WHEN: 2 weekends, April 13–15 and April 20–22
WHERE: Indio, CA (2 hours outside of Los Angeles)
WHO BE PLAYIN': Headliners are The Black Keys, Radiohead and Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg; also slated to play are Bon Iver, M83, Pulp, AVICII, Florence + the Machine and many more
PROS:
• The biggest, best acts in the world will be there
• The organizers have a knack for bringing in great up–and–coming acts
• Really diverse lineup will please pretty much anyone
CONS:
• It's really crowded, and getting there via car means a lot of traffic
• It's hard to find good accommodations that don't cost a fortune
• It's in the desert, which is hot. Really, really hot.
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Bonaroo
WHERE: Manchester, TN
WHO BE PLAYIN': Headliners are Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Phish. The festival will feature hipster darling Bon Iver, as well as The Avett Brothers, The Shins and Foster the People.
PROS:
• If you aren't into the rock–heady headliners, there's always The Roots, Das Racist and Scrillex
• A great comedy line–up including Aziz Ansari
• Two words: silent disco (YouTube it)
CONS:
• No showers, save for a giant mushroom–shaped fountain in which festival–goers periodically bathe
• Unbearably hot temperatures all weekend
• Manchester is literally in the middle of nowhere, which means Bonnaroo is basically like hippie summer camp. Make of that what you will.
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Lollapalooza
WHERE: Grant Park in Chicago, IL
WHO BE PLAYIN': Lineup not yet announced; last year's headliners were Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay and Muse.
PROS:
• It's in Chicago, which means no camping or excessive driving
• Usually has a nice balance of well–established and brand–spanking–new acts
• Has its own farmers' market and a bunch of local food vendors
CONS:
• Ticket prices are a bit hefty — three–day passes are $215
• You can't camp out, which means crashing with a friend or paying for lodging
• The line–up hasn't been announced and tickets sell out quickly
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Pitchfork
WHERE: Union Park in Chicago, IL
WHO BE PLAYIN': Announced acts include Vampire Weekend, Feist, Hot Chip, Grimes and others (more to be announced soon)
PROS:
• You’ll be exposed to stuff you haven’t heard of, and it’ll probably be awesome
• It’s incredibly affordable — only $115 for a three–day pass
CONS:
• Don't expect to know more than half the line–up. In other words, Girl Talk and AVICII will certainly not be gracing Union Park this summer
• There's definitely a lack of diversity — pretty much everything is
pitchfork.com–approved
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Outside Lands
WHERE: Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA
WHO BE PLAYIN': Lineup not yet announced; last year’s headliners were the The Shins, Muse and Arcade Fire
PROS:
• Golden Gate Park is an ideal venue. It's gorgeous, green wilderness that's also right in the middle of a city
• A bargain compared to other festivals — $200 for three days of solid music
• Great gourmet food options from top S.F. restaurants and a wine–tasting area
CONS:
• Small festival grounds means it gets crowded pretty quickly
• Long walks between stages mean you may have some tough choices to make when it comes to time conflicts
• S.F. hotels are notoriously pricey, so try to find a couch to crash on
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Sasquatch
WHERE: The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington
WHO BE PLAYIN': Headliners are Jack White, Beck and Bon Iver. Other acts include Pretty Lights, Beirut, Girl Talk and a DJ set with James Murphy.
PROS:
• The Gorge Amphitheatre is a huge, scenic outdoor venue on a beautiful river
• It's four days long, so you get some bang for your buck
• The $315 four–day pass includes camping fees
CONS:
• Four days would be enough to tire out any festival–goer
• With so many acts, it could be tough to figure out who to see, and time conflicts abound
• Some of the line–up is pretty obscure, so research is a pre–req
