Do you hate making decisions, enjoy all you can eat buffets, and have the stamina to make it through three to four days of the wildest parties on the planet? The massive fests of the US offer a smorgsborg of artists for one price. From the sun streaked desert plains of California to Tennessee farmland to the heart of downtown Chicago, here are the picks for the “Ultimate Music Festival Experience” of the 2012 summer.
As always, leave us a note in the comments section telling us where we went frightfully wrong and where we tickled your fancy. Before we dive in festival fans, note that this humble listing is only iyr first foray into the 2012 festival season. More installments will be released over the next few weeks featuring (hopefully) your favorite festivals.
1. Bonnaroo
When: June 7-10, 2012
Where: Manchester, Tennessee
Helmets optional at Bonnaroo.
Over the last decade, no other US music festival has captured the spirit of large greenfield gatherings like the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Bonnaroo burst onto the scene grabbing headlines along with our hearts as we’ve watched it grow from scrappy newcomer to a full fledged bastion of the season. It may not be the oldest or the largest, but Bonnaroo is the spirit of the quintessential American music festival. Long live The Roo.
2. Sasquatch!
When: May 25-28, 2012
Where: The Gorge, Washington
The Decemberists at Sasquatch! 2011. Photo Credit: Sasquatch! Official Site/Christopher Nelson
Much like its namesake, the Sasqutach! festival resides in the northwest, is completely legendary, and sought after by fans from all over the world. The Memorial Weekend powerhouse now stretches over four days in a trippy Washington wasteland that would be considered desolate if The Gorge didn’t provide one of the greatest natural stages known to man. The lineup is already out in order to give you plenty of time to prepare.
3. Lollapalooza
When: August 3-5, 2012
Where: Chicago, Illinois
Coldplay at Lollapalooza. Photo Credit: Lollapalooza Official Site/Cambria Harkey
You got to hand it Perry Farrell, the bizarre and quirky visionary who reinvented the American music festival with Lollapalooza. It was the first time that a lineup that was worth quitting your job over — which I did and destroyed my future at the video arcade. It’s been dialed back in this decade, but that doesn’t make the Chicago show one of the must-see stops of the summer. Or for those of you still craving the roadtrip, head south to Brazil or Chile for some bottom hempisphere action.
No love for Oregon- Country Fair and how do you leave off the Burners?