Coachella. It is a name that often gets tossed around in the music world and for good reason. The L.A.-based festival features celebrities, a crowd that ranges from surfers to fashionistas, all gathered together to witness incredibly talented musicians do what they do best. This year’s lineup, Lorde, Ellie Goulding, Rudimental and more, was a demonstration of how music is evolving more than ever under the influence of EDM or electronic dance music. The 2014 show also snagged the first booking of the Outkast reunion in over 10 years. Although Palm Springs’ desert has soaked up all of the musical energy, the winding down of Coachella marks the start of summer festival series. Keep an eye out for these upcoming events to find your own piece of musical paradise.
BEALE STREET
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Dates: May 2-4
If you can listen to any kind of music and do not have a particular preference, the little-known Beale Street festival could be perfect for you. Open to all ages, different genres and flexible personalities, this groovy street-based event caters to the diverse crowds of Tennessee. The big acts include Foster the People, Snoop Lion, Juicy J, Motorhead, Avenged Sevenfold, Fitz & the Tantrums, Twenty One Pilots, MS MR and Bone Thugs N’ Harmony, along with plenty of other lesser-known bands. Tickets for the festival are for a single day, so be careful that you purchase tickets for the artists you want to see. The prices are now priced around $40 a day, but will continue to increase until the date arrives.
LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE
Location: San Antonio Recreation Area, Bradley, California
Dates: May 24-26
Lightning in a Bottle is much more than the music. The festival producers’ focus, which includes creating a safe and welcoming environment for people to practice yoga, produce art and relax while listening to music and the natural ambience of the area serves to create a completely unique and all-incorporating spiritual experience. Daily morning yoga sessions, a public art space where concert-goers can bid on their favorite piece to support the arts, and an innovative shrine makes this festival a true playground for nature-bound music lovers. Designed to be a “heart and mind expanding oasis,” this festival is also designed around a community experience—so be sure to bring your best friends. For both camping and music, a full weekend pass costs around $260.
SASQUATCH
Location: Gorge Amphitheater, Seattle, Washington
Dates: May 23-25
This year marks Sasquatch’s 13th year with the concert location and ampitheater, so this festival is a relatively young establishment. Last year’s sold out in a record 90 minutes, and this year was even faster. The amazing lineup of Outkast, The National, Queens of the Stone Age, Haim, Kid Cudi, Foster the People and several local bands, combined with the architecture and natural beauty of the Gorge Amphitheater area make this one a winner for anyone in the Seattle area. Heads-up to campers—you will be paying for alcohol, showers, food and other amenities due to the strict gate rules. To save money in a large group, perhaps consider upgrading to platinum camping, which is about $50 per person more.
BONNAROO
Location: Manchester, Tennessee
Dates: June 12-15
For the size and impressive lineup, Bonnaroo is one of the cheaper large-name festivals. This year’s big acts are Elton John, Kanye West and Jack White. Compared to the 2013 lineup, which was The Lumineers, Jack Johnson and Wilco, Bonnaroo has moved away from the alt-rock and into the ultra-celebrity performers—which should ensure dramatic acts for all three days. The general admission tickets are around $250, but tickets are still available at $284.50. For those looking for cheap accommodation, general admission camping, tent-only camping, VIP camping and RV camping are all options.
Bonnaroo does a great job of providing food such as gourmet food trucks, a café called Planet Roo and drink options such as the “Broo’ers Festival” that includes beer from over 20 different breweries across the U.S. As the Bonnaroo food and drink website suggests, “Under one tent, you can enjoy hearty bocks, revitalizing pilsners, crisp pale ales, fruity ciders and more, offered up by world-renowned microbreweries from every corner of the country.” The crowds include all kinds of people. One concert-goer, Hannah Mack-Boll, described it as a mixture between, “the typical ‘hipster wanna-be flower child,’ the bro, the punk-rockers, the old men who are trying to relive Woodstock and quite a few families, parents, children and all.” Bonnaroo is one of the most environmentally friendly music festivals and offers filtered water stations and several recycling stations for concert-goers to make the most of.
LOLLAPALOOZA
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Dates: August 1-3
Lollapalooza, the music festival in downtown Chicago, has always been a hub of excitement and noise for the Midwestern states. The three-day-long festival takes place on 115 acres between downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan. This year is a move away from the alternative headliners of 2013, Mumford & Sons, The Killers and Vampire Weekend. This year’s Lolla, perhaps in a genius move to compete with other festivals, includes hip-hop icons such as Eminem, Outkast and the formidable mix of Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, Calvin Harris, Lorde, The Avett Brothers and Foster the People. Of course, up-and-comers like Dugas, Vance Roy and Bear Hands will be there too, making this year a must-see even for the most seasoned Lolla fans.
The crowds at Lolla range from teenage to adult, but be sure to aggressively avoid anyone wearing neon due to their tendency to trample on anyone who raves in their way. Ticket options for Lolla include the Early Bird three-day pass, which costs $225. The regular three-day pass costs $250, and the singles one -day pass costs $100. Tickets to Lolla usually go on sale around the end of March, and this year they were released March 26.
SF OUTSIDE LANDS
Location: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California
Dates: August 8-10
The Outside Lands lineup for 2014 includes Kanye West, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Disclosure, Tegan and Sara, Haim, Capital Cities and a few Cali bands of whom you have probably never heard. Where this festival goes beyond Coachella is in offering excellent local food—last year’s event included everything from Malaysian nachos to Shwarma snowcones. Another focus of the festival is beer and wine, where there are usually around 30 vendors for both (this includes red and white wine, and hard cider as well as any kind of beer imaginable). This festival is perfect for those who want an eclectic yet well-known concert series in a beautiful location. The proximity to nature and the unique stage set-up make this one hard to miss. The three-day pass is $275 and single day passes are $115.
This year’s summer festival lineup marks the start of another fantastic season for music-lovers. No matter what your summer plans are or where you are in the states, it is never too late to fall in love with music again.
