Where are you going to party this September?
Who knew that September would become one of the busiest festival months of the year? Here’s a list of the ones that top our wish list. Click on any of the titles below to see full lineups, videos, and links to ticket information. And if none of these grab your attention, see our full list of fall festivals here.
1. moe.down Festival 2010
Mohawk, September 3-5
Moe. returns with their annual festival and this year they bring The Black Keys, Nas, and Damian Marley with them. Pack your tent for a three weekend of camping and music.
2. All Tomorrow’s Parties: New York 2010
Monticello, September 3-5, 2010
Iggy and the Stooges, Sonic Youth, and The Scientists are featured at the always unique ATP New York. Indie film director Jim Jarmusch assisted with the lineup.
3. North Coast Music Festival 2010
Chicago, September 3-5
The North Coast Music Festival picked up The Chemical Brothers, Umphrey’s McGee, and Paul Van Dyk to anchor the first year fest. With a mix of electronic and alternative acts, this will be one fun Labor Day Festival.
4. Sónar Chicago 2010
Chicago, September 9-11
The Chicago version of this Barcelona festival promises to be one of the more interesting shows this September. It’s a mix of art, music, and experimentation. Best of all, it’s free.
5. Hopscotch Music Festival
Raleigh, September 9-11
120 indie acts scattered throughout downtown Raleigh sounds like a good time to us. Public Enemy and Broken Social Scene are the bigs names in a festival that features a ton of local music.
6. Telluride Blues and Brews Festivals
Telluride, September 17-19
September in Colorado is the absolute best time to visit the state. Add in delicious microbrews along with B.B. King, Galactic, and George Thorogood and you’ve got yourself one relaxing festival.
7. Pygmalion Music Festival
Champaign-Urbana, September 22-25
Started in 2005, this festival is becoming widely known for its mix of local and national acts. This year Of Montreal, Built to Spill, and Surfer Blood keep the bar raised.
8. Virgin Mobile FreeFest 2010
Baltimore, September 25
The Virgin Mobile Festival repeated last year’s stunt and did away with paying for tickets. For a free festival, they didn’t skimp on the acts. Pavement along with Ludacris and LCD Soundsystem are just a few of the artists to see.
9. MPMF: Midpoint Music Fest 2010
Cincinnati, September 23-25
The ninth year of MPMF serves up plenty of Cincinnati chili and plenty of indie rock. This year’s lineup includes Caribou, Holy Fuck, and Best Coast along with local acts.
Your 2010 Hopscotch Headliners
The Independent Weekly’s Hopscotch Music Festival brings the bands to Raleigh from September 9-11th. The inaugural event showcases local talent with national acts scattered throughout ten downtown venues. With 120 bands performing rock, hip-hop, alt-country, metal, dance, punk, classical, noise, drone, and folk, there’s something for everyone.
Here’s the cool part. Organizers of the event encouraged record labels, blogs, and promoters to use Hopscotch venues during the day to throw parties. The result is a bunch of free shows listed below.
The best deal is to buy an $85 wristband that’s good for all three days. There are also some options for single day passes here.
DAY PARTY ROSTER FOR HOPSCOTCH
THURSDAY, SEPT. 9
- Knox with an X: noon–5 p.m.: With Tea and Tempests, Brett Harris, Phil Cook & His Feat, Shawn Luby, Midtown Dickens, Birds and Arrows, Gray Young, North Elementary. Kings Barcade, 14 W. Martin St. Co-presented by Triangle Brewing Company. Free.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 10
- Friend Island: 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m.: With Collections of Colonies of Bees (performing their new album, GIVING), All Tiny Creatures, Pattern is Movement, Family Dynamics (ex-Stars Like Fleas), Megafaun (release party for new EP, Heretofore), Breathe Owl Breathe. The Pour House, 224 S. Blount St. Presented by Hometapes. Free breakfast and nachos. Free.
- Tamplin’s Last Local Band, Local Beer: noon–5 p.m.: With Cellar Seas, Veelee, Filthybird, Temperance League, A Rooster for the Masses. Tir Na Nog, 218 S. Blount St. Includes record fair featuring local labels. Co-presented by New Raleigh and Aviator Brewing. Free.
- Troika Music Festival Presents…: 2–5 p.m.: With The Pneurotics, Bellafea, The Beast. Kings Barcade, 14 W. Martin St. Co-presented by Triangle Brewing Company. Free.
- Layabout in Raleigh: 1–5 p.m.: With The Wigg Report, Pinche Gringo, Last Year’s Men, John Wesley Coleman III and a special unannounced guest. Slim’s, 227 S. Wilmington St. A Layabout House road show co-presented by Fullsteam Brewery, Nice Price Books & Churchkey Digital. Free.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 11
- A Hazy Morning Wake-Up: noon–3 p.m.: With Glissade, The White Cascade. Humble Pie, 317 S. Harrington St. Presented by Deep Space Recordings. Free.
- Churchkey III: noon–5 p.m.: With Lurch, Free Electric State, Last Year’s Men, The Dry Heathens, Hammer No More the Fingers. Tir Na Nog, 218 S. Blount St. Co-presented by Triangle Brewing Company. Free.
- Local Time: 11 a.m.–6 p.m.: With The Flute Flies, NAPS, The Loners, Maple Stave, Red Collar, Des Ark, The Old Ceremony. In front of Raleigh Times Bar, 14 E. Hargett St. Presented by The Independent Weekly, Hopscotch Music Festival, Raleigh Times Bar, WKNC-FM 88.1. Free.
- Mann’s World: 1–5:30 p.m.: With HOG, Make, Caltrop, Black Skies. Kings Barcade, 14 W. Martin St. Free.
- New Raleigh Presents: 1–5 p.m.: The Drughorse Collective. Slim’s, 227 S. Wilmington St. Free.
- Trekky Records Presents DAY-DREAM: 2–5:30 p.m.: With Butterflies, Embarrassing Fruits, Sharon Van Etten, Midtown Dickens, Lost in the Trees, special guests Justin Ruggiano. The Pour House, 224 S. Blount St. Free.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 12
- Hopscotch Hangover: noon–until: With Brett Harris, The Spring Collection, Chip Robinson and the Heavy Beat Outfit. Slim’s, 227 S. Wilmington St. Free.
- Hopscotch Hangover: noon–until: With Brett Harris, The Spring Collection, Chip Robinson and the Heavy Beat Outfit. Slim’s, 227 S. Wilmington St. Free.
Here are links to all the online samplers we have been collecting all summer. All music is free, free, free. Download away!
Download 19 Song Ghostly Swim Album
Download the Outside Lands Sampler – 10 Songs on iTunes
16 Song Download from Spin Magazine
- 40 Best Festival Acts of 2010
- LouFest Lineup, Schedule, After Parties, and Tickets
- Treasure Island Pre-Party, Scavenger Hunt, and T-Shirt Design Contest
- [FREE MUSIC] The Scenesters Run LA Sampler
- 2011 WE Fest Tickets and Dates
- Win Free Tickets! North Coast, MFNW, Pop Montreal, Bumbershoot
- MFNW Lineup: The Decemberisms, The National Panda Bears, Wizkapedia, Sleet
- Video Warmup: Sunset Strip Music Festival
- [FREE MUSIC] 16 Song Download from Spin Magazine
AC/DC rocks the Download Festival. Photo Credit: Jessica Gilbert
It may be a bit early to be calling the “best” festival acts of 2010, but that hasn’t stopped a UK radio station from doing exactly that. Planet Rock let listeners vote throughout the month of August on their favorite acts from UK festivals.
AC/DC is number one both on this list and in our hearts. Planet Rock is a classic rock station which might explain how Foreigner made the Top 10.
1. AC/DC (Download)
2. Muse (Glastonbury, V Festival)
3. Iron Maiden (Sonisphere)
4. Slash (Download, Glastonbury, Wireless)
5. Joe Bonamassa (High Voltage)
6. ZZ Top (High Voltage)
7. ELP (High Voltage)
8. Aerosmith (Download)
9. Heaven & Hell: A Tribute To Ronnie James Dio (High Voltage)
10. Foreigner (High Voltage)
In honor of their upcoming shindig, The Scenesters Run L.A., organizers have released a 14 song album.
You know that a festival had a good year in 2010 when they immediately start selling tickets for 2011. Such is the case with WE Fest, one of the largest country music festivals in the world. They have even announced three acts: Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, and Brad Paisley are all scheduled to appear next August.
The WE Fest 2011 dates are August 4-6, 2011.
Tickets are $89 for a 3-day general admission pass. Camping passes are also available for sale.
The Festival: North Coast Music Festival (Chicago)
The Prize: Pair of 3-day passes
The Sponsor: Consequence of Sound
The Work: Send an email, Like CoS on Facebook, or send a tweet.
Deadline Friday, August 27
Where to Enter: Contest Page
The Festival: MFNW (Portland)
The Prize: 4 VIP wristbands, Pedicab rides, booze
The Sponsor: Oregon Lottery
The Work: Provide your email
Deadline: Monday, August 30
Where to Enter: Contest Page
The Festival: Pop Montreal
The Prize: “A hefty bundle of tickets” for Pop Montreal
The Sponsor: Meet You At the Show
The Work: Win a scavenger hunt
Deadline: The hunt takes place August 28
Where to Enter: Contest Page
The Festival: Bumbershoot (Seattle)
The Prize: Tickets for Bumbershoot 2011
The Sponsor: Bumbershoot
The Work: A musical scavenger hunt
Deadline: The hunt starts on September 6
Where to Enter: Contest Page
I’m not sure why this promo video for MFNW is so hysterical, but it is.
MFNW Musicfest NW 2010 from Aaron James on Vimeo.
The Smashing Pumpkins, Slash, and Common all descend this weekend on the Sunset Strip Music Festival in Los Angeles. Some of the shows will take place at Key Club, The Roxy Theatre, Cat Club and Whisky A Go-Go, but the main festival is a street party on August 28th. General admission tickets are around $50 (minus fees). Pick them up here. In the meantime, enjoy a few videos of the performers below.
Sunset Strip Lineup Video
SSMF 2010 Trailer from Sunset Strip on Vimeo.
Slash – “Back From Cali” (feat. Myles Kennedy)
Saturday Aug 28th
West Outdoor Stage 6:20- 7:35 pm
Unwritten Law – “Seein’ Red”
Friday Aug 27th
Key Club 8pm
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