SUMMER LOVIN’
INsite’s Guide to the Season’s Best Concert Tours & Festivals
By Alex S. Morrison
Summer has always been the hottest season for live music, with rising temperatures bringing the biggest concert tours and festivals of the year. And 2010 is no exception: Whether you’re a fan of rock, pop, country, folk, jazz, classical music, or all of the above, the next few months will provide music lovers with a sonic smorgasbord of choices. From the Women In Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center in D.C. to the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, there are numerous destination festivals spanning the Northeast corridor. Or you can just wait for package tours such as Lilith Fair and the Vans Warped Tour to make their way to an arena near you. Either way, these forthcoming concerts are a safe bet to ensure you have a rocking summer…
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
Dates: Through September 15
Tragedy struck Matthews and Co. in 2008 when saxophonist LeRoi Moore died after an ATV accident. But the band returned with a triumphant tribute in last year’s Big Whiskey & The Groogrux King, which earned two Grammy nods and was hailed by Rolling Stone as “their most electric album yet.” The #1 touring band of the decade returns to the road for a 3-month excursion that finds them criss-crossing the nation with supporting acts such as Ben Harper & the Relentless 7, Amos Lee and Georgia’s own Zac Brown Band, appearing at Lakewood (with Gov’t Mule) on August 27.
LILITH FAIR
Dates: Through August 16
Co-founded in 1996 by singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan to celebrate women in music, Lilith Fair brought top-notch female artists such as Emmylou Harris, Fiona Apple, Indigo Girls and Tracy Chapman together to defy critics’ expectations. Now, after an 11-year hiatus, Lilith is back with a remarkably diverse lineup ranging from R&B/soul divas Erykah Badu and Mary J. Blige to jazz-pop singers Norah Jones and Corinne Bailey Rae, from country stars Sugarland and Loretta Lynn to rock legends Sheryl Crow and Heart. The international tour is scheduled to hit over 30 cities in the US, Canada and the UK, seeking out undiscovered female artists along the way via the Lilith Local Talent Search.
LOLLAPALOOZA
Dates: August 6-8
After beginning the decade as one of the seminal celebrations of alternative music, Lollpalooza had become something of a joke by the late ‘90s, underlining the absurdity of turning underground culture into a mass-marketed mainstream commodity. Perry Farrell’s brainchild has functioned much better under its current guise as a destination festival, attracting hundreds of thousands of fans to Chicago’s scenic Grant Park every August. This year’s lineup is as impressively well-rounded as any music fan could hope for: You’ve got classic alt-rock icons such as Green Day, Social Distortion, Drive-By Truckers, The Strokes, DEVO, and the recently reunited Soundgarden. You’ve got urban acts like Cypress Hill, Erykah Badu, Raphael Saadiq and B.O.B. There are legions of hipsters, including Arcade Fire, Phoenix, Hot Chip, MGMT, Stars, The xx and The National. And of course Perry’s got his notorious DJ tent, featuring hip-hop and electronic acts like Empire of the Sun, Felix Da Housecat, Peanut Butter Wolf and Kidz In The Hall. Still, we all know the pop-art spectacle that is Lady Gaga is TOTALLY going to steal the show.
NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL
Dates: July 30-August 1
Celebrating its 51st year, the granddaddy of all destination festivals simultaneously respects the history of folk music tradition while providing young’uns with the hipster acts they adore. Set in Newport’s Fort Adams State Park, the festival’s 2010 roster is arguably among its most impressive to date. Classic rockers such as Richie Havens and The Band’s Levon Helm, modern folkies such as The Swell Season (a.k.a. the duo from Once) and Brandi Carlile, soul revivalists Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, comedian-turned-banjo virtuoso Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, and indie-rock favorites such as The Avett Brothers, Andrew Bird, Jim James (of My Morning Jacket fame) and Blitzen Trapper will all play George Wein’s famous fest, ensuring a diverse crowd will descend on Newport this year.
RINGO STARR
Dates: Through August 7
With the success of the Beatles Rock Band videogame, the recent unveiling of his star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and the release of his first self-produced solo album, Y Not, Ringo is riding high heading into his 70th birthday on July 7. He’ll be celebrating at Radio City Music Hall, one of over 20 dates on a tour that will find him playing a mixture of classic hits and new songs with an All-Starr band featuring classic rock icons such as Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer and Gary Wright.
SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL
Dates: July 17
Now in its 10th year, this free New York music fest rocks historic Coney Island, annually attracting over 100,000 people. This year marks the return of two previous Siren favorites– Matt & Kim and Ted Leo & the Pharmacists– as well as an array of up ‘n’ coming indie bands that includes Surfer Blood, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Earl Greyhound and many more. If you’re headed to New York, don’t miss the after-party at Music Hall of Williamsburg, which will feature live performances by We Are Scientists and Lightspeed Champion.
ROCKSTAR MAYHEM FESTIVAL
Dates: July 7-August 14
Kevin Lyman’s 3-year-old festival is doing for heavy metal what his Warped Tour has done for punk-rock, replacing Ozzfest as the premiere headbangers gathering of the summer in the process. This year’s lineup balances metal legends such as Korn and Rob Zombie with current scene-leaders like Shadows Fall and Lamb of God, as well as up ‘n’ coming acts Atreyu, Norma Jean, Chimaira and more.
VANS WARPED TOUR
Dates: Through Aug 15
Now in its 15th year, this annual gathering of punk rockers and extreme sports fans has outlasted every other festival tour birthed in the ‘90s. Credit creator Kevin Lyman with adapting to the changing cultural tides and expanding the lineup’s diversity. This year’s revolving roster features more than 100 bands, including Anti Flag, Dropkick Murphys, ska stalwarts Reel Big Fish, and punk-pop crossovers All-American Rejects and Motion City Soundtrack.
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