If this semester wasn’t flying by already, class registration is now upon us! This may mean we are one step closer to finals, but we are also one step closer to summer concerts! The Midwest, alone, is home to a variety of festivals that showcase pure talent. Of course we all love downloading a great song on our IPods, but there is nothing like the atmosphere and experience of seeing your favorite bands live. Here are some of the great line-ups ahead of us this summer.
Summer Camp
Summer Camp Music Festival is held in Chillicothe, IL every Memorial Day weekend. Since 2001, this music festival has brought an eclectic mix of artists to its stages in Three Sisters Park. The original festival in 2001 had about 1,000 attendees with over 20 bands on two stages; today the crowd has grown to over 15,000 attendees with more than 100 bands and 6 stages. This year the festival will have headliners like Pretty Light and Primus. With ticket prices at $174.20 for a 3-day pass this festival is a perfect addition to your summer concert calendar! For the full line-up visit their website: http://summercampfestival.com/lineup/
Pitchfork
Pitchfork is a music festival that is there for the audience. The goal of the festival is to “create a reasonably priced summer music festival that provides an overwhelmingly positive, comfortable and fun festival experience for both attendees and musicians.” We salute you Pitchfork! This indie inspired concert series is held in Chicago, IL. in Chicago’s Union Park July 13-15. A 3-day pass is about $110.00, making it one of the cheapest summer festival tickets on our list! Artists performing this summer include: Dirty Projectors, Vampire Weekend, and Chavez. For more information and line-up information visit their website at http://pitchfork.com/festivals/chicago/2012/
Lollapalooza
This Chicago Music Festival was started in 1991 by Jane’s Addiction front man Perry Farrell. Since then, this musical festival has grown into one of the largest in the country. Each year in August, Grant Park, Chicago is overcome by concert-goers who are never disappointed by the musical experience and atmosphere of the festival. I have been to this concert, and I firmly believe it is something everyone should experience. The line-up has not been posted, but there have been leaks on twitter and across Chicago land hinting that there may be a Beyonce appearance this year. I will leave you to research all the juicy leaks. To check out what when down last year and to buy your 3 day pass ($230.00) you can visit: http://www.lollapalooza.com/
Country Thunder
For all you country lovers out there, Country Thunder is the best way to see all your favorite artists all in one weekend! This festival in Twin Lakes, WI brings out more than 100,000 fans each year to celebrate country music. The festival allows for camping right on the grounds, which ultimately turns this 4-day festival into one extremely long and large party. Headliners this year include Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and East Corbin. This year the festival takes place June 6-10 for $140.00 per 4-day pass. With these headliners, the tickets are guaranteeing a great time! For more information visit their website: http://wisconsin.countrythunder.com/
These are a few of the great summer music festivals that will be bringing diverse music to a number of stages. There are so many others that will be taking place this summer that it is hard to pick a select few to add to your calendar. Try your best to pinch your pennies to get a ticket to at least one of these or any of the other great events taking place in the summer!