all summer long.  See our venue review & photos of Prospect Park Bandshell here
Web:  www.briconline.org/celebrate

SummerStage

What:  Central Park SummerStage
Where:  Central Park, NY
When:  June 5 to August 30
Who:  Foster the People, M83, Young the Giant, Norah Jones, Beach House, Childish Gambino, Guided by Voices, Alabama Shakes, Gary Clark Jr., Carolina Chocolate Drops, Amadou & Mariam, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Dawes, AraabMUSIK, Deer Tick, Tokyo Police Club, Ozomatli, Theophilus London, Cloud Nothings, Das Racist, EPMD, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Givers, and more  See July dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  A mixture of paid benefit shows and free shows receiving those benefits are a staple every summer in the Big Apple at the iconic Central Park – as well as other parks in all five boroughs!  See our venue review & photos of Central Park SummerStage here  
Web:
  www.summerstage.org

River to River

What:  River to River
Where:  Downtown Manhattan, NY
When: June 17-July 15
Who:  George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic, Philip Glass Ensemble, Patrick Watson, Eleanor Friedberger, Chico Mann, Veronica Falls, The Miracles Club, Loney, Dear, Body Language, The People’s Temple, Ecstatic Summer, and more  See July dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  River to River celebrates a decade of bring free art to downtown Manhattan, starting with the Bang On a Can Marathon (QRO photos), with free shows at Castle Clinton, World Financial Center, and especially South Street Seaport.  See our venue review & photos of Castle Clinton hereSee our venue review & photos of South Street Seaport hereSee our venue review & photos of World Financial Center here
Web:  www.rivertorivernyc.com


Vans House Parties

What:  Vans House Parties
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
When: 
June 20 – August 29
Who:  The Rapture, H20, Washed Out, King Khan & The Shrines, Cursive, Turbonegro, Tanlines, 7 Seconds, Chairlift, Titus Andronicus, Lemonade, The Everymen, and more  See July dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  In addition to the Warped Tour (QRO 2011 recap), Vans is also hosting a series of free Brooklyn house parties at the House of Vans.  See our venue review & photos of House of Vans here 
Web:
  www.vans.com/microsites/houseparties

KCRW World

What:  KCRW World
Where:  Los Angeles, CA
When:  June 24-September 9
Who:  Hot Chip, Ziggy Marley, Animal Collective, Ben Harper, Glen Campbell, Passion Pit, Flying Lotus, Fitz & The Tantrums, Jackson Browne, Toots and the Maytals, Kris Krisofferson, Dawes, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Omar Souleyman, and more
Why:  KCRW brings the world to the Hollywood Bowl.  Read & see much more in QRO’s recap of the closing night
Web:  www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/series-detail.cfm?id=61

SummerFest

What:  Summerfest
Where:  Milwaukee, WI
When:  June 27-July 1 & July 3-8
Who:  Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, The Beach Boys, Foo Fighters, Neil Diamond, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Train, Lady Antebellum, The Avett Brothers, Steve Miller Band, Tiësto, Chicago, Alice Cooper, The Roots, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, Cake, Death Cab for Cutie, Young the Giant, Scorpions, B-52s, Hanson, Bush, Ziggy Marley, 311, Robyn, Ben Folds Five, fun., The Hives, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Mould, Thievery Corporation, DeVotchKa, AWOLNATION, Gavin DeGraw, Heartless Bastards, Silversun Pickups, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Mutemath, The Walkmen, Fitz & The Tantrums, The Joy Formidable, The Head and the Heart, tUnE-YaRdS, Robert Francis, Walk the Moon, and many, many more
Why:  The biggest music festival in the world is also the most mainstream, but there’s so many bands over so many days, bound to be someone you want to see.
Web:  www.summerfest.com

Electric Forest

What:  Electric Forest
Where:  Rothbury, MI
When: 
June 28 – July 1
Who:  The String Cheese Incident, Bassnectar, STS9, Thievery Corporation, Girl Talk, Santigold, Steve Aoki, Ghostland Observatory, Wolfgang Gartner, Major Lazer, Dada Life, Beats Antique, 12th Planet, Das Racist, Reggie Watts, Gary Clark Jr., Big Freedia, Chali 2na, Glass Candy, Fruit Bats, Pictureplane, Nathaniel Rateliff, Franki Chan, The Knocks, and more
Why:  Double JJ Resort in Rothbury gets its own music festival (QRO photos of final year of Rothbury Festival). 
Web:
  www.electricforestfestival.com

 

Montreal Jazz

What:  Montreal Jazz
Where:  Montreal, QC, Canada
When: 
June 28-July 7
Who:  B.B. King, Beirut, George Thorogood & The Destroyer, Liza Minelli, Ben Harper, Billy Bragg, Dirty Projectors, Janelle Monaé, Norah Jones, Rufus Wainwright, Ziggy Marley, Chromeo, JJ Grey & Mofro, Lee Fields, Nellie McKay, Yann Tiersen, The Barr Brothers, Escort, and more
Why:  Jazz has always fit best in Francophone America. 
Web:
  www.montrealjazzfest.com

Deep Blues

What:  Deep Blues
Where:  Bayport, MN
When: 
June 29-July 1
Who:  William Elliott Whitmore, Radio Moscow, Buffalo Killers, Left Lane Cruiser, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, and more
Why:  Blues & BBQ in Bayport. 
Web:
  www.bayportbbq.com

Kate Wolf

What:  Kate Wolf
Where:  Laytonville, CA
When: 
June 29-July 1
Who:  k.d. lang, Lucinda Williams, Texas Tornados, Richard Thompson, Leftover Salmon, Bluehouse, Justin Townes Earle, Loudon Wainwright III, Lucy Wainwright Roche, and more
Why:  Ladies & gents are welcome at Kate Wolf. 
Web:
  katewolfmusicfestival.com

Spy

What:  Spy
Where:  New York, NY
When: 
June 29-July 15
Who:  Rhys Chatham, Eugene Chadbourne, PC Worship, Dan Friel, Magik Markers, and more
Why:  Spy some more experimental music. 
Web:
  spymusicfestival.com

Winnipeg Folk

What:  Winnipeg Folk
Where:  Winnipeg, MB, Canada
When: 
July 4-8
Who:  Feist, Iron & Wine, Billy Bragg, Beth Orton, Blitzen Trapper, Ozomatli, DeVotchKa, K’NAAN, Charles Bradley, The Head and The Heart, Good Old War, Sam Amidon, The Barr Brothers, Bahamas, Carolina Chocolate Drops, James Vincent McMorrow, Abigail Washburn, Adam Cohen, and more
Why:  Every city in the Great White North has a folk festival – this one’s at Winnipeg’s Birds Hill Park, and is pretty damn good.
Web:
  www.winnipegfolkfestival.ca

Bluesfest Ottawa

What:  Bluesfest Ottawa
Where:  Ottawa, ON, Canada
When: 
July 4-15
Who:  Alice Cooper, Tiësto, Conor Oberst, Skrillex, Snoop Dogg, John Mellencamp, Thievery Corporation, Beirut, K’Naan, Our Lady Peace, Metric, Norah Jones, Nickelback, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Iron Maiden, Dirty Projectors, The Weeknd, Charles Bradley, Young the Giant, Mastodon, Seal, Sam Roberts Band, The Postelles, Grimes, City and Colour, Freelance Whales, Zeus, AWOLNATION, Chali 2na, The Hold Steady, The Melvins, Paul Oakenfold, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Chromeo, Good Old War, MSTRKRFT, The Sheepdogs, Blitzen Trapper, Rich Aucoin, Billy Bragg, !!!, and many more
Why:  Cisco Systems again treats the capital of Canada to a wide span of acts (Tiësto & Nickelback, together at last!…) over a wide span of days at a wide span of stages. 
Web:
  www.ottawabluesfest.ca

 

CBGB

What:  CBGB
Where: 
New York, NY
When: 
July 5-8
Who:  Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Guided by Voices, The Hold Steady, Superchunk, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Cloud Nothings, The War On Drugs, Craig Finn, D Generation, The Cro-Mags, Sick of It All, The Baseball Project, Rocket From the Tombs, Escort, Xylos, Radio 4, P.S. I Love You, The New Cassettes, and more
Why:  Venues across the Big Apple celebrate the classic one that ain’t there no more.  Read & see much more in our recap here
Web:
  www.cbgb.com

High Sierra

What:  High Sierra
Where:  Quincy, CA
When: 
July 5-8
Who:  Ben Harper, STS9, Railroad Earth, Galactic, Built to Spill, Toots & The Maytals, Ryan Bingham, Matisyahu, Soulive, ALO, Lotus, Delta Spirit, Heartless Bastards, The Devil Makes Three, Deer Tick, The Slip, Surprise Me Mr. Davis, Grupo Fantasma,The Motet, Ben Sollee, Gardens & Villa, Y La Bamba, and more
Why:  California’s High Sierra Music Festival, up in the mountains, is stocked with festival staples.  See much more in our photo gallery here  
Web:
  www.highsierramusic.com

Wanderlust Colorado

What:  Wanderlust Colorado
Where: 
Copper Mountain, CO
When: 
July 5-8
Who:  Ziggy Marley, Beats Antique, Krishna Das, Deepak Chopra, and more
Why:  Lake Tahoe’s yoga-sponsored music festival (see below) heads to the middle of the country.
Web:
  colorado.wanderlustfestival.com


Quebec City Summer

What:  Québec City Summer
Where:  Québec City, QC, Canada
When: 
July 5-15
Who:  Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Metric, The Offspring, Mastodon, Skrillex, Our Lady Peace, LFMAO, Beirut, Big Boi, Patrick Watson, Tedeschi Trucks Band, !!!, Cults, Loney, Dear, Galactic, Grimes, City and Colour, Hey Rosetta!, Yuksek, The Barr Brothers, and many more
Why:  The capital of Francophone America hosts an odd collection of acts, from old to young, mainstream to indie, jazz to metal, folk to electronica. 
Web:
  www.infofestival.com/?lang=en-CA


Twilight

What:  Twilight
Where: 
Salt Lake City, UT
When: 
July 5 – August 30
Who:  My Morning Jacket, Nas, Passion Pit, Common, Band of Horses, Iron & Wine, M. Ward, Beach House, Raphael Saadiq, The Walkmen, Tinie Tempah, DeVotchKa, Austra, Lower Dens, and more
Why:  Defying your stereotypes about Utah and anything with the world ‘Twilight’ in it, Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Park holds a Big Apple-worthy series of free concerts.
Web:
  twilightconcertseries.com


Basilica Block Party

What:  Basilica Block Party
Where:  Minneapolis, MN
When: 
July 6-7
Who:  Train, The Avett Brothers, The Head and the Heart, Fitz & The Tantrums, CAKE, OAR, Mat Kearney, The Lumineers, Graffiti6, and more
Why:  Minneapolis holds a music festival – to raise money to renovate The Basilica of St. Mary?… 
Web:
  basilicablockparty.org

 


80/35

What:  80/35
Where:  Des Moines, IA
When: 
July 6-7
Who:  Death Cab For Cutie, The Avett Brothers, Dinosaur Jr., Leftover Salmon, Fucked Up, Dan Deacon, Freddie Gibbs, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Jaill, and more
Why:  Better known for corn & presidential primaries, Iowa has also been holding hold a sweet & diverse 80/35 festival, now in its fifth year.  Read & see much more in our recap here
Web:  www.80-35.com


Northern Lights Festival Boréal

What:  Northern Lights Festival Boréal
Where:  Sudbury, ON, Canada
When: 
July 6-8
Who:  Daniel Lanois & Black Dub, The Hidden Cameras, Yukon Blonde, and more
Why:  Sudbury’s Northern Lights Festival Boréal is basically a few Canadian heavy-hitters and others only Canadians have ever even heard of. 
Web:
  nlfbsudbury.com


The Hootenanny

What:  The Hootenanny
Where:  Silverado, CA
When: 
July 7
Who:  Rancid, The Reverend Horton Heat, Lucero, Not In the Face!!!, The Bouncing Souls, Kevin Seconds, and more
Why:  A punk hootenanny. 
Web:
  hehootenanny.com


WestFest

What:  WestFest
Where:  Chicago, IL
When: 
July 7-8
Who:  The Black Lips, Mates of State, Man or Astro-man?, Crooked Fingers, Flosstradamus, Bad Veins, He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, and more
Why:  Chicago’s West Town has its own free fest. 
Web:
  westfestchicago.com


Brooklyn Hip-Hop

What:  Brooklyn Hip-Hop
Where: 
Brooklyn, NY
When: 
July 9-14
Who:  Busta Rhymes & Friends, Freeway, KA, Jasmine Colano, Melo-X, Johnny Temple, Fat Tony, and more  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  The most name-checked place in the world justly deserves its own hip-hop festival.  Read & see more in our recap here
Web:
  www.bkhiphopfestival.com


Sonshine

What:  Sonshine
Where: 
Willmar, MN
When: 
July 11-14
Who:  Switchfoot, Relient K, and more
Why:  Eventually, the Festival Guide was going to include a Christian rock festival.
Web:
  sonshinefestival.com

Camp Bisco

What:  Camp Bisco
Where: 
Mariaville, NY
When: 
July 12-14
Who:  The Disco Biscuits, Basnectar, Skrillex, Amon Tobin ISAM, Crystal Castles, Atmosphere, Big Boi, Shpongle, A-Trak, Lotus, Simian Mobile Disco, Dada Life, Zeds Dead, Porter Robinson, Portugal. The Man, Holy Fuck, Chali 2na, Rubblebucket, Tycho, The Knocks, Nick Catchdubs, Codes, Rich Aucoin, and many more
Why:  Festival mainstays jam & electro meet at The Disco Biscuits’ eleventh year of Camp Bisco.  Read & see much more in our recap here
Web:
  www.campbisco.net

RiverRocks

What:  RiverRocks
Where: 
Hudson River Park, NY
When: 
July 12 – August 9
Who:  Dan Deacon, Oberhofer, Wild Nothing, Grimes, The Soft Pack, John Maus and more  See July dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  Hudson River Park’s RiverRocks moves from Pier 54 (QRO venue review) to Pier 84 for another great season of free shows out on the water.  See our venue review & photos of Pier 84 here 
Web:  www.riverrocksnyc.com


Bushwick Walkabout

What:  Bushwick Walkabout
Where: 
Brooklyn, NY
When: 
July 13-14
Who:  Beast Make Bomb, Xylos, Team Spirit, Ravens & Chimes, Slam Donahue, The Yes Way, The Loom, Courtesy Tier, and more  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  ReThinkPopMusic’s Walkabout in Bushwick returns with some of the borough’s best undiscovered bands.  Read & see much more in our recap here
Web:
  bushwickwalkabout.com


Camp Euforia

What:  Camp Euforia
Where: 
Lone Tree, IA
When: 
July 13-14
Who:  Eufóquestra, William Elliot Whitmore, Split Lip Rayfield, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Future Rock, Head For the Hills, The Ragbirds, and more
Why:  Go camp on the farm.
Web:
  www.campeuforia.com


Bunbury

What:  Bunbury
Where: 
Cincinnati, OH
When: 
July 13-15
Who:  Jane’s Addiction, Death Cab for Cutie, Weezer, Airborne Toxic Event, Gym Class Heroes, Guided by Voices, Manchester Orchestra, Minus the Bear, City and Colour, Motion City Soundtrack, O.A.R., Grouplove, Ra Ra Riot, Foxy Shazam, Margot & The Nuclear So & So’s, RJD2, Good Old War, Dan Deacon, Maps & Atlases, Jukebox the Ghost, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Now, Now, Kevin Devine, 1,2,3, The Seedy Seeds, and more
Why:  Nice mix of mainstream & alternative.
Web:
  bunburyfestival.com


Forecastle

What:  Forecastle
Where: 
Louisville, KY
When: 
July 13-15
Who:  My Morning Jacket, Wilco, Bassnectar, Girl Talk, Andrew Bird, Sleigh Bells, Atmosphere, Neko Case, A-Track, Flying Lotus, BeacH Hosue, The Head and the Heart, Dr. Dog, Deer Tick, Charles Bradley, Beats Antique, Real Estate, Justin Townes Earle, Washed Out, Dean Wareham, Wye Oak, Atlas Sound, Fruit Bats, Ben Sollee, JEFF: The Brotherhood, The Features, Mike Doughty, Tanlines, Sleeper Agent, and more
Why:  After taking last year off, Forecastle returns for its tenth anniversary.
Web:
  www.forecastlefest.com


Pitchfork

What:  Pitchfork
Where: 
Chicago, IL
When:  July 13-15
Who:  Vampire Weekend, Feist, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Hot Chip, Sleigh Bells, Wild Flag, AraabMUSIK, Dirty Projectors, Beach House, A$AP Rocky, Chavez, Japandroids, The Field, Atlas Sound, Real Estate, Flying Lotus, Ty Segall, Liturgy, Kendrick Lamar, Grimes, Oneohtrix Point Never, Cults, Iceage, King Krule, Cloud Nothings, Thee Oh Sees, Lower Dens, The Men, Youth Lagoon, Tim Hecker, Dirty Beaches, Purity Ring, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and more
Why:  The mother of all online indie music magazines returns for another festival with all the bands they’ve been telling you that you have to hear.
Web:
  www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com


Great South Bay

What:  Great South Bay
Where: 
Patchogue, NY
When:  July 13-15
Who:  moe., Tea Leaf Green, Martin Sexton, Black 47, Ollabelle, Tauk, and more
Why:  Jam fest on Long Island.
Web:
  www.greatsouthbaymusicfestival.com


Vancouver Folk

What:  Vancouver Folk
Where: 
Vancouver, BC, Canada
When: 
July 13-15
Who:  Ani DiFranco, K’Naan, The Head and the Heart, The Barr Brothers, Dan Mangan, Hey Rosetta!, Blitz the Ambassador, River City Extension, and more
Why:  Music from all over the world is celebrated at Vancouver’s Jericho Beach Park.
Web:
  thefestival.bc.ca


Anacortes Unknown

What:  Anacortes Unknown
Where: 
Anacortes, WA
When:  July 13-15
Who:  Calvin Johnson, Karl Blau, Mount Eerie, Lake, Dylan Carlson, Grouper, and more
Why:  What the Heck? Fest morphs into Anacortes Unknown.
Web:
  www.anacortesunknown.com

4Knots

What:  4Knots
Where: 
New York, NY
When: 
July 14
Who:  Archers of Loaf, The Drums, Crocodiles, Hospitality, Bleached, Delicate Steve, Team Spirit, Devin, and more
Why:  With Coney Island’s Siren no more (QRO recap of final year), The Village Voice returns to Manhattan’s South Street Seaport (QRO venue review).  See much more in our photo gallery here
Web:  www.villagevoice.com/4knots

Green River

What:  Green River
Where: 
Greenfield, MA
When: 
July 14-15
Who:  Arlo Guthrie, Los Lobos, Ozomatli, Richard Thompson, Rubblebucket, Charles Bradley, Winterpills, Lee Fields, and more
Why:  This lighter jam-folk fest is has hot air balloon rides.
Web:
  www.greenriverfestival.com

Who Shot Rock & Roll

What:  Who Shot Rock & Roll
Where: 
Los Angeles, CA
When: 
July 14-August 4
Who:  Raphael Saadiq, Moby, Band of Skulls, Portugal. The Man, and more
Why:  Radio station KCRW comes to the Annenberg Space for Photography to celebrate the Who Shot Rock & Roll exhibit.
Web:
  www.kcrw.com/events/who-shot-rock-roll

 


All Good

What:  All Good
Where: 
Thornville, OH
When: 
July 19-22
Who:  The Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, The Flaming Lips, Bob Weir & Bruce Hornsby w/ Branford Marsalis, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Lotus, Dark Star Orchestra, G. Love & Special Sauce, Big Gigantic, Galactic, Shpongle, Mickey Hart Band, Trampled by Turtles, Railroad Earth, Tea Leaf Green, Lettuce, The Devil Makes Three, Rubblebucket, The Macpodz, and more
Why:  It’s all good, brah…
Web:
  www.allgoodfestival.com

Gathering of Vibes

What:  Gathering of Vibes
Where: 
Bridgeport, CT
When:  July 19-22
Who:  Primus, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir & Bruce Hornsby w/ Branford Marsalis, STS9, Mickey Hart, Zappa Plays Zappa, The Avett Brothers, Mates of State, Assembly of Dust, Toubab Krewe, Outernational, and more
Why:  Gathering of Vibes is about as jam band-y as the title would suggest (seems like every living member of The Dead is there with their solo band) – but New England gets precious few festivals.
Web:
  www.gatheringofthevibes.com 

Underground Music Showcase

What:  Underground Music Showcase
Where: 
Denver, CO
When:  July 19-22
Who:  Shabazz Palaces, Atlas Sound, Black Mother Super Rainbow, Cloud Nothings, Imperial Teen, A Place To Bury Strangers, Big Freedia, Class ACtress, Yukon Blondel, A Shoreline Dream, Ezra Furman, and more
Why:  Go underground in the Mile High City.
Web:
  www.theums.com

 

Capitol Hill Block Party

What:  Capitol Hill Block Party
Where: 
Seattle, WA
When: 
July 20-22
Who:  Neko Case, Major Lazer, Fitz & The Tantrums, Phantogram, Aesop Rock, The Lumineers, Grimes, Diplo, Youth Lagoon, Thee Oh Sees, Cloud Nothings, Twin Shadow, Dam-Funk, Doomtree, Porcelain Raft, Whtie Arrows, Light Asylum, Crystal Stilts, Yukon Blonde, and more
Why:  The Final? Capitol Hill Block Party.
Web:
  www.capitolhillblockparty.com


Evolve

What:  Evolve
Where: 
Antigonish, NS, Canada
When:  July 20-22
Who:  Break Science with Chali 2na, Dan Deacon, Deerhoof, Hey Rosetta!, Rich Aucoin, Shout Out Out Out Out, and more
Why:  Ever-imperiled by being cut off from the rest of Anglophone Canada by Quebec independence, Atlantic provinces like Nova Scotia have to jump at what they can, like Evolve.
Web:
  www.evolvefestival.com


Firefly

What:  Firefly
Where: 
Dover, DE
When:  July 20-22
Who:  The Killers, The Black Keys, Jack White, Death Cab For Cutie, John Legend, The Flamings Lips, Passion Pit, CAKE, Lupe Fiasco, Girl Talk, Young the Giant, OK Go, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Cold War Kids, Tinie Tempah, The Wallflowers, AWOLNATION, The Head and the Heart, Grouplove, Charles Bradley, Bombay Bicycle Club, Mayer Hawthorne & The County, Cults, Walk the Moon, Blind Pilot, The Felice Brothers, Heartless Bastards, Mariachi El Bronx, Matt Costa, Reptar, Ra Ra Riot, Penguin Prison, and more
Why:  The newest entry into the festival game is a strong one in Firefly – and it’s in Delaware?!?!  Read much more in our preview here
Web:
  fireflyfestival.com


Home County Folk

What:  Home County Folk
Where: 
London, ON, Canada
When: 
July 20-22
Who:  Bahamas, Cuff the Duke, and more
Why:  Victoria Park in London, Canada, has its own festival.
Web:
  www.homecounty.ca

 

Milwaukee Avenue

What:  Milwaukee Avenue Arts
Where:  Chicago, IL
When: 
July 20-22
Who:  NOMO, Disappears, Del Rey, Unicycle Loves You, In Tall Buildings, and more
Why:  Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago hosts some local acts.  
Web:
  milwaukeeavenueartsfestival.org

 

PDX Pop Now!

What:  PDX Pop Now!
Where: 
Portland, OR
When:  July 20-22
Who:  AU, The Miracles Club, The Parson Redheads, Radiation City, White Fang, White Hinterland, and more
Why:  Portland celebrates its music scene with this free event.
Web:
  www.pdxpopnow.com

 

XPoNential

What:  XPoNential
Where: 
Camden, NJ
When:  July 20-22
Who:  Wilco, Counting Crows, The Avett Brothers, Dr. Dog, The Hold Steady, Kathleen Edwards, The War On Drugs, John Wesley Harding, Patterson Hood, Mike Doughty, Ozomatli, Lee Ranaldo, The Lumineers, Good Old War, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, and more
Why:  WXPN 88.5 holds an Americana alt-country fest at Camden’s Waterfront.
Web:
  xpn.org/concerts-events/xponential-music-festival-2012

Far West

What:  Far West
Where: 
Marin Co., CA
When: 
July 21
Who:  Les Nubians, Orgone, Spark and Whisper, Kelly McFarling, Bo Carper, and more
Why:  Head very far to the west for some Marin County jam.  See much more in our photo gallery here
Web:
  farwestfest.org

 

Calgary Folk

What:  Calgary Folk
Where: 
Calgary, AB, Canada
When: 
July 21-24
Who:  Chris Isaak, Beirut, Iron & Wine, Jeff Mangum, Rural Alberta Advantage, Randy Newman, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Charles Bradley, John Doe, Gillian Welch, Justin Townes Earle, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Jim White, The Barr Brothers, Blitz the Ambassador, Dan Mangan, and more
Why:  Another Canadian folk festival, this time in the country’s prairie heartland with some surprisingly big acts.
Web:
  www.calgaryfolkfest.com

 

Soundtown

What:  SoundTown
Where:  Somerset, WI
When: 
July 26-28
Who:  Jane’s Addiction, Florence & The Machine, Weezer, Andrew Birl, Girl Talk, Common, Mayer Hawthorne, The Temper Trap, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, DJ Shadow, Doomtree, Phantogram, Dr. Dog, Gomez, Best Coast, Heartless Bastards, Mariachi El Bronx, Hayes Carll, White Denim, JEFF The Brotherhood, Ponderosa, Those Darlins, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, The Baseball Project, Hood Internet, and more
Why:  Somerset Amphitheater welcomes (now) three fine days of music to Middle America. 
Web:
  somersetamphitheater.com/soundtown-festival

 

FloydFest

What:  FloydFest
Where: 
Floyd, VA
When: 
July 26-29
Who:  Alison Krauss & Union Station, Jackson Browne, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Leftover Salmon, Brandi Carlile, Matisyahu, Drive-By Truckers, Punch Brothers, Gary Clark Jr., Galactic, Dawes, Bruce Hornsby, Ozomatli, Steep Canyon Rangers, Toubab Krewe, Jonathan Wilson, Hoots & Hellmouth, Ha Ha Tonka, Marco Benevento, and more
Why:  Americana-jam at the eleventh FloydFest.
Web:
  www.floydfest.com

Wanderlust California

What:  Wanderlust California
Where: 
Lake Tahoe, CA
When: 
July 26-29
Who:  Ziggy Marley, Shpongle, Beats Antique, Krishna Das, Eskmo, and more
Why:  Lake Tahoe’s yoga-sponsored music festival comes back for a fourth year – after two satellites fests beforehand (see above).
Web:
  squaw.wanderlustfestival.com

Hillside

What:  Hillside
Where: 
Guelph, ON, Canada
When: 
July 27-29
Who:  Bombay Bicycle Club, Memoryhouse, Ohbijou, Chad VanGaalen, Zeus, Great Lake Swimmers, Adam Cohen, Arkells, Bahamas, Rich Aucoin, Elliott BROOD, The Jezabels, and more
Why:  While many Canadian festivals have flamed out, Hillside has passed its quarter century mark and is still going strong.
Web:
  www.hillsidefestival.ca

What:  Catalpa NYC
Where:  Randall’s Island, NY
When: 
July 28-29
Who:  The Black Keys, Snoop Dogg, TV On the Radio, Girl Talk, Matt & Kim, Umphrey’s McGee, City and Colour, Cold War Kids, Matisyahu, Zola Jesus, A$AP Rocky, Hercules and Love Affair, AraabMUSIK, The Big Pink, The Sheepdogs, and moe
Why:  Yet another festival on Randall’s Island, this new one includes Snoop Dogg playing Doggy StyleRead and see much more in our recap here  
Web:
  www.catalpanyc.com

Newport Folk

What:  Newport Folk
Where:  Newport, RI
When: 
July 28-29
Who:  My Morning Jacket, Jackson Browne, Iron & Wine, Conor Oberst, Patty Griffin, The Head & The Heart, Guthrie Family Reunion, Punch Brothers, Dawes, Tallest Man On Earth, tUnE-yArDs, Deer Tick, City and Colour, Tom Morello, Alabama Shakes, Charles Bradley, Sharon Van Etten, Gary Clark Jr., Blind Pilot, First Aid Kit, New Multitudes, Jonathan Wilson, Ben Sollee, and many more
Why:  The festival where Bob ‘Judas’ Dylan is still going strong.  
Web:
  www.newportfolkfest.net

Wicker Park Fest

What:  Wicker Park Fest
Where: 
Chicago, IL
When: 
July 28-29
Who:  Cursive, Budos Band, The Drums, Lucero, Kill Hannah, Joe Pug, Foxy Shazam, Miniature Tigers, Fang Island, Horse Feathers, Baseball Project, Andrew Jackson Jihad, Tim Fite, EXITMUSIC, Screaming Females, YAWN, and more
Why:  Way better than the crappy movie of the same name (though it did have a good soundtrack)…  See much more in our photo gallery here 
Web:
  www.wickerparkfestchicago.com

 

 


August

Ravinia

What:  Ravinia
Where:  Highland Park, IL
When:  April 7 – September 9
Who:  Earth, Wind & Fire, Iron & Wine, Al Green, Jimmy Cliff, Philip Glass, Steve Martin, Esperanza Spalding, Glen Campbell, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Sarah McLachlan, Idina Menzel, Santana, Natalie Merchant, The Blues Brothers, Diana Krall, Seal, James Taylor, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Train, Tony Benett, Arlo Guthrie, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and more
Why:  Old-timers are at Ravinia.
Web:  www.ravinia.org


Waterfront Wednesday

What:  Waterfront Wednesday
Where:  Louisville, KY
When:  April 25 – September 19
Who:  Mumford & Sons, The Walkmen, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Dawes, Trample by Turtles, These United States, and more
Why:  Louisville’s Waterfront Wednesday has a show a month on hump day.  See more in our photo galleries from Louisville Waterfront here
Web:  www.louisvillewaterfront.com


Nitefall On the River

What:  Nitefall On the River
Where:
  Des Moines, IA
When:  May 26 – September 12
Who:
  Jimmy Cliff, Andrew Bird, Bruce Hornsby, Ingrid Michaelson, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Matisyahu, Umphrey’s McGee, Greg Laswell, The Dirty Heads, and more
Why:  Nite falls over the Simon Estes Amphitheater on the Des Moines river.  See more in our photo galleries from Simon Estes Amphitheater here
Web:
  nitefalldsm.com

Celebrate Brooklyn!

What:  Celebrate Brooklyn!
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
When:  June 5 to August 11
Who:  Wilco, M. Ward, Sigur Rós, Dirty Projectors, Hot Chip, Jimmy Cliff, Lyle Lovett, Mission of Burma, Ghostface Killah, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Laura Marling, Keb’ Mo’, The Head and the Heart, Balkan Beat Box, Little Dragon, Yo La Tengo, Gang Gang Dance, Wye Oak, Wild Flag, Frankie Rose, Lee Fields, Purity Ring, and more  See August dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  Once again, Prospect Park Bandshell’s Celebrate Brooklyn! delivers all summer long.  See our venue review & photos of Prospect Park Bandshell here
Web:  www.briconline.org/celebrate

 

SummerStage

What:  Central Park SummerStage
Where:  Central Park, NY
When:  June 5 to August 30
Who:  Foster the People, M83, Young the Giant, Norah Jones, Beach House, Childish Gambino, Guided by Voices, Alabama Shakes, Gary Clark Jr., Carolina Chocolate Drops, Amadou & Mariam, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Dawes, AraabMUSIK, Deer Tick, Tokyo Police Club, Ozomatli, Theophilus London, Cloud Nothings, Das Racist, EPMD, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Givers, and more  See August dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  A mixture of paid benefit shows and free shows receiving those benefits are a staple every summer in the Big Apple at the iconic Central Park – as well as other parks in all five boroughs!  See our venue review & photos of Central Park SummerStage here  
Web:
  www.summerstage.org


Vans House Parties

What:  Vans House Parties
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
When: 
June 20 – August 29
Who:  The Rapture, H20, Washed Out, King Khan & The Shrines, Cursive, Turbonegro, Tanlines, 7 Seconds, Chairlift, Titus Andronicus, Lemonade, The Everymen, and more  See August dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  In addition to the Warped Tour (QRO 2011 recap), Vans is also hosting a series of free Brooklyn house parties at the House of Vans.  See our venue review & photos of House of Vans here 
Web:  www.vans.com/microsites/houseparties

KCRW World

What:  KCRW World
Where:  Los Angeles, CA
When:  June 24-September 9
Who:  Hot Chip, Ziggy Marley, Animal Collective, Ben Harper, Glen Campbell, Passion Pit, Flying Lotus, Fitz & The Tantrums, Jackson Browne, Toots and the Maytals, Kris Krisofferson, Dawes, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Omar Souleyman, and more
Why:  KCRW brings the world to the Hollywood Bowl.  Read & see much more in QRO’s recap of the closing night
Web:  www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/series-detail.cfm?id=61

Twilight

What:  Twilight
Where: 
Salt Lake City, UT
When: 
July 5 – August 30
Who:  My Morning Jacket, Nas, Passion Pit, Common, Band of Horses, Iron & Wine, M. Ward, Beach House, Raphael Saadiq, The Walkmen, Tinie Tempah, DeVotchKa, Austra, Lower Dens, and more
Why:  Defying your stereotypes about Utah and anything with the world ‘Twilight’ in it, Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Park holds a Big Apple-worthy series of free concerts.
Web:
  twilightconcertseries.com

RiverRocks

What:  RiverRocks
Where: 
Hudson River Park, NY
When: 
July 12 – August 9
Who:  Dan Deacon, Oberhofer, Wild Nothing, Grimes, The Soft Pack, John Maus and more  See August date in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  Hudson River Park’s RiverRocks moves from Pier 54 (QRO venue review) to Pier 84 for another great season of free shows out on the water.  See our venue review & photos of Pier 84 here
Web:
  www.riverrocksnyc.com

Who Shot Rock & Roll

What:  Who Shot Rock & Roll
Where: 
Los Angeles, CA
When: 
July 14-August 4
Who:  Raphael Saadiq, Moby, Band of Skulls, Portugal. The Man, and more
Why:  Radio station KCRW comes to the Annenberg Space for Photography to celebrate the Who Shot Rock & Roll exhibit.
Web:
  www.kcrw.com/events/who-shot-rock-roll

HARD Summer

What:  HARD Summer
Where: 
Los Angeles, CA
When: 
August 3-4
Who:  Lil Jon, Skrillex, M.I.A., 2 Live Crew, Odd Future, LFMAO, deadmau5, Perry Farrell, Underworld, Justice, Santigold, Basement Jaxx, Miike Snow, Sleigh Bells, Fatboy Slim, Chromeo, SBTRKT, Major Lazer, Simian Mobile Disco, MSTRKRFT, Boys Noize, Nero, A-Trak, Crystal Castles, Die Antwoord, Ratatat, Digitalism, Rye Rye, Theophilus London, Kid Sister, Steve Aoki, Magnetic Man, Diplo, Special Disco Version, Ninjasonik, Yelawolf, Amanda Blank, Little Dragon, Bootsy Collins, Flying Lotus, The Juan MacLean, Holy Ghost!, Duck Sauce, Fake Blood, 12th Planet, Borgore, and more
Why:  The dancetronic HARD expands to a second day & and an even bigger line-up.  Read & see much more in our 2011 recap here
Web:
  www.hardfest.com

Gaia

What:  Gaia
Where:  Laytonville, CA
When: 
August 3-5
Who:  Michael Franti and Spearhead, Yonder Mountain String Band, Kinky, Dumpstaphunk, Sierra Leon Refugee All-Stars, Bomba Estereo, Orgone, and more
Why:  Celebrate Mother Earth.
Web:
  www.thegaiafestival.com

Lollapalooza

What:  Lollapalooza
Where:  Chicago, IL
When: 
August 3-5
Who:  Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys, Black Sabbath, Jack White, Florence & The Machine, At the Drive-In, Avicii, The Shins, Justice, Passion Pit, Sigur Ros, Bloc Party, Calvin Harris, Miike Snow, M83, Franz Ferdinand, Nero, Childish Gambino, Delta Spirit, Santigold, Metric, The Temper Trap, Die Antwoord, Dawes, tUnE-yArDs, The Head & The Heart, The Big Pink, Twin Shadow, Toro y Moi, fun., Little Dragon, Dr. Dog, Of Monsters and Men, Gary Clark Jr., Alabama Shakes, The Gaslight Anthem, The Walkmen, Neon Indian, Dum Dum Girls, Washed Out, Bear In Heaven, Chairlift, The Black Angels, Bombay Bicycle Club, Sharon Van Etten, White Rabbits, Oberhofer, The War On Drugs, First Aid Kit, and many, many more
Why:  The granddaddy of today’s indie fests still brings a hell of a line-up right to Chicago’s Grant Park. 
W
eb:  www.lollapalooza.com

Newfoundland & Labrador Folk

What:  Newfoundland & Labrador Folk
Where:  St. John’s, NL, Canada
When: 
August 3-5
Who:  The Once, Amelia Curran, The Dardanelles, and more
Why:  Even the most distant of the Atlantic provinces has singer/songwriters of folk. 
W
eb:  www.nlfolk.com/fest2012/fest2012.html

Newport Jazz

What:  Newport Jazz
Where:  Newport, RI
When:  August 3-5
Who:  Dr. John & The Lower 911 featuring Jon Cleary, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Pat Metheny Unity Band, Bill Frisell, Preservation Jazz Hall Band, The Bad Plus, and more
Why:  While best known for its storied folk festival (see above), little Newport in little Rhode Island has a jazz fest the following weekend to boot! 
Web:
  www.newportjazzfest.net

Osheaga

What:  Osheaga
Where:  Montréal, QC, Canada
When: 
August 3-5
Who:  The Black Keys, Snoop Dogg, Justice, Metric, Sigur Ros, Feist, Florence & The Machine, City and Colour, Garbage, The Shins, MGMT, The Weeknd, Bloc Party, M83, Franz Ferdinand, Garbage, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Common, Amadou & Mariam, Brand New, Passion Pit, Santigold, Young the Giant, A$AP Rocky, fun., Plants and Animals, Of Monsters and Men, Yeasayer, SBTRKT, Calexico, Cursive, The Raveonettes, The Sheepdogs, Black Lips, Portugal. The Man, The Walkmen, Bombay Bicycle Club, Zola Jesus, Little Dragon, The Airborne Toxic Event, Arkells, The Jezabels, Austra, Wintersleep, Tame Impala, Gary Clark Jr., The Black Angels, Atlas Sound, Dum Dum Girls, Yukon Blonde, Memoryhouse, The Death Set, Dan Mangan, Zeus, Freelance Whales, Young Galaxy, and many more
Why:  Osheaga stays in the top-tier in 2012 with another killer line-up.  Read & see much more in our recap here
Web:
  www.osheaga.com/en

Pickathon

What:  Pickathon
Where:  Happy Valley, OR
When: 
August 3-5
Who:  Neko Case, Dr. Dog, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Blitzen Trapper, Heartless Bastards, Phosphorescent, The War On Drugs, The Cave Singers, Langhorne Slim, Cass McCombs, Alela Diane, Handsome Furs, Thee Oh Sees, Bowerbirds, Laura Gibson, White Denim, AA Bondy, The Mynabirds, Typhoon, Southeast Engine, The Barr Brothers, Y La Bamaba, Lonnie Walker, and more
Why:  Pickathon’s picks include some of the better indie-country/folk – on a farm, of course. 
W
eb:  pickathon.com

Sappyfest

What:  Sappyfest
Where:  Sackville, NB, Canada
When: 
August 3-5
Who:  Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, Calvin Johnson, Fucked Up, METZ, The Music Tapes, The Blow, Timber Timbre, Yamataka Sonic Titan, Oneida, and more
Why:  Sackville gets Sappy.  
Web:
  sappyfest.com

MusikFest

What:  Musikfest
Where:  Bethlehem, PA
When: 
August 3-12
Who:  Sheryl Crow, Jane’s Addiction, Daughtry, Boston, Joe Cocker, MGMT, Goo Goo Dolls, Young the Giant, Huey Lewis & The News, Sublime with Rome, Portugal. The Man, Band of Skulls, Atlas Sound, Spinto Band, and more
Why:  Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has a bunch of shows in August, the many smaller of which are free, but the bands that are those that were big twenty to forty years ago, with only a few younger acts.  
Web:
  www.musikfest.org

Woodsist

What:  Woodsist
Where:  Big Sur, CA
When: 
August 4-5
Who:  Real Estate, Thee Oh Sees, Fresh & Onlys, Woods, White Fence, and more
Why:  Woodsist Records has a little festival up in Big Sur (with many of the same acts as last year).  
Web:
  www.folkyeah.com

Buzz Under the Stars

What:  Buzz Under the Stars
Where: 
Kansas City, MO
When: 
August 8
Who:  Silversun Pickups, fun., Garbage, Alabama Shakes and more
Why:  96.5 ‘The Buzz’ comes Under the Stars at Berkley Riverfront Park.
Web:
  www.buzzunderthestars.com/nightone

 

Edmonton Folk

What:  Edmonton Folk
Where: 
Edmonton, AB, Canada
When: 
August 9-12
Who:  Bonnie Raiit, Arrested Development, Guthrie Family Reunion, Emmylou Harris, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mavis Staples, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Trampled by Turtles, The Barr Brothers, Bahamas, The Dunwells, James Vincent McMorrow, Geoff Berner and more
Why:  Some nice names come to Edmonton.
Web:
  www.edmontonfolkfest.org

KahBang

What:  KahBang
Where:  Bangor, ME
When: 
August 9-12
Who:  Deftones, Wale, Bassnectar, Now, Now, MiniBoone, Penguin Prison, Black Taxi, The Aviation Orange, The Gay Blades, and more
Why:  Little ol’ Bangor, Maine’s KahBang is in its fourth year.
Web:
  www.kahbang.com

This Is Hardcore

What:  This Is Hardcore
Where:  Philadelphia, PA
When: 
August 9-12
Who:  Terror, Ringworm, Cro-Mags, Gorilla Biscuits, Lifetime, H2O, Negative Approach, and more
Why:  Phiadelphia’s Electric Factory holds four days of hardcore.
Web:
  thisishardcorefest.com

Colbchella '012

What:  Colbchella ‘012
Where: 
New York, NY
When: 
August 10
Who:  The Flaming Lips, Grizzly Bear, Santigold, fun., and more  See date in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, DFA rocks The Intrepid with this free fest – whose tickets were gone within minutes of the announcement…  Read & see more in QRO’s recap here
Web:
  www.colbertnation.com

Wolfe Island

What:  Wolfe Island
Where: 
Wolfe Island, ON, Canada
When: 
August 10-11
Who:  Sam Roberts Band, Zeus, Rich Aucoin, Elliott BROOD, Yukon Blonde, Hollerado, Eight and a Half, Parlovr, and more
Why:  Located on the largest of the 1,000 islands in the St. Lawrence River, Wolfe Island is accessible to Yanks & Canucks alike.
Web:
  www.wolfeislandmusicfestival.com

moe.down

What:  moe.down
Where:  Turin, NY
When:  August 10-12
Who:  moe., Umphrey’s McGee, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Galactic, Marco Benevento, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Infantree, and more
Why:  moe.’s annual shindig in Upstate New York mixes acts you want to see with acts that you don’t.
Web:
  www.moedown.com

Outside Lands

What:  Outside Lands
Where: 
San Francisco, CA
When: 
August 10-12
Who:  Stevie Wonder, Metallica, Neil Young, Jack White, Foo Fighters, Beck, Skrillex, Sigur Rós, Justice, Norah Jones, The Kills, Regina Spektor, Passion Pit, Andrew Bird, Grandaddy, Big Boi, Bloc Party, Explosions In the Sky, Santigold, Franz Ferdinand, MSTRKRFT, Die Antwoord, Fitz & The Tantrums, Portugal. The Man, fun., Dr. Dog, The Walkmen, Washed Out, City and Colour, Of Monsters and Men, Alabama Shakes, Trampled by Turtles, Tame Impala, YACHT, Antibalas, Sharon Van Etten, Thee Oh Sees, Tennis, Zola Jesus, White Denim, Tanlines, Electric Guest, Caveman, Yellow Ostrich, and more
Why:  San Francisco’s gorgeous Golden Gate Park plays host to another year of Outside Lands, with three days of an incredible line-up.
Web:
  www.sfoutsidelands.com
Maha

What:  Maha
Where: 
Omaha, NE
When: 
August 11
Who:  Garbage, Delta Spirit, The Mynabirds, Dum Dum Girls, and more
Why:  Drop the O, keep the Maha.
Web:
  www.mahamusicfestival.com
Heavy MTL

What:  Heavy MTL
Where: 
Montreal, PQ, Canada
When: 
August 11-12
Who:  System of a Down, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Deftones, Five Finger Death Punch, Suicidal Tendencies,The Dillinger Escape Plan, Cannibal Corpse, Cancer Bats, Protest the Hero, iwrestledabearonce, and more
Why:  MonTreaL gets some Heavy MeTaL.
Web:
  heavymtl.com/en

 


Sunset Strip

What:  Sunset Strip
Where:  Los Angeles, CA
When: 
August 16-18
Who:  Marilyn Manson, The Offspring, Steve Aoki, Bad Religion, Quiet Riot, RZA, Pater Murphy, Far East Movement, De La Soul, Unwritten Law, Mickey Avalon, and more
Why:  The iconic Sunset Strip holds another street festival.  See much more in our photo gallery here
Web:
  www.sunsetstripmusicfestival.com

 


WeWork Summer Camp

What:  WeWork Summer Camp
Where:  Raquette Lake, NY
When: 
August 17
Who:  Walk the Moon, Tanlines, Tiger Love, Great Caeser, and more
Why:  WeWork goes to Summer Camp.  See much more in our photo gallery here  
Web:
  weworksummercamp.eventbrite.com

 


Philadelphia Folk

What:  Philadelphia Folk
Where:  Philadelphia, PA
When: 
August 17-19
Who:  Mary Chapin Carpeter, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, City and Colour, Wanda Jackson, and more
Why:  Like the cities to the north in Canada (see above), Philly has a folk festival, now past fifty years old. 
Web:
  www.pfs.org/PFF.php


Salmon Arms Roots & Blues

What:  Salmon Arm Roots & Blues
Where:  Salmon Arm, BC, Canada
When: 
August 17-19
Who:  Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Betty LaVette, Hollerado, Cuff the Duke, The Trews, Cold Specks, and more
Why:  British Columbia opens its Salmon Arms for artists from around the world. 
Web:
  www.rootsandblues.ca


Lackawanna

What:  Lakawanna
Where:  Hoboken, NJ
When: 
August 16
Who:  Tokyo Police Club, Vacationer, Shinobi Ninja, Body Language, We Barbarians, and more
Why:  Hoboken gets a free day of music thanks to hMag.
Web:
  www.facebook.com/pages/Lackawanna-Music-Festival/243600842415896

 

Wanderlust Whistler

What:  Wanderlust Whistler
Where: 
Whistler, BC, Canada
When: 
August 23-26
Who:  Michael Franti & Spearhead, Thievery Corporation, Krishna Das, and more
Why:  Lake Tahoe’s yoga-sponsored music festival (see above) even crosses the border into Canada.
Web:
  whistler.wanderlustfestival.com

 

Summer Set

What:  Summer Set
Where: 
Somerset, WI
When: 
August 24-26
Who:  Pretty Lights, Umphrey’s McGee, Big Gigantic, Nas, Black Star, Lorus, Zeds Dead, Matt & Kim, Cloud Cult, MSTRKRFT, Yelawolf, AraabMUSIK, Bonobo, Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, RJD2 w/ Break Science, Super Mash Bros., Tea Leaf Green, F. Stokes, and more
Why:  More than just another electro-jam festival.
Web:
  www.summersetfestival.com


H2O - Los Angeles

What:  H20 – Los Angeles
Where:  Los Angeles, CA
When:  August 25
Who:  Alejandro Sanz, Paulina Rubio, Snoop Dogg, Chino y Nacho, Alex Cuba, Romeo Testa, and more
Why:  Univision holds two muy bueno festivals in Dallas (see above) & Los Angeles.
Web:  h2omusicfestival.com/losangeles


Afropunk

What:  Afropunk
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
When: 
August 25-26
Who:  TV On the Radio, Erykah Badu, Janelle Monae, Gym Class Heroes, Das Racist, Toro y Moi, Reggie Watts, Cerebral Ballzy, Spank Rock, Bad Rabbits, Ninjasonik, Gordon Voidwell, Body Language, The London Souls, and more  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  Commodore Barry Park is the site for Afropunk, with another great line-up (hopefully no hurricane will force cancellation like last year…).  See much more in our photo gallery here
Web:
  afropunkfest.com


LouFest

What:  LouFest
Where:  St. Louis, MO
When: 
August 25-26
Who:  The Flaming Lips, Girl Talk, Dinosaur Jr., Phantogram, Dr. Dog, Son Volt, Dawes, Cults, We Are Scientists, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, King Tuff, and more
Why:  Not a celebration of the bassist from Dinosaur Jr. (though they are playing…), LouFest celebrates the spirit of St. LouisRead and see much more in our recap here
Web:
  www.loufest.com

Dia de Los Toadies

What:  Dia de los Toadies
Where:  New Braunfels, TX
When: 
August 31-September 1
Who:  The Toadies, Mariachi El Bronx, Helmet, Riverboat Gamblers, and more
Why:  The Toadies welcome some of Texas’ best & hardest.  
Web:
  toadies.sonarmanagement.com

Electric Zoo

What:  Electric Zoo
Where:  Randall’s Island, NY
When: 
August 31-September 2
Who:  David Guetta, Tiësto, Rusko, Dada Life, Skrillex, Sander Van Doorn, Pretty Lights, Porter Robinson, Tommy Trash, Steve Aoki, A-Trak, and more
Why:  Bringing European-style electronic craziness is Electric Zoo on New York City’s Randall’s Island.  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Web:
  www.madeevent.com/ElectricZoo

Green Mountain Eco

What:  Green Mountain Eco
Where:  Eldridge, MO
When: 
August 31-September 2
Who:  Umphrey’s McGee, Melvin Seals & JGB, That 1 Guy, Split Lip Rayfield, Dumptruck Butterlips, and more
Why:  Get eco-friendly over Labor Day Weekend.
Web:
  www.greenmountainecofest.com


North Coast

What:  North Coast
Where:  Chicago, IL
When: 
August 31-September 2
Who:  Pretty Lights, Girl Talk, STS9, Umphrey’s McGee, Axwell, Steve Angello, Atmosphere, Big Boi, Steve Aoki, Paul Oakenfold, The Rapture, Digitalism, Yelawolf, Beats Antique, YACHT, Dan Deacon, King Khan & The Shines, Com Truise, and more
Why:  “Summer’s last stand” returns for a third year to Chicago’s Union Park.  Read & see much more in our recap of the inaugural 2010 edition here
Web:
  www.northcoastfestival.com

 

 


September

Ravinia

What:  Ravinia
Where:  Highland Park, IL
When:  April 7 – September 9
Who:  Earth, Wind & Fire, Iron & Wine, Al Green, Jimmy Cliff, Philip Glass, Steve Martin, Esperanza Spalding, Glen Campbell, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Sarah McLachlan, Idina Menzel, Santana, Natalie Merchant, The Blues Brothers, Diana Krall, Seal, James Taylor, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Train, Tony Benett, Arlo Guthrie, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and more
Why:  Old-timers are at Ravinia.
Web:  www.ravinia.org

Waterfront Wednesday

What:  Waterfront Wednesday
Where:  Louisville, KY
When:  April 25 – September 19
Who:  Mumford & Sons, The Walkmen, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Dawes, Trample by Turtles, These United States, and more
Why:  Louisville’s Waterfront Wednesday has a show a month on hump day.  See more in our photo galleries from Louisville Waterfront here
Web:  www.louisvillewaterfront.com

Nitefall On the River

What:  Nitefall On the River
Where:
  Des Moines, IA
When:  May 26 – September 12
Who:
  Jimmy Cliff, Andrew Bird, Bruce Hornsby, Ingrid Michaelson, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Matisyahu, Umphrey’s McGee, Greg Laswell, The Dirty Heads, and more
Why:  Nite falls over the Simon Estes Amphitheater on the Des Moines river.  See more in our photo galleries from Simon Estes Amphitheater here
Web:
  nitefalldsm.com

KCRW World

What:  KCRW World
Where:  Los Angeles, CA
When:  June 24-September 9
Who:  Hot Chip, Ziggy Marley, Animal Collective, Ben Harper, Glen Campbell, Passion Pit, Flying Lotus, Fitz & The Tantrums, Jackson Browne, Toots and the Maytals, Kris Krisofferson, Dawes, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Omar Souleyman, and more
Why:  KCRW brings the world to the Hollywood Bowl.  Read & see much more in QRO’s recap of the closing night
Web:  www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/series-detail.cfm?id=61

Dia de Los Toadies

What:  Dia de los Toadies
Where:  New Braunfels, TX
When: 
August 31-September 1
Who:  The Toadies, Mariachi El Bronx, Helmet, Riverboat Gamblers, and more
Why:  The Toadies welcome some of Texas’ best & hardest.  
Web:
  toadies.sonarmanagement.com

Electric Zoo

What:  Electric Zoo
Where:  Randall’s Island, NY
When: 
August 31-September 2
Who:  David Guetta, Tiësto, Rusko, Dada Life, Skrillex, Sander Van Doorn, Pretty Lights, Porter Robinson, Tommy Trash, Steve Aoki, A-Trak, and more
Why:  Bringing European-style electronic craziness is Electric Zoo on New York City’s Randall’s Island.  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Web:
  www.madeevent.com/ElectricZoo

Green Mountain Eco

What:  Green Mountain Eco
Where:  Eldridge, MO
When: 
August 31-September 2
Who:  Umphrey’s McGee, Melvin Seals & JGB, That 1 Guy, Split Lip Rayfield, Dumptruck Butterlips, and more
Why:  Get eco-friendly over Labor Day Weekend.
Web:
  www.greenmountainecofest.com

North Coast

What:  North Coast
Where:  Chicago, IL
When: 
August 31-September 2
Who:  Pretty Lights, Girl Talk, STS9, Umphrey’s McGee, Axwell, Steve Angello, Atmosphere, Big Boi, Steve Aoki, Paul Oakenfold, The Rapture, Digitalism, Yelawolf, Beats Antique, YACHT, Dan Deacon, King Khan & The Shines, Com Truise, and more
Why:  “Summer’s last stand” returns for a third year to Chicago’s Union Park.  Read & see much more in our recap of the inaugural 2010 edition here
Web:
  www.northcoastfestival.com

FYF

What:  FYF Fest
Where:  Los Angeles, CA
When: 
September 1-2
Who:  Refused, Beirut, M83, The Faint, James Blake, David Cross, Yeasayer, Sleigh Bells, Simian Mobile Disco, Dinosaur Jr., Hot Snakes, Against Me!, Wairpaint, Turbonegro, Black Mountain, Twin Shadow, Glass Candy, Fucked Up, Liars, Chromatics, HEALTH, Paul Banks, The Vaselines, Cursive, Future Islands, Converge, Tanlines, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, King Khan & The Shrines, Lightning Bolt, Chairlift, Gold Panda, Tycho, Purity Ring, Aesop Rock, Atlas Sound, Cloud Nothings, Two Gallants, Black Dice, Redd Kross, A.A. Bondy, The Field, Givers, Dam-Funk, The Men, Wild Nothing, The Soft Pack, King Tuff, Moonface, John Maus, FIDLAR, Nite Jewel, White Arrows, Joyce Manor, and more
Why:  Altamont brings downtown L.A. the FYF Fest on Labor Day Weekend (this year extended to a second day) – fuck yeah!  See much more in our photo gallery here
Web:
  fyffest.com

Made In America

What:  Made In America
Where:  Philadelphia, PA
When: 
September 1-2
Who:  Pearl Jam, Jay-Z, Skrillex, Miike Snow, Afrojack, Calvin Harris, Odd Future, D’Angelo, Maybach Music, Passion Pit, Santigold, Dirty Projectors, X, Janelle Monae, Savoy, The Knocks, and more
Why:  Jay-Z is curating a festival sponsored by Budweiser.  Think that they’ll tell us to ‘expect everything’?
Web:
  www.madeinamericafest.com

Bumbershoot

What:  Bumbershoot
Where:  Seattle, WA
When: 
September 1-3
Who:  Jane’s Addiction, Tony Bennett, Skrillex, Mac Miller, M83, AWOLNATION, M. Ward, Passion Pit, Keane, The Jayhawks, Blitzen Trapper, The Helio Sequence, City and Colour, Yelawolf, Mudhoney, Low, The Heavy, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Wanda Jackson, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Vaselines, King Khan & The Shrines, Fujiya & Miyagi, Heartless Bastards, Fishbone, Civil Twilight, Oberhofer, Ty Segall, Fruit Bats, The Wombats, WHY?, Foxy Shazam, Lee Fields, JC Brooks, AM & Shawn Lee, thenewno2, The Barr Brothers, The Pharmacy, and more
Why:  Seattle’s Bumbershoot heads into its 42nd year with another incredibly diverse line-up (Tony Bennett and Skrillex?!?).
Web:
  bumbershoot.org

Pacific

What:  Pacific
Where: 
Orange County, CA
When: 
September 2
Who:  Mayer Hawthorne, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Poolside, YACHT, Fool’s Gold, Mr. Little Jeans, American Royalty, and more
Why:  This is how we do it in The O.C.  Read & see much more in our 2011 recap here
Web:
  www.pacificfestival.com

Sonic Boom

What:  Sonic Boom
Where:  Edmonton, AB, Canada
When: 
September 2
Who:  Linkin Park, Incubus, Silversun Pickups, Young the Giant, fun., The Joy Formidable, Mutemath, and more
Why:  Some of the better names in mainstream-ish punk & more make for a better line-up.
Web:
  www.sonicboomfestival.com

 

Hopscotch

What:  Hopscotch
Where:  Raleigh, NC
When: 
September 6-8
Who:  The Roots, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Built To Spill, Yo La Tengo, Liars, Zola Jesus, Thee Oh Sees, Deerhoof, Escort, The Mountain Goats, Wye Oak, Flosstradamus, Lambchop, Dan Deacon, Versus, Nobunny, EXITMUSIC, Oneida, Valient Thorr, J Roddy Walston, Class Actress, Screaming Females, Field Report, Zeus, and more
Why:  The Independent Weekly throws a great fest at venues across Raleigh for a third year.
Web:
  hopscotchmusicfest.com

Music Fest NW

What:  Music Fest NW
Where:  Portland, OR
When: 
September 6-8
Who:  Silversun Pickups, Passion Pit, The Hives, Beirut, Girl Talk, Dinosaur Jr., Flying Lotus, Ceremony, Danny Brown, The Tallest Man On Earth, Wild Nothing, The Helio Sequence, Lightning Bolt, Old 97’s, The Men, Yelawolf, Hot Snakes, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, DIIV, Quasi, Big Freedia, Black Mountain, Crystal Antlers, Fort Lean, Fucked Up, Future Islands, Gardens & Villa, I Break Horses, J Mascis, Jason Isbell, King Khan & The Shrines, Menomena, Purity Ring, Redd Kross, Sebadoh, Sloan, STRFKR, Swans, These United States, Trampled by Turtles, Typhoon, Xiu Xiu, and more  Read much more in our preview here
Why:  Head to Portlandia for Music Fest NW.  Read & see much more here in our 2011 recap here
Web:
  musicfestnw.com


Riot Fest Brooklyn

What:  Riot Fest Brooklyn
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
When:  September 8
Who:  Gogol Bordello, Descendents, Hot Water Music, Screaming Females, The Menzingers, and more  See date in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  Chicago’s Riot Fests comes to Brooklyn.  See much more in our 2011 Riot Fest East photo gallery here
Web:  www.riotfest.org/brooklyn


Rockapalooza Ohio

What:  Rockapalooza Ohio
Where:  Middleburg Heights, OH
When:  September 8
Who:  Machine Gun Kelly, The Devil Wears Prada, and more
Why:  Someone needs to trademark that ‘apalooza’ suffix…
Web:  www.rockapalooza.net


Doheny Days

What:  Doheny Days
Where:  Dana Point, CA
When:  September 8-9
Who:  Jane’s Addiction, The Flaming Lips, Jimmy Eat World, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Santigold, Rebelution, Beats Antique, Delta Spirit, Milo Greene, and more
Why:  Spend a few days on Dana Point.
Web:  dohenydays.com

Riot Fest Toronto

What:  Riot Fest Toronto
Where:  Toronto, ON, Canada
When:  September 9
Who:  Descendents, NOFX, Fucked Up, Hot Water Music, Less Than Jake, Andrew W.K., and more
Why:  Chicago’s Riot Fests comes to Toronto.  See much more in our 2011 Riot Fest East photo gallery here
Web:  www.riotfest.org/toronto

Harvest Jazz & Blues

What:  Harvest Jazz & Blues
Where:  Fredericton, NB, Canada
When:  September 11-16
Who:  The Avett Brothers, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaries, Rusted Root, Wintersleep, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Said the Whale, Keb Mo’, and more
Why:  New Brunswick’s Harvest mixes the folk festivals of Canada with the jazz & blues of Acadia’s lineal descendants, Cajun country.
Web:  www.harvestjazzandblues.com


Campout

What:  Campout
Where:  Pioneertown, CA
When:  September 13-15
Who:  Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven, Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants, Johny Hickman, Gram Rabbit, and more
Why:  Campout 8 – The Ocho
Web:  www.crackersoul.com/fr_home.cfm

Rifflandia

What:  Rifflandia
Where:  Victoria, BC, Canada
When: 
September 13-16
Who:  The Flaming Lips, CAKE, Mother Mother, Best Coast, Dj Shadow, Band of Skulls, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Head & The Heart, Reggie Watts, Dan Mangan, Sloan, Fucked Up, The Antlers, Austra, The Jezabels, Saul Williams, Class Actress, Brasstronaut, Family of the Year, Hey Ocean!, Rich Aucoin, and many more
Why:  Rifflandia returns to the Garden City at Royal Athletic Park. 
Web:
  www.rifflandia.com

San Diego Music Thing

What:  San Diego Music Thing
Where:  San Diego, CA
When: 
September 14-15
Who:  Chuck D, Pinback, Alejandro Esovedo, Noah and Megafauna, Father John Misty, He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister, Ben Taylor, White Arrows, Eternal Summers, Hunx and His Punx, Voxhaul Broadcast, Natural Child, Ume, Nite Jewel, The Mattson 2, and more
Why:  San Diego explores this music ‘thing’.
Web:
  www.sandiegomusicthing.com

Riot Fest Chicago

What:  Riot Fest Chicago
Where:  Chicago, IL
When: 
September 14-16
Who:  Rise Against, Igg & The Stooges, The Offspring, Elvis Costello, A Day To Remember, Coheed & Cambria, Gogol Bordello, Descendents, Dropkick Murphys, NOFX, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Gaslight Anthem, Alkaline Trio, Hot Water Music, Slapstick, Andrew W.K., AWOLNATION, GWAR, Minus the Bear, Neon Trees, The Promise Ring, Frank Turner, Less Than Jake, Built To Spill, Rev. Horton Heat, Fishbone, Nobunny, A Wilhelm Scream, Screaming Females, Teenage Bottlerocket, Off With Their Heads, White Mystery, Japanther, and more
Why:  Chi-town’s Riot Fest takes a serious step up, combining punk, ska, today’s rock and yesterday’s greats.
Web:
  www.riotfest.org

 

Pop Montreal

What:  Pop Montréal
Where:  Montréal, QC, Canada
When: 
September 19-23
Who:  David Byrne & St. Vincent, Grizzly Bear, Gotye, Chilly Gonzales, Grimes, Liars, Tim Hecker, K’Naan, Patrick Wolf, Dam-Funk, Deerhoof, Gang Gang Dance, Austra, Eight and a Half, Chairlift, Wild Nothing, Cate Le Bon, Hot Snakes, Dirty Three, PS I Love You, Purity Ring, Antibalas, Joseph Arthur, Laetitia Sadler, Still Life Still, The Besnard Lakes, The Darcys, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Yukon Blonde, Suuns, DIIV, Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, Buke and Gase, Young Galaxy, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, Born Ruffians, I Break Horses, METZ, Parlovr, Cuff the Duke, Rich Aucoin, Xray Eyeballs, Dry the River, Earthquake Party, Hollerado, Elephant Stone, and more
Why:  The artistic alt-CMJ (see below) showcases acts based on artistic style, not commercial viability, in the snowly but beautifully European Montreal. 
Web:
  www.popmontreal.com

 

Boomslang

What:  Boomslang
Where:  Lexington, KY
When: 
September 20-23
Who:  The Jesus & Mary Chain, Jeff Mangum, Das Racist, Saint Vitus, Deerhoof, Cloud Nothings, The Music Tapes, Oneohtrix Point Never, Futurebirds, The Apache Relay, Girl In a Coma, Negativland, Buke & Gase, Dinosaur Feathers, and more
Why:  WRFL 88.1 FM presents Boomslang.  Read much more in our preview here  
Web:
  boomslangfest.com

 

iHeartRadio

What:  iHeartRadio
Where:  Las Vegas, NV
When:  September 21-22
Who:  Taylor Swift, Aerosmith, Rihanna, Usher, Bon Jovi, Lil Wayne, Green Day, Swedish House Mafia, No Doubt, deadmau5, Miranda Lambert, Enrique Iglesias, Linkin Park, Pink, Calvin Harris, Shakira, and more
Why:  iHeartRadio, the conglomeration of 750+ radio stations streaming online (and host of events at their own iHeartRadio Theater – QRO venue review) throws the biggest live music event in radio history – again.
Web:  www.iheartradio.com/cc-common/iheartradio-music-festival

Nocturnal California

What:  Nocturnal California
Where:  San Bernadino, CA
When: 
September 21-22
Who:  Orbital, Pretty Lights, Röyksopp, Neon Indian, 12th Planet, Above & Beyond, Alesso, Bassjackers, Crizzly, Fedde le Grand, John Digweed, R3hab, Sebatian Ingrosso, and more
Why:  The southern California companion to April’s dancetronic festival in Texas (see above).
Web:
  www.nocturnalfestival.com

 

ATP NYC

What:  ATP NYC
Where:  New York, NY
When: 
September 21-23
Who:  The Afghan Whigs, Frank Ocean, Philip Glass & Tyondai Braxton, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Roots, The Antlers, Mark Lanegan Band, Jose Gonzalez, Dirty Three, Lee Ranadlo, The Make-Up, The Album Leaf, Hot Snakes, JEFF: The Brotherhood, Janeane Garofalo, Lightning Bolt, Kurt Braunohler, Charle Bradley, DJ ?uestlove, Quintron & Miss Pussycat, Vetiver, Braids, Joseph Arthur, Autolux, Thee Oh Sees, DJ Jonathan Toubin, I Break Horses, Tall Firs and more  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  Now in its fifth year in America, the Yankee wing of the U.K.’s famed All Tomorrow’s Parties (QRO U.K. festival photo gallery) recently moved from Asbury Park to New York City, and will be curated by Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs.  See more in our 2011 photo gallery here
Web:
  www.atpfestival.com/events/ibymusa2012.php

 

Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusement

What:  Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusement
Where:  Chicago, IL
When:  September 21-23
Who:  John Cale, Bobby Womack, Conor Oberst, Helado Negro, Van Dyke Park, Zola Jesus, and more
Why:  Chicago’s Riverfront Theater welcomes some high-class names to Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusement.
Web:  brilliantcornersofpopularamusements.com

 

Deluna

What:  DeLuna
Where:  Pensacola Beach, FL
When:  September 21-23
Who:  Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Zac Brown Band, Florence & The Machine, Band of Horses, Jimmy Cliff, Dwight Yoakam, Fitz & The Tantrums, Ben Folds Five, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Diplo, DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Joy Formidable, The Gaslight Anthem, The Wallflowers, Superchunk, Guided by Voices, Bad Brains, Trampled by Turtles, Bob Mould, City and Colour, Band of Skulls, 12th Planet, OFF!, Mike Doughty, Fishbone, Redd Kross, Ben Sollee, and more
Why:  It may be cold up north, but it’s still very warm down on the Gulf shore with this hot line-up.
Web:
  www.delunafest.com

Riot Fest Dallas

What:  Riot Fest Dallas
Where:  Dallas, TX
When:  September 22
Who:  Rise Against, Descendents, NOFX, The Gaslight Anthem, Less Than Jake, Andrew W.K., The Sword, Municipal Waste, Teenage Bottlerocket, Off With Their Heads, Not In the Face!, and more
Why:  Chicago’s Riot Fests comes to Dallas.  See much more in our 2011 Riot Fest East photo gallery here
Web:  www.riotfest.org/dallas

Life Is Good

What:  Life Is Good
Where:  Canton, MA
When:  September 22-23
Who:  Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, Trombone Short & Orleans Avenue, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, ALO, Sarah Jarosz, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Sara Barieles, Soulive, Eric Hutchingson, and more
Why:  Boston’s Life is Good is holding a two-day fest to raise money for kids.
Web:  www.lifeisgood.com/festivals 

Russian River Jazz & Blues

What:  Russian River Jazz & Blues
Where:  Guernevilla, CA
When:  September 22-23
Who:  George Thorogood, George Benson, Tower of Power, Robert Randolph, Taj Mahal, and more
Why:  Take the Russian River for some jazz & blues.
Web:  www.omegaevents.com/russianriver

Aftershock

What:  Aftershock
Where:  Sacramento, CA
When:  September 23
Who:  Stone Temple Pilots, Deftones, Bush, Chevelle, Theory of a Deadman, and more
Why:  A relatively better hard-rock festival (relatively).
Web:  www.aftershockconcert.com

Decibel

What:  Decibel
Where:  Seattle, WA
When:  September 26-30
Who:  Orbital, Erykah Badu, DJ Shadow, Kimbra, Shpongle, Matthew Dear, Bonobo, Mimosa, Ariel Pink, Dragonette, Star Slinger, Tycho, Julianna Barwick, Dam-Funk, The Stepkids, Devonwho, and more
Why:  Electronica comes to venues across Seattle.
Web:  dbfestival.com

 

CounterPoint

What:  CounterPoint
Where:  Atlanta, GA
When: 
September 27-29
Who:  Bassnectar, Skrillex, Pretty Lights, Avicii, Steve Angello, M83, Alesso, Crystal Castles, Big Boi, Zeds Dead, Big Gigangtic, Ghostland Observatory, A-Trak, Atmosphere, Porter Robinson, Lotus, Toro Y Moi, Washed Out, MiM0SA, Theophilus London, Reptar, 12th Planet, Beats Antique, Super Mash Bros., Poliça, mr. muthafuckin’ eXquire, Com Truise, Gardens & Villa, Nobody Beats the Drum, and more
Why:  Team-up between the people who brought you Lollapalooza & Camp Bisco.  Read & see much more in our recap here  
Web:
  www.counterpointfestival.com  

 

Midpoint

What:  Midpoint
Where:  Cincinnati, OH
When: 
September 27-29
Who:  Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Sleigh Bells, Andrew Bird, Dinosaur Jr., Best Coast, The Walkmen, The Antlers, Cloud Nothings, Imperial Teen, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Growlers, Chain & The Gang, Frankie Rose, Tennis, Lower Dens, Laetitia Sadler, Henry Clay People, Here We Go Magic, The Black Belles, Ralph Stanley, Turbo Fruits, Sean Bones, Zeus, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Hospitality, Bad Veins, Rich Aucoin, The Seedy Seeds, White Arrows, Lord Huron, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, F. Stokes, PUJOL, Christopher Paul Stelling, Dinosaur Feathers, Shark?, Dressy Bessy, Eternal Summers, You, You’re Awesome, and more
Why:  Queen City’s festival-cum-industry showcase returns to the Over-the-Rhine district. 
Web:
  www.mpmf.com

 

Pygmalion

What:  Pygmalion
Where:  Champaign-Urbana, IL
When: 
September 27-29
Who:  Dinosaur Jr., Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Hum, Best Coast, Cloud Nothings, Tennis, Hospitality, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Lower Dens, Laetitia Sadler, Lord Huron, Frankie Rose, Big Freedia, Owen, Oh No Oh My, Zeus, Eternal Summers, Owen, and more
Why:  Central Illinois’s Pygmalion Music Festival returns for an eighth year.
Web:
  pygmalionmusicfestival.com

 

El Cosmico

What:  El Cosmico
Where:  Marfa, TX
When: 
September 27-30
Who:  Ben Kweller, Heartless Bastards, Dana Falconberry, Bruce Robinson, Amy Cook, Brownout!, Meshell Ndegeocello, Eastern Sea, and more
Why:  Check out the music (and the mystery lights) in Marfa.
Web:
  elcosmico.com/festival2012.php

 

Goner

What:  Goner
Where:  Memphis, TN
When:  September 27-30
Who:  Spits, Nobunny, Slug Guts, River City Tanlines, The Hussy, White Mystery, and more
Why:  Goner Fest brings a weekend of rock ‘n’ roll to Memphis. 
Web:
  www.goner-records.com/gonerfest

 

Harvest Moon

What:  Harvest Moon
Where:  Yorkville, IL
When: 
September 28-29
Who:  Cory Chisel, These United States, Giving Tree Band, and more
Why:  Rogue Barrister Records throws a little harvest (moon) festival.  
Web:
  harvestmoonfestival.roguebarristerrecords.com

 

Rock Vegas

What:  Rock Vegas
Where:  Las Vegas, NV
When: 
September 28-29
Who:  Rod Zombie, Shinedown, Marilyn Manson, Godsmack, Staind, Papa Roach, Stone Sour, P.O.D., Buckcherry, and more
Why:  Today’s heavy rock comes to rock Vegas like The Flintstones as part of the Radio Contraband Rock Radio Convention.  
Web:
  rockvegasfest.com

 

Beyond Wonderland Bay Area

What:  Beyond Wonderland Bay Area
Where: 
San Bernadino, CA
When: 
September 29
Who:  Orbital, Avicii, Sander van Doorn, Alesso, Borgore, Daedelus, Dirty South, Mord Fustang, and more
Why:  A better electo-DJ line-up.
Web:
  www.beyondwonderland.com

 

Harmony By the Bay

What:  Harmony By the Bay
Where: 
Mountain View, CA
When: 
September 29
Who:  The Shins, Tegan & Sara, Jimmy Cliff, Beats Antique, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Kimbra, Matisyahu, The Dirty Heads, Givers, and more
Why:  Enjoy your harmony by the Bay.
Web:
  harmonybythebay.net

 

Global

What:  Global Citizen
Where:  New York, NY
When: 
September 29
Who:  Neil Young with Crazy Horse, Foo Fighters, The Black Keys, Band of Horses, and K’Naan
Why:  Some big names take to the Great Lawn in Central Park for a free (ticketed) concert to fight global poverty.  See date in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Web:
  globalfestival.com  

 

Abbot Kinney

What:  Abbot Kinney
Where:  Venice, CA
When: 
September 30
Who:  Thundercat, Kisses, Mia Doi Todd, Family of the Year, Hanni El Khatib, and more
Why:  Venice-on-the-Pacific gets a festival.  
Web:
  abbotkinney.org  

 

Red Bull Music Academy

What:  Red Bull Music Academy
Where:  New York, NY
When: 
September 30-November 2
Who:  Grace Jones, SBTRKT, Die Antwoord, Flying Lotus, ?uestlove, The Gaslamp Killer, Four Tet b2b Jamie xx, kilo kish, Shadowbox, Octo Octa, Eliza Coolidge, Joseph Butler, Julian Cubillos, Jimi Nixr, Suzanne Kraft, Distel, Annalove, and more  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  The world-traveling Red Bull Music Academy finally comes to the Big Apple.  
Web:
  www.redbullmusicacademy.com/academy

 

 


October

Red Bull Music Academy

What:  Red Bull Music Academy
Where:  New York, NY
When: 
September 30-November 2
Who:  Grace Jones, SBTRKT, Die Antwoord, Flying Lotus, ?uestlove, The Gaslamp Killer, Four Tet b2b Jamie xx, kilo kish, Shadowbox, Octo Octa, Eliza Coolidge, Joseph Butler, Julian Cubillos, Jimi Nixr, Suzanne Kraft, Distel, Annalove, and more  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  The world-traveling Red Bull Music Academy finally comes to the Big Apple.  
Web:
  www.redbullmusicacademy.com/academy

Soundland

What:  Soundland
Where:  Nashville, TN
When: 
October 3-6
Who:  My Morning Jacket, Divine Fits, Young the Giant, Jonny Corndawg, Night Beds, Nikki Lane, PUJOL, and more
Why:  Next Big Nashville holds its Soundland across venues in the Country Music Capitol of the World.
Web:
  www.nbnsoundland.com

 

Culture Collide

What:  Culture Collide
Where:  Los Angeles, CA
When: 
October 4-7
Who:  of Montreal, The Wombats, The Big Pink, Zola Jesus, Niki and The Dove, Patrick Wolf, Dean Wareham, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, DIIV, Icona Pop, Penguin Prison, Admiral Fallow, Laetitia Sadler, Class Actress, Mr. Little Jeans, Tribes, Blood Red Shoes, Morning Parade, Voxhaul Broadcast, Half Moon Run, and more  Read much more in our preview here
Why:  Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide festival returns to venues across Los Angeles for a third year – as well as a JFK-LAX Virgin America flight the day before!  Read & see much more in our 2011 recap here
Web:
  culturecollide.com

 

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

What:  Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Where:  San Francisco, CA
When: 
October 5-7
Who:  Elvis Costello, Dwight Yoakam, Glen Hansard, Patti Smith, Jerry Jeff Walker, The Head & The Heart, The Lumineers, Patterson Hood, Chuck Ragan, Patty Griffin, Todd Snider, Heartless Bastards, Les Claypool, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Civil Wars, Robyn Hitchcock, Ralph Stanley, Lucero, Son Volt, Steve Earle, Nick Lowe, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Cowboy Junkies, Pickwick, The Barr Brothers, The Del McCoury Band, Jesse Winchester, Justin Townes Earle, Keller Williams, Dirty Three, Rubblebucket, and many more
Why:  Golden Gate Park welcomes big names that may not be strictly bluegrass, but is free!
Web:
  www.strictlybluegrass.com

Virgin Mobile Free

What:  Virgin Mobile Free
Where:  Columbia, MD
When: 
October 6
Who:  Jack White, Skrillex, M83, Nas, ZZ Top, Santigold, Alabama Shakes, Ben Folds Five, The Dismemberment Plan, Trampled By Turtles, Allen Stone, Portugal. The Man, Das Racist, Future Islands, Penguin Prison, and more
Why:  While Virgin seems to have permanently abandoned its great series of Canadian festivals, it’s free one at Merriweather Post Pavilion is back. 
Web:
  www.virginmobilefestival.com

Yonder Mountain Harvest

What:  Yonder Harvest
Where:  Ozark, AR
When:  October 11-13
Who:  Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon, The Jayhawks, Mickey Hart Band, North Mississippi Allstars, The Punch Brothers, Delta Rae, William Elliott Whitmore, Lukas Nelson, and more
Why:  Jam festival favorite Yonder Mountain String Band put on their own.
Web:
  yonderharvestfestival.com

OohLaLA

What:  OohLaLA
Where:  Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, Montreal, PQ, Canada, and New York, NY
When:  October 11-17
Who:  Nouvelle Vague, Housse de Racket, Citizens!, and more
Why:  OohLaLA returns for a fourth year, and this time brings French music across the country.  See our photos from the inaugural 2009 festival here
Web:
  www.oohlalafestival.com

Austin City Limits

What:  Austin City Limits
Where:  Austin, TX
When: 
October 12-14
Who:  Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young, The Black Keys, Jack White, Florence & The Machine, The Avett Brothers, Iggy & The Stooges, Avicii, Bassnectar, The Roots, The Shins, Weezer, Gotye, The Civil Wars, M83, Tegan & Sara, Childish Gambino, Two Door Cinema Club, Thievery Corporation, The Afghan Whigs, Crystal Castles, Andrew Bird, Gary Clark Jr., Metric, Esperanza Spalding, Alabama Shakes, Delta Spirit, M. Ward, Die Antwoord, Rufus Wainwright, NEEDTOBREATHE, Steve Earle, The War On Drugs, Bombay Bicycle Club, Trampled by Turtles, Oberhofer, Tennis, Zola Jesus, Stars, Kimbra, Black Lips, Los Campesinos!, Freelance Whales, Civil Twilight, The Whigs, DEV, First Aid Kit, Patrick Watson, Caveman, Dry the River, The Boxer Rebellion, Wheeler Brothers, Nikki Lane, The Wombats, and many, many more
Why:  ‘The Live Music Capital of the World’ & America’s longest-running live music show bring their festival back to Zilker Park with another ridiculously stocked line-up of both old & new, mainstream & not.  Read much more in our recap here
Web:
  www.aclfestival.com

Corona Capital

What:  Corona Capital
Where:  Mexico City, Mexico
When: 
October 13-14
Who:  The Black Keys, New Order, Franz Ferdinand, Suede, The Hives, My Morning Jacket, Florence & The Machine, Basement Jaxx, Snow Patrol, Miike Snow, DJ Shadow, Cat Power, Sleigh Bells, The Drums, Major Lazer, M. Ward, The Maccabees, A-Trak, The Kills, The Vaccines, James Murphy, The Walkmen, Die Antwoord, Tegan & Sara, The Big Pink, Neon Indian, Black Lips, Alabama Shakes, Iron & Wine, The Raveonettes The Wallflowers, Here We Go Magic, MUTEMATH, The Airborne Toxic Event, AraabMUZIK, Dum Dum Girls, The Joy Formidable, Zulu Winter, AWOLNATION, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Shabazz Palaces, Tribes, Freelance Whales, and more
Why:  Head down Mexico way for a festival as good as any north of the Rio Grande.
Web:
  www.coronacapital.com.mx

Treasure Island

What:  Treasure Island
Where:  San Francisco, CA
When: 
October 13-14
Who:  The xx, Girl Talk, M83, The Presets, Gossip, Porter Robinson, Best Coast, Public Enemy, SBTRKT, Joanna Newsom, Divine Fits, Tycho, Los Campesinos!, Youth Lagoon, AraabMUSIK, Matthew Dear, Los Campesinos!, The War On Drugs, Toro y Moi, Ty Segall, Grimes, Hospitality, K. Flay, Imperial Teen, and more
Why:  One of the most interesting new festivals, with a Saturday of electronica & a Sunday of indie, continues in one of the most interesting settingsSee much more in our 2010 photo gallery here
Web:
  www.treasureislandfestival.com

CMJ

What:  CMJ
Where:  New York, NY
When: 
October 16-20
Who:  The Presets, The Walkmen, Ghostface Killah, The Mountain Goats, Asher Roth, Kimbra, GZA, Dum Dum Girls, AraabMUZIK, Eleanor Friedberger, OFF!, Q-Tip, Theophilus London, mr. muthafuckin’ eXquire, King Tuff, Killer Mike, Com Truise, DIIV, The Jezabels, Electric Guest, Free Energy, Prince Rama, Born Ruffians, Pengiun Prison, Savoir Adore, I’m Turning Into, and many more
Why:  Even the collapse of Wall Street can’t stop the rock, as everyone in the industry comes to New York’s plethora of venues, from Bowery to Brooklyn to MSG and beyond.  Read & see much more in our big day-by-day recap here
Web:
  www.cmj.com/marathon

Halifax Pop Explosion

What:  Halifax Pop Explosion
Where:  Halifax, NS, Canada
When: 
October 16-20
Who:  of Montreal, Clinic, El-P, The Helio Sequence, Atlas Sound, Deer Tick, Black Lips, Zola Jesus, Dan Mangan, Eugene Mirman, Wintersleep, Purity Ring, Ceremony, Cold Specks, The Spring Standards, Born Ruffians, King Tuff, Elliott BROOD, Mardeen, and more
Why:  Who knew little ol’ Halifax had enough venues for a Pop Explosion? 
Web:
  halifaxpopexplosion.com

Heineken City Arts

What:  Heineken City Arts
Where:  Seattle, WA
When: 
October 17-20
Who:  Ghostland Observatory, Mos Def, Two Door Cinema Club, EOTO, Jushua Radin, Blind Pilot, Omar Rodriguez Lopez, A Fine Frenzy, Friends, Neil Halstead, St. Lucia, and more
Why:  Grab a Heineken, not a Starbucks, and celebrate the arts of the City of Seattle.  See more in our photo gallery here  
Web:
  www.cityartsfest.com

Rise & Shine Gathering

What:  Rise and Shine Gathering
Where:  Simi Valley, CA
When: 
October 19-21
Who:  Bonobo, Emancipator, Nickodemus, and more
Why:  Rise & Shine & Gather in Simi Valley. 
Web:
  riseandshinegathering.com

Bridge School Benefit

What:  Bridge School Benefit
Where:  Mountain View, CA
When: 
October 20-21
Who:  Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Jack White, Guns n’ Roses, The Flaming Lips, Sarah McLachlan, Foster the People, Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers, k.d. lang, Gary Clark Jr., and moree
Why:  The annual Bridge School Benefit Concert just passed twenty-five, and shows no sign of slowing down thanks to another all-star line-up.
Web:
  bridgeschool.org/concert/index.php

Moogfest

What:  Moogfest
Where:  Asheville, NC
When: 
October 26-27
Who:  Primus, Orbital, Nas, Miike Snow, Santigold, Explosions In the Sky, The Magnetic Fields, Four Tet, Divine Fits, GZA, Shpongle, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Cold Cave, El-P, Tim Hecker & Daniel Lopatin, Prefuse 73, Bear In Heaven, Blondes, EXITMUSIC, Buke & Gase, and more
Why:  Three days of music celebrate Bob Moog and his wonderful instrument.  See much more in our 2011 photo gallery here
Web:
  www.moogfest.net

Fest 11

What:  Fest 11
Where:  Gainesville, FL
When:  October 26-28
Who:  7 Seconds, Anti-Flag, Lagwagon, A Wilhelm Scream, Dead To Me, Frank Turner, Tim Barry, Franz Nicolay, Andrew Jackson Jihad, Cobra Skulls, Laura Stevenson & The Cans, Look Mexico, Mustard Plug, Off With Their Heads, Red Collar, Teenage Bottlerocket, The Front Bottoms, The Menzingers, and more
Why:  Punk of all stripes returns to north Florida.
Web:
  www.thefestfl.com

 

Hangtown Halloween Ball

What:  Hangtown Halloween Ball
Where:  Placerville, CA
When:  October 26-28
Who:  Railroad Earth, Delta Spirit, Blind Pilot, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, The Del McCoury Band, Keller Williams with The Traveling McCourys, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, Emmitt-Nershi Band, Infamous Stringdusters, Greensky Bluegrass, Pickwick, Orgone, and more
Why:  Hang with the jam just before Halloween with Railroad Earth’s ball.
Web:
  www.hangtownhalloween.com

Voodoo

What:  Voodoo Experience
Where:  New Orleans, LA
When: 
October 26-28
Who:  Green Day, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Jack White, Skrillex, The Avett Brothers, Kaskade, Nas, Justice, Silversun Picktups, AWOLNATION, Coheed & Cambria, Bootsy Collings, Gary Clark Jr., K’Naan, Say Anything, Die Antwoord, Toots and The Maytals, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Borgore, Black Box Revelation, The Features, DEV, Delta Rae, Mynameisjohnmichael, Infantree, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Alvin Youngblood Hart, and more
Why:  Though the calendar forces it to end before All Hallow’s Eve, expect sights & sounds that you won’t/can’t forget in the Big Easy.  See much more in our 2009 photo gallery here
Web:
  thevoodooexperience.com

 

 


November & December

Red Bull Music Academy

What:  Red Bull Music Academy
Where:  New York, NY
When: 
September 30-November 2
Who:  Grace Jones, SBTRKT, Die Antwoord, Flying Lotus, ?uestlove, The Gaslamp Killer, Four Tet b2b Jamie xx, kilo kish, Shadowbox, Octo Octa, Eliza Coolidge, Joseph Butler, Julian Cubillos, Jimi Nixr, Suzanne Kraft, Distel, Annalove, and more  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  The world-traveling Red Bull Music Academy finally comes to the Big Apple.  
Web:
  www.redbullmusicacademy.com/academy

Homegrown IV

What:  Homegrown IV
Where:  Cambridge, MA
When:  November 2-3
Who:  Pissed Jeans, PC Worship, Roomrunner, Eric Copeland, and more
Why:  DIY festival in Cambridge.  See much more in our photo gallery here
Web:
  cargocollective.com/homegrownfestival

Fun Fun Fun

What:  Fun Fun Fun Fest
Where:  Austin, TX
When: 
November 2-4
Who:  RUN DMC, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Refuzed, David Cross, Public Image LTD, A$AP Rocky, Turbonegro, Girl Talk, X, Explosions In the Sky, De La Soul, Wyatt Cenac, Santigold, Against Me!, Fucked Up, Wavves, The Head and the Heart, STRFKR, Eugene Mirman, Superchunk, The Sword, Real Estate, Saul Williams, The Black Angels, Lagwagon, Bob Mould, The Octopus Project, Tanlines, Minus the Bear, OFF!, Deerhoof, Surfer Blood, Paul Banks, Japandroids, Lucero, Charli XCX, WHY?, Torche, Atlas Sound, Sharon Van Etten, Class Actress, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Cursive, …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Icona Pop, Helio Sequence, Twin Sister, Dum Dum Girls, Titus Andronicus, Beach Fossils, A Place To Bury Strangers, Not In the Face!, and many more
Why:  The worst-titled music festival in the world somehow moved down to the shores of Austin, with another stocked line-up.  Read & see much more in our recap here
Web:
  www.funfunfunfest.com

Brooklyn Electronic

What:  Brooklyn Electronic
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
When: 
November 9-10
Who:  Nicholas Jaar, Gold Panda, Jackmaster, and more  See dates in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  Venues across the borough welcomes electronic music.  Read & see much more our 2009 recap here
Web:
  www.brooklynemf.com

 

Tinderbox

What:  Tinderbox
Where:  New York, NY
When: 
November 11
Who:  CocoRosie, Jean Grae, and more  See date in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why:  Leading NYC indie ladies get together at Webster Hall (QRO venue review) to support charities Girls Write Now & Willie Mae Rock Camp For Girls.  Read & see more in our 2011 recap here  
Web:
  tinderboxmusicfestival.com 

 

M for Montreal

What:  M for Montreal
Where:  Montreal, PQ, Canada
When: 
November 14-17
Who:  Of Monsters and Men, A Place To Bury Strangers, Plants and Animals, P.S. I Love You, Rah Rah, Death Grips, Memoryhouse, Eight and a Half, Half Moon Run, Sun Airway, Young Galaxy, Suuns, Bleeding Rainbow, Leif Vollebekk, Mykki Blanco, Cadence Weapon, Mac DeMarco, and more
Why:  M doesn’t just stand for ‘murder’… 
Web:
  www.mformontreal.com

 

Neon Marshmallow

What:  Neon Marshmallow
Where:  Chicago, IL
When:  November 15-18
Who:  Thurston Moore, MV & EE, Trevor de Brauw, Supreme Cuts, and more
Why:  The Burlington in Chicago welcomes four nights of experimental music.  Read & see much more in our 2011 recap here
Web:  neonmarshmallow.com/2012chicago

Power Pop-A-Licious

What:  Power Pop-A-Licious
Where:
  Asbury Park, NJ
When: 
November 16-17
Who:
  Paul Collins, Pow Wows, Blue Skies For Black Hearts, The Magnolias, and many more
Why:  Paul Collins of The Beat puts on a power pop showcase at the legendary Asbury Lanes.
Web:
  power-pop.tumblr.com/post/3182883291

 

Shipwrecked

What:  Shiprocked
Where:  Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Key West & Bahamas
When: 
November 27 – December 1
Who:  Godsmack, Korn, Five Finger Death Punch, P.O.D., Sevendust, Filter, Fuel, Lit, Helmet, and more
Why: 
Hopefully this boat will be lost somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle.
Web:
  www.getshiprocked.com/2012

 

The Big Ticket

What:  The Big Ticket
Where:  Jacksonville, FL
When: 
December 2
Who:  Rise Against, Bush, fun., Silversun Pickups, Of Monsters and Men, Anberlin, Flogging Molly, Grouplove, Imagine Dragons, The Joy Formidable, and more
Why:  Jacksonville’s X102.9 holds one last big festival in 2012.
Web:
  www.thebigticketfest.com

 

KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas

What:  KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas
Where:  Los Angeles, CA
When:  December 8-9
Who:  The Killers, Linkin Park, Jack White, Rise Against, .fun, Bush, Garbage, M83, Neon Trees, Slightly Stoopid, Passion Pit, AWOLNATION, Grouplove, The Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men, Walk the Moon, The Gaslight Anthem, Two Door Cinema Club, and more
Why:  It’s almost Christmas, and L.A.’s KROQ is almost acoustic.
Web:  kroq.cbslocal.com/show/kroq-almost-acoustic-christmas/

 

121212

What: 121212
Where: New York, NY
When: December 12
Who: Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who, and more   See date in QRO NYC Show Preview here
Why: An unbelievably star-studded line-up comes to Madison Square Garden (QRO venue review) to raise money for Hurricane Sandy relief.
Web:
www.121212concert.org

 

The Night The Buzz Stole Christmas

What: The Night The Buzz Stole Christmas
Where: Kansas City, MO
When: December 14-16
Who: Passion Pit, Grouplove, Flogging Molly, alt-J, Of Monsters and Men, ZZ Ward, The Joy Formidable, The Dirty Heads, and more
Why: 965 The Buzz steals the holiday season with three nights of great bands at The Midland.
Web:
www.965thebuzz.com

 

Lights All Night

What:  Lights All Night
Where:  Dallas, TX
When: 
December 29-31
Who:  Tiësto, Bassnectar, Axwell, Ghostland Observatory, Avicii, Calvin Harris, A-Trak, Diplo, Zedd, Sander Van Doorn, Adventure Club, Alesso, Nero, Zeds Dead, 12th Planet, 3Lau, Madeon, Nobody Beats the Drum, Mord Fustang, and more to be announced
Why:  Celebrate the end of 2012 with three nights of lights.
Web:
  www.lightsallnight.com

 

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