Being one of the biggest music festivals in the US, we get very excited for Coachella each year, and we’re obviously not the only ones; the 2011 event sold out in just one week, breaking all records for the previous 11 years.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed
Recently, I attended the 2011 Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco, CA at Golden Gate Park. For those of you who are unaware of Outside Lands, I suggest you dig yourself out from under your rock and join the rest of the mustache sporting, marijuana indulging, barefoot dancing, cut-off jean shorts wearing, Hipsters that make this one of the most exciting festivals each year.
Ok, maybe I was a little harsh on you…especially considering that personally, I only fit into two of those categories (I’ll let you decide which two)…but this is definitely a life experience like none other, regardless of your views on that kind of debauchery.
The bill for the 3 day extravaganza included performances by Muse, Arcade Fire, 2 back to back sets by Phish, The Black Keys, The Shins (added last minute), The Decemberists, and the list goes on…..
This was my first Outside Lands experience, and the show did not disappoint. On top of having an INCREDIBLE line up of phenomenal musical acts and allowing me an opportunity to be front row for Arcade Fire, Muse, The Black Keys, and The Tune-Yards, the festival maintained a tremendous sense of community by giving everyone a true taste of San Francisco.
Most of my afternoons began by heading to the wine tasting tent titled “Wine Lands” which was filled with over 30 different area vineyards for attendees to sample. There were also a plethora of local restaurants scattered about the festival grounds that had set up vendor stands allowing us to sample the local Nor-Cal fare with everything from local organic ice cream and smores, to fried macaroni and cheese.
Staying true to remaining a very “Northern Californian” event, there were ample opportunities to “recycle for points” where you could win camping gear and even a ticket to next year’s festival, as well as specific areas to learn about the benefits of alternative energy, gardening workshops, refillable water stations, and one of the music stages was powered entirely by solar energy.
On top of the ample options of things to do at the festival, everyone in the crowd was there to have a great time and enjoy themselves which set the tone for the weekend. On Friday evening my girlfriend and I even met a random group of local San Franciscans attending the festival who later invited us back to their home that evening for late night food and drinks.
My biggest complaint of the festival was that space was fairly limited considering the size of the crowd. But, despite my impending claustrophobia, I had an amazing weekend and would recommend this festival to just about anyone who likes good music, good food and wine, and good people.
See you there in 2012!
-Drew
Best Band: The Black Keys
Best Winery: Drew
Best Restaurant: Andalu
Some of my shots:
(that's Linda)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed
Simultaneously summarizing their nonchalant, fun attitude and also throwing them into the ‘website-now-hosting-a-music-event’ pool, The A.V. Club of Chicago has announced “Screw it, we’re doing a music festival too.”
To be held outside The Hideout (1354 West Wabansia Avenue) over the weekend of September 10th and 11th, The A.V. Fest will see 12 bands play, including Archers of Loaf, Hum, Tokyo Police Club, Maps and Atlases and more. Below you can check out Maps and Atlases covering Seals & Croft’s Summer Breeze. It’s pretty groovy.
Maps & Atlases cover “Summer Breeze” by Seals & Croft at the Threadless warehouse
Further details are still being announced on the two-day festival, and tickets are not available in advance, seeing as it is held on public streets. But you can RSVP here, and then turn up on the day to pay a suggested $10 donation, part of which will benefit the Rock For Kids charity.
For more info, stay tuned to http://www.avclub.com/fest/
by Lee Jarvis.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed
Moogfest is a yearly festival that celebrates the work of Robert Moog – inventor of musical instruments that vastly altered the process of recording and performing in a range of genres on a global scale. Moog synthesizers are renowned, treasured, hunted, collected, and lusted for worldwide, and first gained notoriety in the late 60s, and went on to feature heavily in legendary musical works by artists such as Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder, and Tangerine Dream.
‘Bob’ Moog, who earned not only a Grammy award for lifetime achievement, but also an honorary doctorate degree from the esteemed Berklee College of Music, spent much of his life in Asheville, North Carolina, the host city of this event for the second year running. His pioneering and visionary work began by producing theremins in the 50s, and progressed onto designing circuits and eventually the modular analog synthesizer, helped by the invention and refinement of the transistor.
The musical entertainment for such an event is a wide offering of influential veterans and new pioneers. Artists include The Flaming Lips, Crystal Castles, Tangerine Dream, Chromeo, Matthew Dear, Gold Panda, Little Dragon, M83, and many more being announced soon. The 2011 festival will take place over the weekend of October 28 – 30 in the city to which Bob Moog called home for his last 30 years, Asheville, NC. Similarly, the musical offerings, a range of venues are planned, which will span traditional and non-tradional spaces all throughout the city center, including the Asheville Civic Center, The Orange Peel, and Diana Wortham Theatre.
Throw into this mix a wealth of options for networking, panel discussions, workshops, impromptu performances, art displays, movie screenings, plus areas where you get to try your hand on Moog gear old and new, and Moogfest is looking like a serious contended for one of the US’s finest music gatherings. Here’s a short summary video of the 2010 fest, to whet your appetite…
Weekend passes have just gone on sale last week, and you can get yours here.
by Lee Jarvis
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed
Summertime has finally reached Chicago, and as if to make it official, the first street fest of the season kicks off this weekend. Do Division is a West Town neighborhood jam that brings in a variety of rising stars and local talent for the weekend of June 4th-5th. The diverse music experience is split between a live stage at either end of the 10 block span, and musicians and acts are selected by the talent bookers at Subterranean, Beat Kitchen and Empty Bottle.
This year sees bands playing indie rock, psych, metal, garage, dance pop and more. Saturday’s bill includes Mira & Thao, Bonobo, CoCoComa, and mashup technicians the Hood Internet. A Place to Bury Strangers, Big Freedia, and local covers outfit This Must Be the Band (A Talking Heads Tribute Band) are included on Sunday’s bill.
The fest is open from noon until 10pm both days, and the music itself kicks of at 1pm on both stages. A $5 donation is requested that will benefit local non-profits.
Check out http://do-divisionstreetfest.com/ for more information.
by Lee Jarvis.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival have just announced their main acts for the 2011 event, to be held in Indio, CA over the weekend of April 15th – 17th. Headling the three nights, are Kings of Leon (Fri), Arcade Fire (Sat) and Kanye West (Sun). Also on the bill, heavy hitters such as The Strokes, The Black Keys and one of 2010′s success stories, Mumford & Sons.
The rumormill has been working overtime in the run up to this one, and even Bob Lefsetz aknowledged on Twitter that the real line-up often seeps out at some point. Having said that, we now have the first official statement, and an authentic schedule from Coachella themselves.
The three day event has always aimed to stand out from other US festivals, and has a great reputation of delivering classic acts to a fun crowd. Last year saw 225,000 music lovers descend upon the campsite, and received great reviews from all involved, even despite flight disruptions due to the recent volcanic eruption.
Three-day weekend passes go on sale this Friday (Jan 21) and are priced at $269.00 (plus surcharges). More details on the camping options and all firther info is available at the Coachella website.
Check out the full line up, and a video of one of the headliners and Music Jobs Team faves, Kings of Leon.
(Header Image & Video: Kings of Leon @ Lollapalooza, Chicago, 2009. (c) Lee Jarvis)
by Lee Jarvis.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed
Legendary music event Sónar is about to venture to the US and hold their first event in Chicago on September 9th, 10th and 11th.
The Barcelona festival has been established for 26 years, and continues to grow, throwing events of “advanced music and multimedia art” at various venues across the European city, every year, during the third week of June. In 2009, they held an event in New York, and having created a positive experience, they are set to launch their first multi-day event in Chicago next month. The objective is “to take the philosophy of the Barcelona festival to the North American city, with all the features that have made Sónar an international touchstone: with an ambitious and high quality line-up featuring plenty of electronic experimentation and its derivations and unusual venues of the highest calibre.” For Chicago, this means that the Jay Pritzker Pavilion (designed by Frank Ghery) and the famous Chicago Cultural Center will host some of that experimental electronic music.
Some of the artists already confirmed are, The Slew (the scratch-rock project led by the wizard on the decks Kid Koala), Oval (a key project in 1990s electronica, featuring Germany’s Markus Popp, back with a new album), the Australian – resident in Iceland – Ben Frost (one of the most acclaimed sonic experimentalists working today), Nosaj Thing (the Los Angeles beatmaker featuring a show with serious visual impact), the Dutchman Martyn (a key name at the techno-dubstep crossroads), Nicolas Bernier + Martin Messier: La Chambre des Machines (a Canadian duo that base their show on rudimentary noise machines from the early twentieth century) and Lesley Flanigan (a New York artist who constructs her music with hand-made instruments and the sounds created by her own voice). The full program is being announced here.
.
.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed
This past weekend I hit the road to Detroit to check out the 10th year of the Electronic Music Festival. Now going by the name of ‘Movement’, the event is three days of electronic techno goodness. All photos (c) Lee Jarvis. All Rights Reserved.
Jamie Jones
.
.
Theo Parrish // Matthew and Richie Hawtin // Josh Wink
Plastikman
.
.
Plastikman // Plastikman //Plastikman
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed
Time Out Chicago have just claimed that a ‘trustworthy industry source’ has given them the lowdown on the Lollapalooza headliners for this upcoming summer’s show. Apparently the main acts will include: Strokes, Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, Green Day, Soundgarden… and Phoenix.
“Aside from Phoenix, all acts had been previously named by Greg Kot on his blog back in February. The French band would take a major leap to the big leagues if this shakes out. Having seem Thomas Mars and co. thrill a packed Aragon, I can see it happening, despite the knee-jerk take that it is not popular enough.
I’m a fan of Phoenix, and their show at Chicago’s Aragon Theatre was very good. It’s thanks to events such as Lollapalooza that the ‘maybe’ headliners get their time at the top of the bill, let alone how many new bands get their first taste of a US festival. Phoenix, made up of four guys from Paris, have enjoyed huge success with their ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’ album; it has been hugely popular here with a wide range of fans, and several of the tracks have been deservedly huge hits. Check out some video here…
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed
It’s my first summer in Chicago, and so my first chance to experience the legendary Lollapalooza. Having recently come back from Glastonbury in the UK, I wasn’t to be daunted by the size and scale of the site, but really like the way they maximised the time and space of Grant Park by having two stages at either end, so as soon as one band finishes, the next one has already sound checked and can start immediately after. You could simply shuffle around, turn and face the other stage and not break from the music for a moment if you so wished.
Friday began… well, wet. Crystal Castles were my first point of call for some electronic-vocoded-rock, and the only reason I left a good set from them was to go and check Fleet Foxes. I’m glad I did, as they put in a great performances, including acoustic numbers and their popular hit ‘Mykonos’. After grabbing a few friends, we headed to Thievery Corporation, and the rainy Chicago sky couldn’t dampen the electric atmosphere and carnival spirit from them and their guest vocalists, including the gorgeous Lou Lou. Beer next, and then a strange performance on the Vitamin Water stage inspired us to get over to the headliners early for a good spot. Kings of Leon were my choice, having been a big fan for a while now. Their ‘Only By the Night’ album shows so much growth within the band, their sound richening and judging by the sales, reaching more diverse crowds and truly breaking them into ‘worthy festival headliner’ territory. A great performance from the whole band, with Caleb’s voice sounding as amazingly gravely as the studio recordings. Although not the official Lolla afterparty, Smart Bar was hosting Dave Pezzner and Mark Farina as part of OM records’ 15 year anniversary celebrations, and so it was our choice of late night haunt. It was also the cause of my late start on Saturday morning, having overdosed on amazing house music til 4am.
I did arrive just in time for the Arctic Monkeys, and just as they were stepping it up a gear, thrashing through their chart successes and getting the (now dry and humid) crowd jumping around nicely. Andy Butler of Hercules and Love Affair was playing a DJ set in the Perry’s garden area. I’ve always been a fan of theirs, and his musical selection was right on the money, with disco rhythms and lush vocals enlivening my tired feet for a while. More friends and more beer led to a sample of Lykke Li and, being a little unimpressed by her, onto Diplo. Diplo blew us away, with his mix of… well, whatever it is people describe Diplo, Switch, Herve and co. as these days. Bass-heavy Fidget, Ragga, Baile Funk, Classic House and more were all thrown into the melting pot to devastating effect on the crowd. With such an epic set, I was ready to head off for a live act, when Bassnectar stepped up to the decks. Within minutes I was blown away yet again, even with the bar set so high by Diplo, the OM Records artist dealt a mixture of rib-cracking Dubstep, Drum and Bass and House to the audience, who were packed in until the very end. The URB warehouse afterparty provided yet more of the same until the wee small hours for all ages of bass-hungry party people.
Sunday saw the sun finally break through, and then beat down on the (estimated) 150,000 Lollapaloozers. The festival organisers responded by handing out thousands of bottles of free cold water, setting up giant fans spraying a fine mist onto public walkways, and the local fire department spraying a not-so-fine mist into the air near the North stages. Top marks for that, and also for the selection of Chicago food available, of which I sampled Connie’s Pizza and Adobo’s Tacos. A great change from the usual greasy fodder offered at shows, and a nice tip-of-the-hat to such a food-loving city. The morning began with the Kaiser Chiefs, followed by a friend’s recommendation of Dan Deacon. Not knowing what to expect was a good thing, as the 30-or-so-piece party orchestra of tubas, guitars, trombones, bongos, laptops and more was a pleasant surprise! Encouraging party games in the crowd during the set was genius too. After getting down to Vampire Weekend, we stayed in the area for a good place at one of my personal highlights, Snoop Dogg. Playing a lot of material from his first album was unexpected, but fantastic for me, being a long-running fan. Getting down gangsta-style with Bert and Ernie was a highlight too. A outstanding hour or so of MSTRKRFT led us into to the headliners of Jane’s Addiction. Being Perry Farrell’s festival, he has played several times over the years, and fully deserves too. He is a great frontman, and Jane’s put on a superb show, each of the band members being talented in their own right. To see them all perform on their ‘home turf’ (they are actually from LA) was a fantastic finale to a blockbuster of a weekend.
Lee Jarvis.
Feel free to check out some Lollapalooza videos at the Lee Jarvis Youtube channel
All photos (c) Lee Jarvis 2009.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed
© Copyright 2012 Music Jobs Ltd | design by Jackfruit 
