Remember when being a hipster was...unique? Spotting a beard in the wild was a truly memorable, if not once-in-a-lifetime event, worthy of a Valencia-filtered pic on Instagram. Now, everyone and their mom has a beard. Music festivals seem to have followed that same path. It used to be Lollapalooza and Lilith Fair, and you had to travel to like...Chicago or some such city just to catch Sarah MacLaughlin sing about her latest cause or whatever. And now? Now, there's a new music festival popping up every weekend in cities that even rail-riding hobos wouldn't bother to stop in.
Chances are, if you're a living, breathing, CO2-producing, sentient being, you're at least planning on going to a music festival. Check out my choices for summer music festivals and bands, as well as some summer-inspired music festival art for you to rock on your favorite DBH T-Shirts, tanks and racerbacks. Shop the Music Festival Collection!
Music Festival Pro Tip: Don't be this guy:
Capitol Hill Block Party (Seattle, WA)Aside from the fact that Seattle is awesome, I have to put Capitol Hill Block Party right up there on the list. The festival takes place in the streets, smack dab in the Capitol Hill hood. Don't forget to hit Cha-Cha for some Rainiers, then grab a bite at Linda's in the morning.Highlights include: Ratatat, TV on the Radio, The Kills, Father John Misty, Andy says: Flatbush Zombies, Shannon and the Clams, Built to Spill, The Coathangers
Lollapalooza (Chicago, IL)Yeah, Lollapalooza is a mainstay in the festival world. This year's lineup is a fantastic mix of old and new, and I'll take any chance I get to see Metallica.Highlights include: Paul McCartney, alt-J, Alabama Shakes, A$AP Rocky, The War on DrugsAndy says: Metallica, Gary Clark Jr., Albert Hammond Jr., Chet Faker, Death From Above 1979
Outside Lands (San Francisco, CA)Located in Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands is probably one of my favorite festivals to attend. Besides the amazing setting and friendly people, it's really hard to get a bad view of any of the stages. Highlights include: Wilco, The Black Keys, Kendrick Lamar, Elton John, Sam Smith, D'AngeloAndy says: St. Vincent, Leon Bridges, Mac Demarco, Langhorne Slim, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Allah-Las
Wrecking Ball (Atlanta, GA)Wrecking Ball is basically all of my high school musical fantasies come true. Plus it's in Atlanta, which is in Georgia, which is a state I've had a lot of great times in. Only problem: It's gonna be hot. Like, real-real hot. Hit that water bottle, and hit it hard.Highlights include: (See Andy says'¦)Andy says: Descendents, Get Up Kids, Lawrence Arms, Desaparecidos, American Nightmare, Cave In, et al.
FYF (Los Angeles, CA)Yeah, they seemed to have issues last year, and yeah, a lot of people complained about the layout. But I have a feeling the folks at FYF will have everything worked out this year. Especially because the lineup is absolutely bonkers.Highlights include: Frank Ocean, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Run The JewelsAndy says: MORRISSEY, BLOC PARTY, Dinosaur Jr., Cold Cave, Belle & Sebastian, Andrew Jackson Jihad
TBD Fest (Sacramento, CA)I chose this one because it's close to DBH headquarters. I also chose this one because the lineups get better and better every year. The folks at TBD Fest know how to put on a good show, and this year looks to continue that trend. Plus, the Black Lips are one of the best live bands you'll ever see.Highlights include: Tears For Fears, Cut Copy, Tyler, the Creator, Chance the RapperAndy says: Chromeo, Death Grips, A-Trak, Mobb Deep, Black Lips
Riot Fest (Denver, CO)Riot Fest has been putting on great festivals since the beginning. They have three locations every year, and each lineup is slightly different. I had to go with Denver this year.Highlights include: Iggy Pop, Ice Cube, Modest Mouse, Pixies, The Prodigy, Snoop Dogg, Tenacious DAndy says: Motorhead, Death Grips, Black Lips, American Nightmare, Alkaline Trio, Drive Like Jehu, Eagles of Death Metal, Explosions in the Sky, GZA, De La Soul
Austin City Limits & Fun Fun Fun Fest (Austin, TX)I have a proposition for you: Let's rent out an AirBnB from the beginning of October through early November. We'll start by hitting Austin City Limits and end with Fun Fun Fun Fest. We'll eat a ton of great BBQ and drink a bunch of Lone Star in between. Deal?Highlights include: Foo Fighters, Drake, The Decemberists, A$AP Rocky, Wu Tang Clan, Cheap TrickAndy says: The Strokes, Sturgill Simpson, Dwight Yoakam, Run The Jewels, Kurt Vile, Houndmouth, Albert Hammond Jr., Waxahatchee, Wu Tang Clan, Chromeo, Schoolboy Q, Gogol Bordello, Drive Like Jehu, Antemasque, MSTRKRFT, American Nightmare, Converge, Joey Bada$$, Afrika Bambaataa, Head Wound City, Andrew Jackson Jihad, et al.