If you went outside this week you know that summer is on its way. There really isn’t a spring season in St. Louis. Every year the weather seems to skip straight from winter to summer. (There’s not much of a fall either, but who’s counting.) Temperatures are on their tiptoes this week, reaching for the glorious 80s. And as anyone who has spent a summer in the ‘Lou knows, it won’t stop at 80. Obviously it’s time to take a look at that most integral part of the season: the summer festival.
Summer music festivals have been an American mainstay for decades. From outdoor symphony performances to Woodstockian clusterfucks such as Bonnaroo, the summer music festival ranges from the mundane to the monstrous. Recently, every jamband with a countable fanbase has hopped on the festival bandwagon. The result is a gathering every weekend of the summer, and what some fear is festival overload.
This year’s biggies are Jazz Fest in New Orleans and Music Midtown in Atlanta of course, Bonnaroo, Hobstock, 10,000 Lakes, It, and High Sierra. Superfly, the production company behind Bonnaroo, recently announced Bonnaroo NE, much to the relief of all those New Englanders shut out when Bonnaroo tickets sold out. Phish announced that they will be returning to the legendary Loring Airforce Base in Limestone, Maine, for It, a weekend festival featuring three sets of Phish each day. Hobstock is Mississippi’s answer to Bonnaroo; no word yet on how those tickets are selling. 10,000 Lakes features Widespread Panic and the Allman Brothers Band in the relatively cool comfort of Minnesota. High Sierra is the most reputable of the bunch, a massive West Coast offering, second only to Coachella if you prefer the rock scene to the jamband thing.
Then there are the second tier festivals from West Virginia to Washington. Smilefest, Hookah-ville, All Good, Old Settler’s, the Big Wu Family Reunion, the Disco Biscuits’ Camp Bisco, Salmonfest, the Creekside Jamboree and then some. Lots of second tier festivals are sponsored by one band such as the Big Wu or the Disco Biscuits, but feature loads of others from Soulive to Robert Walter’s 20th Congress to Yonder Mountain String Band. There are themed festivals such as Scottypaluza 8.0 Intergalactic Space Carnival or the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, then there are others that pay no mind to genre or theme.
If the biggies are too big and the second tiers too confusing and too numerous to choose from, you could always support your own and hit the regional festivals. Even though the Midwest is hotter than hell in the summer, the Ozarks et al. offer some cool spots and some great campgrounds perfect for throwing festivals. For example, there’s Summer Camp in neighboring Illinois, only a short drive from St. Louis and featuring Umphrey’s McGee, Particle, Keller Williams, moe., and the Jazz Man-dolin Project. There’s at least three Schwagstocks every summer, featuring Dead and Allman Brothers covers, vendors, drugs, and a crazy scene. The festival I’m most sad to miss this summer is of course the Euphio Campout, which takes place the first weekend in August while I’m still abroad soaking up soleil. (Sublet my apartment!) The Euphio Campout features Bockman’s Euphio of course, and a host of other great regional bands from Speakeasy to Eckobase.
No matter where you go this summer, chances are there’s a festival for you. You can play it up or keep it small, but either way, be sure to play it, and play it loud.

Live music is live art. Be a part of it.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 1st, 2003 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Cadenza. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.