Best of 2009: Music Festivals

So it’s only the middle of October and you’re probably asking yourself, “Why am I seeing a ‘Best of’ list when the year isn’t even finished?” Well first off, I’ve never done “Best of the Year” lists on my blog, so I’m feeling pretty anxious at the moment to get this stuff out there. Planning has begun for huge collections of many “Best of” lists to come. I felt it’d only be appropriate to release the best of festivals list first, seeing that all the big outdoor festivals have come and gone already. Keep in mind that all of the lists you will see on this blog are strictly personal opinions, but I’d love to hear any thoughts or comments you have. So without further adieu, I present to you my choices for the “Top 5 Outdoor Music Festivals of 2009.”

5. Austin City Limits Music Festival (October 8-10, Austin, TX)

Not good for a city dubbed “The Live Music Capital of the World.” I’ve seen much better lineups from ACL in the past, and I was quite disappointed with this year’s lineup. I’m sure a great time was had by all even with the rains; Zilker Park is absolutely beautiful this time of year, especially with the Austin skyline hanging in the backdrop. As far as festivals with aftershows go, I’m sure ACL sits right at the top of the list. The city is just packed with great music clubs (Stubb’s, La Zona Rosa, Emo’s, Antone’s, to name a few), which see some of the hottest bands around on an almost weekly basis year round.

First 20 Names on the Lineup:
Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ghostland Observatory, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, John Legend, The Dead Weather, The Levon Helm Band, Sonic Youth, Mos Def, Toadies, Flogging Molly, The B-52′s, Lily Allen, Citizen Cope, Arctic Monkeys, The Decemberists, Coheed and Cambria

4. Rothbury Festival (July 2-5, Rothbury, MI)

The smallest of all the festivals on my list, as well as the newest festival on my list. Only in its second year, Rothbury has acted as an alternative to Bonnaroo, bringing in about 30,000-40,000 people. Call it “the new/old Bonnaroo” if you will, as community, spirit, and eco-consciousness play a big part in making this festival what it is. Taking place every year on Fourth of July weekend, Rothbury is surrounded by the beautiful forests and lakes of the Double JJ Ranch.

First 20 Names on the Lineup:
The Dead, Bob Dylan and His Band, String Cheese Incident, Willie Nelson & Family, The Black Crowes, Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley & Nas, STS9, G. Love & Special Sauce, Gov’t Mule, Umphrey’s McGee, Broken Social Scene, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Disco Biscuits, Les Claypool, Cold War Kids, John Butler, Chromeo, Keller Williams, Ani DiFranco, MSTRKRFT

3. Lollapalooza (August 7-9, Chicago, IL)

ACL and Lolla promoter, C3 Presents, may have put all their eggs in one basket this year, as it would appear that they may have put more focus into Lolla this year, rather than divvied up the lineups between the two. They did a magnificent job with this lineup here, not only because it’s top-heavy, but the full lineup features a number of great bands from the past, as well as the next great bands of tomorrow.

First 20 Names on the Lineup:
Depeche Mode, Tool, The Killers, Jane’s Addiction, Kings of Leon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lou Reed, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, Snoop Dogg, Rise Against, Andrew Bird, TV on the Radio, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists, Neko Case, STS9, Animal Collective, Band of Horses, of Montreal

2. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (April 17-19, Indio, CA)

Coming in at a close second, is Coachella. Even with a Beatle, Morrissey, a reunited My Bloody Valentine and a rare performance from folk legend, Leonard Cohen, I still think that Coachella doesn’t have quite enough to top the spirit, atmosphere and community of my number one pick. Coachella may bring in a lot more people, and they may be famous for reuniting bands and bringing in acts who wouldn’t dare fly to a small town in Tennessee, but what Coachella lacks is a sense of community and diversity in its lineup.

First 20 Names on the Lineup:
Paul McCartney, The Killers, The Cure, Morrissey, M.I.A., My Bloody Valentine, Franz Ferdinand, Thievery Corporation, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Leonard Cohen, The Chemical Brothers, Throbbing Gristle, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, TV on the Radio, Lupe Fiasco, Beirut, Band of Horses, Paul Weller, The Black Keys, Fleet Foxes

1. Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival (June 11-14, Manchester, TN)

If you know me or have been following my blog for awhile, then you’re probably not surprised that my pick for Festival of the Year goes to Bonnaroo. So I’m a little bias when it comes to this festival, but I can honestly say that even if I hadn’t attended this year, I would’ve still considered it the best of the year based strictly on the lineup. But it’s not just the music that makes Bonnaroo great; it begins with an empty 700-acre farm in the middle of nowhere that is transformed into a small village overnight. Say what you will about Bonnaroo changing direction of its jamband roots, but had Bonnaroo never made this change, the festival may not have lasted, nor would it continually be considered one of the top festivals in the country.

First 20 Names on the Lineup:
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Phish, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne, Wilco, Al Green, Snoop Dogg, Elvis Costello, Erykah Badu, Paul Oakenfold, Ben Harper and Relentless7, The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, MGMT, moe., Public Enemy, Andrew Bird, Band of Horses

Top 3 Guest Appearances:
1. Bruce Springsteen joined Phish on Sunday night for three songs: “Mustang Sally”, “Bobby Jean” and “Glory Days.”
2. Elvis Costello was backed by Jenny Lewis and her band.
3. Erykah Badu joined Snoop Dogg on Sunday afternoon for “Lodi Dodi.”

Daily Notes:
Thursday: The theme for day one was certainly torrential rains, but the audience would come together, feeding off of an unexplained energy source from the storms, especially during energetic, synth-fueled, dancing sets from Chairlift and Passion Pit.
Friday: Just the first full day of the festival, and this night would contain some of the most anticipated acts of the entire weekend: Phish, David Byrne, the Beastie Boys, TV on the Radio and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Saturday: The biggest news early on in the day was that Jimmy Buffett would be joining Ilo and the Coral Reefer Allstars onstage at noon, turning a portion of the Bonnaroo farm into Margaritaville.
Sunday: As always the festival seems to go by much too quickly, but it was certainly going to finish strong, as Phish would be playing another show, and we still had shows to come from Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Band of Horses and Andrew Bird.

Most Memorable Song:
Bon Iver’s “The Wolves (Act I & II)”
Whenever I want to go back and relive Bonnaroo in my head, the first thing I always think of was this moment in particular. It’s a song that demands audience participation towards the end, and even in the middle of a hot afternoon, Justin Vernon and his band found a way to rally the troops, bringing together about 5,000 people crammed inside a tent who provided background vocals for the song.