The 4

Music Festival Edition

Four festivals you should hit the road for this summer

4:00 am Apr 9 - by Josh Fisher – buzz Writer

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Every music fan’s dream vacation over the past decade has been to visit one of the many fast-growing music festivals that take place annually during the summer. The choice for the most serious festival goers usually lies with those that offer on-site camping, while the urban-dwelling music fan might prefer to reserve a room in the city for their stay. Listed below are four excellent choices to either get your feet wet on the festival circuit or pretend it’s your first outing all over again this summer.

Rothbury Festival Rothbury

Mich. — July 2-5, 2009

With the inaugural Rothbury Festival still fresh in many fans’ heads from last summer, arguably no other music festival is quite as anticipated. Rothbury, Mich., lies on the west side of the state, only three hours (depending on traffic) from Chicago. This idyllic location for a music festival boasts expansive camping lots just outside the stage grounds, filled with trees and beautiful trails. The festival features The Dead, Bob Dylan and String Cheese Incident as headliners, along with diverse supporting acts including STS9, Broken Social Scene, The Hold Steady, Railroad Earth, Les Claypool, Girl Talk, Lotus, Guster, Ani DiFranco and Flogging Molly. The climate is ideal for camping in July, and this is included in the four-day pass, which is going for $249.50.

Lollapalooza Music Festival

Chicago, Ill. — August 7-9, 2009

The lineup for Lollapalooza doesn’t even have to be announced to generate excitement. Past headliners and lineups alone give Lolla the guff to bully its way to No. 2 on this list. Ticket prices last year were $180, and seeing big-name bands like Radiohead or Rage Against the Machine in concert would cost a significant fraction of a three-day pass, so you know you’ll get a great deal when you see dozens of solid bands throughout the weekend. Rumored headliners for 2009 include festival creator Perry Farrell’s band Jane’s Addiction, Depeche Mode and Kings of Leon. With camping prohibited in Grant Park, this festival is the ideal location for those who love the outdoors during the day but long to sleep in a cozy bed (rather than tent) at night.

Summer Camp Music Festival

Chillicothe, Ill. — May 22-24, 2009

Started by jamband moe. in 2001, this festival has grown from 15 bands on two stages over two days to more than 60 bands on five stages over three days. If you are a fan of either moe. or Umphrey’s McGee, this festival is a can’t-miss experience as each band will play three sets during the weekend. As one of the smaller music festivals, Summer Camp has a reputation for a relaxed atmosphere and accessible grounds. The festival never feels too crowded, and there is always something to do. One aspect of camping at Summer Camp is that the cars are parked in a separate lot rather than next to each party’s camp. The lineup also includes Willie Nelson, Keller Williams, Cornmeal, Family Groove Company, EOTO and Girl Talk. Tickets are on sale now for $140 with camping included.

Bonnaroo Music Festival

Manchester, Tenn. — June 11-14, 2009

Although some have complained that Bonnaroo hasn’t stayed true to its jam roots over the past couple of years, no one can argue that they don’t always gather a very diverse lineup to attract road trippers from across the country to Tennessee in mid-June. This year, Phish’s reunion tour includes a stop for two headlining sets at ’Roo, and they are backed by The Boss and the Beastie Boys. The main draw of the festival is all of the different bands you could possibly see: MGMT, Andrew Bird, The Mars Volta, Ben Harper, Coheed and Cambria, Galactic, Gov’t Mule and Wilco, just to name a few. With ticket prices at $249.50 for the four -day fest with camping, the tiebreaker with Rothbury is the drive length (from Illinois).

In the end, it all comes down to personal preference. To camp or not to camp? Who is playing? How much will it cost? In the end, the decision is yours.

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