June 8, 2018
In 2012, tiny Delaware got into the music festival game in a big way with Firefly. It returns to the Dover International Speedway, Thursday-Sunday, June 14th-18th:
THURSDAY, JUNE 14th
Lawn Stage Hippie Sabotage, 9:45 PM – 10:45 PM Knox Fortune, 8:00 PM – 8:45 PM The Spencer Lee Band, 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM |
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Backyard Stage Chromeo, 10:45 PM – 12:00 AM There are combos and then there are combos: Montreal’s Chromeo (QRO live review) are the electro-funk duo of Dave 1 (David Macklovitch) and P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel) has been best friends since childhood (QRO live review), billing themselves as, “The only successful Arab/Jewish collaboration since the beginning of time” (but what is their stance on Québécois independence?…). And their electronica works outdoors (QRO photos outdoors), day or night (QRO live review), even at a festival (QRO photos at a festival). They come to Firefly (QRO photos at a festival) with their great show (QRO live review), off of this year’s Head Over Heels. |
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Chicano Batman, 8:45 PM – 9:45 PM Los Angeles’ Chicano Batman (QRO photos at a festival) first got notice in 2014/5 with Cycles of Existential Rhyme, but last year went full-on Gil Scott-Heron with Freedom Is Free. |
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Everything Everything, 7:15 PM – 8:00 PM Ambitious, eclectic and dynamic, Manchester’s Everything Everything (QRO photos at a festival) really do have it all (QRO photos), coming to Firefly behind last year’s A Fever Dream. Also: Amillion the Poet, 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM |
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Pavilion Stage Two Friends, 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM Shallou, 9:45 PM – 10:30 PM Bryce Vine, 8:30 PM – 9:15 PM Lophiile, 7:30 PM – 8:15 PM Kap Slap, 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM Parker, 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM |
FRIDAY, JUNE 15th
Firefly Stage Arctic Monkeys, 11:00 PM – 12:30 AM If you’re unfamiliar with the Sheffield-native English rockers, you obviously were not paying much attention in 2006 when their much ballyhoo-ed debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am Not was being pumped out of every speaker and headphone either side of the Atlantic & more (QRO live review in Australia), thanks to an energetic MySpace fan base. Fast-forward eight years. MySpace is a shell of its former self, but the Arctic Monkeys (QRO photos at a festival) have put out four more studio albums, 2007’s Favorite Worst Nightmare (QRO review), 2009’s Humbug (QRO review), 2011’s Suck It and See (QRO review), and 2013’s American breakthrough AM, and with a new media storm around them (QRO photos). They return to headline Firefly (QRO photos headlining a festival) after the release of Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. |
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Foster the People, 8:15 PM – 9:30 PM Los Angeles’ Foster the People (QRO photos at a festival) came out of nowhere in 2010 with viral hit “Pumped Up Kicks”, followed that up with the Top Ten debut Torches (QRO review). Their listener- and dancer-friendly electronic sounds (QRO photos at a festival) aren’t exactly revelatory, but are sure to set the crowd on fire (QRO live review). They come back to Firefly (QRO photos at a festival) for a third time, with a big show (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2014’s Supermodel (QRO review) and last year’s Sacred Hearts Club. |
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Jimmy Eat World, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM Jimmy Eat World (QRO photos) set the standard for emo-rock in 2001 with Bleed American and “The Middle” (QRO video). Though have never lived up to that (but did play it & prior Clarity in full – QRO live review), 2010’s Invented (QRO review) and songs like “Movielike” (QRO video) and “Coffee and Cigarettes” (QRO video) still kept the band in the top tier of emo (QRO live review) – though they’ve kept repeating themselves with 2013’s Damage (QRO review) and the subsequent tour (QRO live review). They come to Firefly (QRO photos at a festival) after the 2016 release of Integrity Blues (QRO review). |
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Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM Rivaling Sean Lennon and Jakob Dylan in fatherly shadows to get out of, Willie Nelson’s own son Lukas (QRO photos of them together at the elder Wilson’s 80th birthday celebration) has established his own country name with his band, Promise of the Real (QRO live review). |
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Welshly Arms, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM Cleveland’s blues-rock outfit Welshly Arms come to Lollapalooza behind last year’s hit song “Legendary” (which has been used in promos of everything from WWE to Cleveland Indians to Sense8), and play twice at Firefly (see below). |
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Lawn Stage Cold War Kids, 9:30 PM – 10:45 PM After a string of EPs, Fullerton, California’s Cold War Kids (QRO photos) blew up in 2006 with their full-length debut, Robbers & Cowards. While 2008’s Loyalty to Loyalty (QRO review) suffered something of a sophomore slump, 2011’s Mine Is Yours (QRO review) 2013’s Miss Lonelyhearts (QRO review), 2014’s Hold My Home (QRO review), and last year’s L.A. Divine (QRO review) lifted things somewhat, and their live show (QRO live review) is still electric, especially outside (QRO live review outdoors) or at festivals (QRO photos at a festival), as they still ring with singles (QRO photos), from the more recent “Love Is Mystical” and “Audience” (QRO video) to their break-outs “We Used To Vacation”, “Hospital Beds” (QRO video), and “Hang Me Out To Dry” (QRO video). They play their third Firefly. |
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Lizzo, 7:45 PM – 8:45 PM Catch the hot, fast-rising alternative hip-hop of Minneapolis’ Lizzo (QRO photos at a festival) as she returns to Firefly. |
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Also: They., 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM Ron Gallo, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM – QRO photos at a festival Flor, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM Liz Cooper & The Stampede, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM – QRO photos at festival |
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Backyard Stage Big Gigantic, 12:30 AM – 1:45 AM Boulder’s Big Gigantic (QRO photos at a festival) mix (big) electronic beats with live drums and even live saxo-mo-phone. Known to set crowds in a writhing heap of body parts (QRO photos at a festival), Big Gigantic (QRO photos at a festival) has been showcasing their electronic fervor all across the globe (QRO photos at a festival), including twice before at Firefly, and the last ever New Year’s Eve at New York City’s closed landmark venue Roseland Ballroom (QRO live review). |
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Logic, 9:45 PM – 11:00 PM Sir Robert Bryson Hall II (“Sir” is part of his name, not an honorific, apparently…), has become a top songwriter as Logic (QRO photos at a festival). He returns to Firefly. |
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Marian Hill, 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM Not a woman but a duo, Marian Hill (QRO photos) is synth-pop Philly pair Samantha Gongol and Jeremy Lloyd. They return to Firefly. |
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Joey Purp, 4:45 PM – 5:45 PM One half of Leather Corduroys and a founding member of Savemoney, Joey Purp (QRO photos) comes to Firefly off of his 2016 sophomore mixtape, iiiDrops. |
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Also: Lights, 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM – QRO photos The Regrettes, 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM |
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Pavilion Stage Lil Xan, 1:00 AM – 2:00 AM After dropping out of high school in freshman year, photographing rappers, having his camera gear stolen, and being addicted to Xanax, California’s Diego Leanos became rapper Lil Xan. |
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Cheat Codes, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM Electronic trio Cheat Codes (QRO photos at a festival) come to Firefly off last year’s international success of hit single “Sex” (which samples Salt-n-Pepa’s 1991 classic “Let’s Talk About Sex”). |
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Also: Ookay, 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM Kasbo, 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM Jeremy Zuker, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM Xie, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM |
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Porch Stage Mikky Ekko, 7:45 PM – 8:30 PM While he first came to notice when he was featured on Rihanna’s “Stay”, Mikky Ekko (QRO photos) comes to Firefly while we wait for his sophomore LP, Fame. |
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Flint Eastwood, 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM Detroit indie-rock brother-sister duo Flint Eastwood (QRO photos at a festival) bring their “spaghetti western inspired” music to Firefly. |
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Also: Chase Atlantic, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM Southern Avenue, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM Tierra Whack, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM |
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Tree House Stage Foster the People, 12:30 AM – 1:30 AM Firefly Stage act Foster the People (see above) do a DJ set to close out the Tree House Stage. |
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We Are Scientists, 9:00 PM – 9:45 PM The Brooklyn-by-way-of-Claremont, California act (QRO photos in Brooklyn), We Are Scientists (QRO live review) has had a habit of appearing & disappearing (QRO spotlight on), like after hits like “It’s a Hit’ (QRO video) and debut With Love and Squalor (QRO anniversary live review), but returning in 2008 with Brain Thrust Mastery (QRO review), then disappearing again, but came back again, with 2010’s Barbara (QRO review), then away, but back with 2014’s TV en Français (QRO review) 2016’s Helter Seltzer (QRO review), and this year’s Megaplex (QRO review), and songs like “Buckle” (QRO video), “Dumb Luck” (QRO video), and “Make It Easy” (QRO review). The band’s powerful indie-rock (QRO photos at a festival) has won PhD’s across the country and beyond (QRO photos at a foreign festival), and their live show (QRO live review) is known for singer/guitarist Keith Murray (QRO interview) & bassist Chris Cain’s humorous between-song banter and audience participation (QRO live review), even at festivals (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Kat Cunning, 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM While she started in Broadway musicals like Dangerous Liaisons and Cirque Du Soleil’s Paramour, and is gonna be on HBO (details to come), Kat Cunning comes to Firefly behind her own singles “Make U Say”, “Baby”, & “Wild Poppies”. |
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Welshly Arms, 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM Cleveland’s blues-rock outfit Welshly Arms come to Lollapalooza behind last year’s hit song “Legendary” (which has been used in promos of everything from WWE to Cleveland Indians to Sense8), and play twice at Firefly (see above). |
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Also: Liz Cooper, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM – QRO photos at festival |
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Coffee House Stage Lukas Nelson, 7:15 PM – 7:45 PM Tierra Whack, 5:15 PM – 5:45 PM Thomas Wynn & The Believers, 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM Juke Ross, 1:45 PM – 2:15 M Brittany Ann Transbough, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM |
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Toyota Music Den Flor, 7:45 PM – 8:15 PM Ron Gallo, 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM The Regrettes, 4:15 PM – 4:45 PM Sondorblue, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM Southern Avenue, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM |
SATURDAY, JUNE 16th
Firefly Stage Eminem, 11:15 PM – 12:30 AM When The Beatles reissues came out, it launched the band to #2 on the top-selling artists of this decade/century/millennium. Who was #1? Eminem, a.k.a. Slim Shady, a.k.a. Marshall Bruce Mathers III. The ultra-famous rap star (QRO photos headlining a festival) has had the fastest-selling hip-hop album ever, tons of Grammys (the most ever in the Rap Album category), even an Oscar (for his song his semi-autobiographical starring vehicle, 8 Mile). He took a musical hiatus for a few years, but came back in 2009 with Relapse and the following year’s self-admitted comeback, Recovery, before 2013’s sequel to his best-known & -loved album in The Marshall Mathers LP 2. While he was also almost as famous for his celebrity lifestyle, including feuds with just about everyone (including his mother & now ex-wife, as well as Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog), he’s since simmered down somewhat, with last year’s Revival. |
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The Killers, 8:45 PM – 10:00 PM The Killers (QRO photos) broke out of their Las Vegas home in 2004 with debut Hot Fuss and great singles “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr. Brightside” – and have failed to match that since. 2006’s attempt at greatness Sam’s Town didn’t make it, and after 2008’s middling Day & Age (QRO review) singer Brandon Flowers went solo for his own middling work. But the group has since come back (QRO photos) with 2012’s Battle Born (QRO review) and last year’s Wonderful Wonderful (QRO review) – and they still play Hot Fuss live (QRO live review), as they return to Firefly for their first time since the inaugural edition. |
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Lil Wayne, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM New Orleans’ Lil Wayne (QRO photos at his own festival) joined Cash Money Records at the age of nine, and has never looked back. First as part of the southern hip-hop group Hot Boys, and later solo, Wayne has made a massive impact on music & the charts. In 2010 he released I Am Not a Human Being while serving time in jail, and in 2012 he passed Elvis Presley as the male with most entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (QRO photos at a Billboard festival) – and now he comes to play the festival. While we wait & wait for the long-delayed Tha Carter V, he comes to Firefly. |
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Royal Blood, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM Embrace the fast-rising blues-garage of Manchester’s Royal Blood (QRO photos at a U.K. festival), as they come to Firefly (QRO photos at an American festival) behind last year’s acclaimed How Did We Get So Dark?. |
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Also: Middle Kids, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM |
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Lawn Stage Portugal. The Man, 10:00 PM – 11:15 PM Firefly draws from very farther up north with Alaska’s Portugal. The Man (QRO photos at a festival). The rambling grunge outfit garnered new fans with 2007 sophomore release Church Mouth (QRO review), and its unhinged alt-rock (QRO live review), though slipped somewhat since then, even while finally playing Europe (QRO photos at a European festival) and becoming a festival favorite (QRO photos at a festival). Their major label debut In the Mountain In the Cloud (QRO review) was more psych-lite, but they still bring it live (QRO live review), and even went Down Under (QRO photos at a festival) after 2013’s release of follow-up Evil Friends (QRO review), hitting both the festival circuit (QRO photos at a 2013 festival) and live gigs (QRO 2013 live review). They come back to Firefly (QRO photos at a festival) touring last year’s hit Woodstock (QRO review), which has vaunted them in popularity (QRO photos at a 2018 festival) thanks to big hit, “Feel It Still”. |
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Vance Joy, 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM From the other side of the world, Melbourne’s Vance Joy (QRO photos) is the rare footballer (that’s soccer to you yanks) turned singer (QRO photos at a festival), who returns to Firefly. |
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Rag‘n’Bone Man, 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM Rory Charles Graham, a.k.a. Britain’s Rag’n’Bone Man (QRO photos at a U.K. festival) comes to Firefly after winning British Breakthrough Act and Critic’s Choice Award at last year’s Brit Awards, so come see what they’re talking about across the pond. |
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Lauv, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM Pop singer Ari Staphrans Leff, a.k.a. Lauv, comes to Firefly behind this year’s debut full-length, I Met Your When I Was 18 (The Playlist). |
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Alex Lahey, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM Be sure to catch catchy Melbourne native Alex Lahey, who plays this side of the Pacific behind last year’s excellent Love You Like a Brother (QRO review). |
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Also: The Aces, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM |
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Backyard Stage Martin Garrix, 12:30 AM – 1:45 AM At just over twenty years of age, Amsterdam’s Martin Garrix (QRO photos at a festival) is already a major up-and-coming-and-already-there DJ, and is already playing his second Firefly. |
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Mike D, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM If you’re gonna watch a DJ set, who better to watch spin records than the one-and-only Mike D? Yes, that Mike D, one-third of the ultra-important Beastie Boys. Fellow Boy MCA’s lamented death in 2012 saw D & Ad-Rock put their iconic group to rest, but they have not been, and Mike D comes to spin at Firefly (QRO photos DJing at a festival). |
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PnB Rock, 7:45 PM – 8:45 PM Philly rapper Rakim Hasheem Allen, a.k.a. PnB Rock, has gone from youth detention and prison to hit singles like “Fleek” and “Single”. |
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Smallpools, 4:45 PM – 5:45 PM Indie-pop outfit Smallpools (QRO photos at a festival) return to Firefly. |
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Also: Berhana, 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM The Night Game, 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM – QRO live review |
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Pavilion Stage Spafford, 1:00 AM – 2:00 AM San Holo, 10:15 PM – 11:15 PM Hotel Garuda, 7:45 PM – 8:45 PM Westside Gunn & Conway, 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM Phantoms, 3:15 M – 4:15 PM Chet Porter, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM Justin Caruso, 12:30 PM – 1:15 PM |
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Porch Stage Lucy Dacus, 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM Norfolk’s Lucy Dacus (QRO photos) has fans from Julien Baker to Senator Tim Kaine. |
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Also: Jade Bird, 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM – QRO photos at a festival Noah Kahan, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM Red Cragun, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM Savannah Conley, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM |
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Tree House Stage Portugal. The Man, 12:45 AM – 1:30 AM After playing the Lawn Stage (see above), Portugal. The Man (QRO live review) do a DJ set to close out the Tree House Stage. |
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Also: Smallpools, 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM Leon of Athens, 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM The Aces, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM |
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Coffee House Stage Foxtrot & The Get Down, 5:15 PM – 5:45 PM Of Tomorrow, 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM Ben O’Neill, 1:45 PM – 2:15 PM Vulcans, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM |
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Toyota Music Den Middle Kids, 7:15 PM – 7:45 PM Chet Porter, 5:45 PM – 6:15 PM Jade Bird, 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Smallpools, 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM Alex Lahey, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM |
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SUNDAY, JUNE 17th
Firefly Stage Kendrick Lamar, 9:15 PM – 10:45 PM Firefly is headlined by hip-hop hit Kendrick Lamar (QRO photos at a festival), who got notice with his 2010 mixtape, Overly Dedicated, and lived up to the hype (QRO photos at a festival) in 2012 with debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city – he’s got no “Fuckin’ Problems” (QRO video). He won a Grammy with 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly – and followed that up that year with the even more acclaimed Damn. that not only won him another Grammy, was on like every best-of end-of-the-year list (QRO’s Top Albums of 2017), but also got this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Music, the first non-jazz or classical work to earn the accolade. Damn! |
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MGMT, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM All of a sudden, Wesleyan University gave birth to a bunch of indie acts, but none blew up like MGMT (QRO live review). Songs like “Electric Feel” (QRO video) and “Time To Pretend” (QRO video) launched 2007’s Oracular Spectacular in the stratosphere. The follow-up was bound to bring them more back down to earth, and Congratulations (QRO review) is a classic over-ambitious sophomore release, with third, self-titled record full-on weird. There was a big break after MGMT, but this year (QRO photos at a recent festival) they’ve coming back with Little Dark Age (QRO review), that nicely balances their accessible & weird. The two-man psych-rock band of Ben Goldwasser & Andrew Van Wyngarden (QRO photos outdoors) is more than prepared to blow minds outdoors when they come back to Firefly (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Kamasi Washington, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM Acclaimed saxophonist Kamasi Washington (QRO photos at a festival) brings a modern air to the jazz instrument, for accessible alt-jazz (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Also: Terror Jr, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM Warren G, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM |
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Lawn Stage alt-J, 7:45 PM – 9:00 PM Among all the overnight alt-successes, maybe no one has done it as quickly or as majorly as alt-J (QRO live review). Also known as ‘∆’ – that’s what you get when press the ‘alt’ and ‘J’ buttons on your keyboard – the indie-more quartet went from playing tiny places at terrible hours in 2012 (QRO photos) to winning their native England’s prestigious Mercury Prize later that year (QRO photos at a U.K. festival), and playing America (QRO photos at a North American festival) at much, much larger spaces (QRO photos). They come to Firefly behind third full-length, RELAXER (QRO review). |
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Lord Huron, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM The lonesome, lakeside dreams of Lord Huron (QRO photos) is also a festival regular (QRO photos at a festival), like Firefly ’13, returning to the festival behind this year’s Vide Noir. |
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Also: Alice Merton, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Courtship., 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM Amen Dunes, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM |
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Backyard Stage ODESZA, 10:45 PM – 12:00 AM Harrison Mills & Clayton Knight managed to put out their debut as electronic duo ODESZA (QRO photos) while still in their senior year back in ’12 with Summer’s Gone, and come back to Firefly (QRO photos at a festival) off of 2014’s follow-up full-length, In Return. |
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SZA, 8:00 PM – 9:15 PM Solana Rowe, a.k.a. SZA (QRO photos at a festival), had people talking from the get-go, but that’s only been more so since last year’s debut full-length, Ctrl, regarded as one of the albums of the year (QRO Top Albums of 2017), including playing Saturday Night Live and a slew of Grammy nominations (but no wins – #JusticeForSZA). |
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Also: Betty Who, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM – QRO photos at a festival Banners, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Lewis Capaldi, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM |
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Pavilion Stage Whethan, 8:15 PM – 9:15 PM Chicago DJ/producer Whethan got recognition when his remix of “XE3” garnered over 8 million plays on SoundCloud. |
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Party Favor, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Park City, Utah bred DJ Dylan Ragland, a.k.a. Party Favor, comes to Firefly with only an EP, 2016’s Party & Destroy. |
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Also: Yung Gravy, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Melvv, 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM Pluko, 12:15 PM – 1:00 PM |
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Porch Stage Charlotte Cardin, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Catch the electric jazz songstress Charlotte Cardin (QRO photos) from Montreal. |
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Also: morgxn, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM The Glorious Sons, 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM Fly By Midnight, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM |
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Tree House Stage Courtship., 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM Brother Sundance, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Jaira Burns, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM |
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Coffee House Stage Fly By Midnight, 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM Lewis Capaldi, 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM Michigan Rattlers, 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Dawn Hiatt, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM |
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Toyota Music Den Banners, 7:15 PM – 7:15 PM Melvv, 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM The Glorious Sons, 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM Betty Who, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM Brother Sundance, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM |
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For festival website, go here: https://fireflyfestival.com/