We’re days away from the longest day of the year and the official astronomic start to the summer season. With warm weather kicking in and school letting out, we’ve already our phasers to fun. For all intents and purposes, summer’s already here, baby! And as you cobble together plans for the next few months, allow us to throw a few more into the mix.
There’s an absolute embarrassment of festival riches this year. We’ve combed the listings and compiled a sampling of outstanding performance events in hopes that you’ll find something that’s a great match for your discriminating tastes:
1. Bonnaroo. Kicking off June 10 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn., Bonnaroo will bring to various stages more than 150 musical acts representing the rich diversity of America’s musical landscape. The Bonnaroo bench is deep indeed, with the four-day fest featuring the likes of Jay-Z, Tenacious D, the Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder and dozens more greats from the worlds of rock, hip-hop, jazz, electronica and stuff grown from the deepest possible roots in Americana.
2. Shakespeare in the Park and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Perhaps it’s The Bard more than bass lines and beats that serves as your cup of tea. Lucky for you, then, that even four centuries following his time, William Shakespeare and his enduring works can still pack a house, and we have a pair of well-established events situated on either coast that celebrate his works through live performances. Whether at the June and July event in New York City’s Central Park or at the Ashland, Ore. event which stretches through nearly nine months of the year, there’s ample chance to revel some of the most significant classical theater experiences imaginable.
3. CMA Music Festival. Also kicking off on June 10 is the Country Music Association’s celebration of homespun sounds that goes through Sunday, June 13. Taking place in Nashville in light of recent flooding, the 2010 CMA Festival will feature performances from Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and legions of other country music stars.
4. Sweden Rock Festival. Living overseas? Or in possession of a slew of frequent flier miles and an urge to get away in a very big way? You still have time to get in on the Sweden Rock Fest action. Currently happening in Solvesborg through Saturday June 12, this guitar-fueled Scandinavian throwdown offers performances by Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses and Slayer. Mullets and lighters to raise overhead optional; horns-of-devil hand gesturing compulsory.
5. Summer Stage. Just getting started earlier this week but lasting throughout this glorious season is New York City’s Summer Stage, who celebrates the event’s 25th anniversary with its 2010 lineup of musical and theatrical performances. Theater, dance, poetry and a jazz festival named for alto saxophone luminary Charlie Parker all fall under the umbrella of this Big Apple offering of arts and performances that reflect and celebrate the world’s cultures and traditions.
6. Lollapalooza. If getting to Chicago during early August is within your reach, you may wish to take in one of the biggest and most significant of the recently-arrived crop of annual musical festivals. Set to take place in the city’s legendary Grant Park during Aug. 6-8, the 2010 roster of performers will include Lady Gaga, Green Day, The Strokes and Soundgarden. Those with a penchant for ’80s new wave nostalgia may enjoy the scheduled performace by Devo.
7. Essence Music Festival. Head on down to The Big Easy during July 2-4 for the Essence magazine-sponsored celebration of African American music and culture. Held annually in New Orleans (save for a one-time relocation to Houston following Hurricane Katrina), Essence Fest as it’s called by those in-the-know is scheduled to offer up live performances by Jill Scott, Janet Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire and dozens others from pop, soul, hip-hop and jazz in an energized and electrifying manner that the city is known and loved for doing so consistently well.
8. Pitchfork Music Festival. Chicago’s Union Park will be home base for one of the country’s top events featuring independent artists. Set to take place July 16-18, the fifth annual event sponsored by indie music website Pitchfork Media boasts a three-day performance roster set to include shows by Modest Mouse, LCD Soundsystem and Pavement.
9. Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. Long before irrigation made possible the splendor of green that we now know as Golden Gate Park, this part of the San Francisco’s Sunset neighborhood was an expanse of uninhabitable sand dunes. With a mix of music, art, food and wine (and a good West Coast dose of environmental sensibility to boot), Outside Lands 2010 is set for Aug. 14-15 with a jam-packed two-day concert calendar that includes The Strokes, My Morning Jacket and soul legend Al Green.
10. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. If the first weekend in October strikes you as pushing the boundaries of summer too far, then you’ll just have to treat yourself to the experience of what San Francisco is like just as fall officially hits. Hitting its 10th year in 2010, HSB has arguably developed into one of the nation’s most compelling annual music events. And thanks to the deep love for bluegrass combined with astonishing generosity, the event has remained absolutely free, owing to the largesse of venture capitalist Warren Hellman. While you can expect to take in acoustic virtuosity emblematic of the bluegrass genre, count on some surprises as well. While Alison Krauss, Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris make regular appearances year after year, the multi-stage event in Golden Gate Park has seen Steve Martin arrive with banjo in tow, and Elvis Costello, Billy Bragg and Los Lobos among others help put the hardly into the hardly strictly of it all.
Photo by Ryankindelan via Wikimedia Commons.