Wow this year is FLYING by, I can’t believe it’s already May! With that we get that hot hot heat in Vegas and what better than some new tunes to listen to. This month it’s a mix of some well known groups (so much great music release recently) as well as time to introduce you to some more new acts. I hope you enjoy and find some new favorites along the way.
Reason number 6,798 why I love Vegas; getting to wake up in my own city after seeing a marathon of Coachella performers in my own backyard and not having to camp out. More specifically, this week, seeing 90% of the shows at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The entertainment team at the property does an awesome job scooping up the Coachella talent for plays in Vegas and it leaves me very happy.
It all started on Wednesday night for Portugal. The Man and Tegan and Sara. PTM never disappoint and even with a short set (they were the openers) it was still a great one. Tegan and Sara definitely played to their market and left fans beaming with excitement.
Thursday night the crowd was on rocking for Johnny Marr and New Order. In what was essentially a flashback to my days as a child, this show was awesome and getting a chance to see such legends before they put down the microphone was something I’m super thankful I had the chance to do.
Friday, Friday, Friday!! Sadly I missed Tanlines (ugh, so bummed) but Vampire Weekend quickly made that disappear as they came out firing and had the crowd in their grasp the entire show. I don’t know about anyone else but I freaking love “Diane Young” and can’t wait to hear the new album. Later that night, it was off to see one of my favorite DJs, Benny Benassi at Marquee and the place was stupid packed with revelers.
Saturday I dropped by to support some friends at Mix 94.1 during their Pet-a-palooza which featured music by Youngblood Hawke! Fun little afternoon retreat and a LOT of dogs! At night it was the evening I had been most excited about for a long time. Finally it was my chance to see Deap Vally! If you don’t know who these two gals are, you need to like yesterday. I may have been one of about 50 people rocking out to them but I didn’t care because these chicks are a page out of Black Sabbath, The White Stripes and the likes. After warming up the stage it was time for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and what a show it was. Jenny O, simply awesome and owned the crowd with a righteous performance spanning the YYY’s catalog of songs.
So yeah, no fun at all this past week! And to think I’m taking a break, not so fast. Monday it’s Beach House, Tuesday it’s The xx, Wednesday it’s Local Natives and Of Monsters and Men, Thursday Hot Chip, Friday The Postal Service and Saturday Band of Horses. May try to squeeze in a country show too (yes, I’m serious).
Viva La Musica!!
Check out some rocking photos from my friend and rock and roll photographer, Erik Kabik.
This morning Outside Lands released their lineup for the festival taking place at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, August 10-12.
Not a bad lineup at all with Stevie Wonder, Metallica and NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE (how can you not be stoked about this?!). Plus Dispatch, Of Monsters and Men, Sigur Ros, The Kills, Bloc Party, Die Antwoord, Alabama Shakes, White Denim, Allen Stone, Electric Guest and Michael Kiwanuka; going to be a solid three days in SF.
Tickets go on sale Thursday at noon PST. If you are within a two hour plane ride of SF, no reason why you shouldn’t be booking tickets now, with all this great talent slated to perform in one of the best cities in the US.
Stevie Wonder, Metallica, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Jack White, Foo Fighters, Beck, Skrillex, Sigur Ros, Justice, Norah Jones, Dispatch, The Kills, Regina Spektor, Passion Pit, Andrew Bird, Grandaddy, Big Boi, Bloc Party, Explosions In The Sky, Franz Ferdinand, Mstrkrft, Rebelution, Die Antwoord, Fitz and The Tantrums, Portugal. The Man, Amadou & Mariam, Wolfgang Gartner, Fun., Dr. Dog, The Walkmen, Washed Out, City and Colour, Two Gallants, Of Monsters and Men, Mimosa, Alabama Shakes, Reggie Watts, Trampled By Turtles, Tame Impala, Jovanotti, The Be Good Tanyas, Geographer, Sharon Van Etten, Yacht, Sean Hayes, Bomba Estereo, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Big Gigantic, Thee Oh Sees, Wallpaper, Tennis, Zola Jesus, White Denim, Allen Stone, The M Machine, Michael Kiwanuka, Tanlines, Father John Misty, Electric Guest, Caveman, Yellow Ostrich, Papa, Honey Island Swamp Band, Animal Kingdom.
Finally the Bonnaroo schedule has been released! Click HERE to take a look. As expected when the schedule came out, there are many many conflicts and overlaps with artists and set times. Of course for me there are the staple artists that are marked as must sees (Widespread Panic, String Cheese Incident, Buffalo Springfield, Mumford & Sons, Gregg Allman, Robert Plant, G. Love, The Black Keys, Warren Haynes, etc.) and after that, time to figure out the rest. Who knows, my ideal schedule today may end up being completely different when I arrive. All I know is there is a ton of great music and I can’t wait to be surrounded by 90,000 of my new closest friends.
Lollapalooza released the 20th anniversary line-up today and while there are definitely a handful of artists making the summer festival rounds, I think they did a great job when you look at the line-up from top to bottom. Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay and Muse as your headliners are definitely four big ones you can’t argue. Now personally as I contemplate making the trip, I’m excited about so many of these bands and quite frankly too many to list but (and trying to take out the artists I’m planning to see at Bonnaroo) Ween, Crystal Castles, Local Natives, The Kills, White Lies, Two Door Cinema Club, Delta Spirit, Sleigh Bells and Chicago’s own Smith Westerns. Plus Fitz & The Tantrums, Noah & The Whale, Tinie Tempah, The Vaccines, Foster The People, The Naked and Famous, Friendly Fires, Young The Giant, The Joy Formidable, Afrojack, Collie Buddz, Pretty Lights and a whole lot more. August 5-7 in one of the greatest cities in the world should be quite the music scene. At $215.00 for three days of an insane amount of music, seems like a heck of a deal to me.
Full line-up below.
We are 49 days away from Bonnaroo!! Since I’m claiming it as a holiday, here are 49 Reasons to look forward to Bonnaroo June 9-12.
49. Saying you are going to Tennessee just sounds so good
48. GIVERS are going to be going Up! Up! Up! after playing the festival
47. Bonnaroo Buzz from Ben & Jerry’s
46. Getting a chance to hear an amazing talent in Bobby Long
45. A good excuse to go buy galoshes
44. Justin’s Maple Almond Butter packets in tow
43. Donald Glover is part of the comedy line-up
42. Getting a chance to see The Band of Heathens live!
41. The legend, Henry Rollins
40. “Let’s Go Surfing” by The Drums
39. Mud sliding during and after the rain
38. Sonic Stage
37. Florence Welch – I can’t wait to see her perform
36. Grace Potter
35. Matt & Kim’s intro music (Beastie Boys – “No Sleep Til Brooklyn”) and they’re fun live
34. Check out the works on display at the Poster Art Exhibit
33. Portugal. The Man
32. The cinema but only if The Big Lebowski or My Blue Heaven are playing
31. Listening to Ryan Bingham play tracks off Mescalito, his first album
30. Since Jimmy Fallon announced the initial line-up maybe hope that he and The Roots show-up as a surprise guests
29. Old Crow Medicine Show belt out “Wagon Wheel”
28. Les Claypool
27. Checking out Eminem to see if he reaches way back and busts out D12 “Purple Pills”
26. The Black Keys rock out (I’ve been blown away by their performances twice this year already)
25. Grammy Winners Arcade Fire play yet another festival as a headliner and after years on the smaller stages
24. Getting down with Galactic
23. Late night with Bootsy Collins
22. A chance to see The Decemberists before the pack it in
21. Planet Roo
20. The only way I’ll see Lil Wayne because I know I wouldn’t buy a ticket to just his concert
19. Have you ever seen Ray LaMontagne live?
18. Austin’s Finest – Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
17. The Silent Disco
16. Listen to blues music with G. Love
15. Lewis Black, nuff said
14. Party into the night with Girl Talk
13. Seeing the sun rise
12. Mumford & Sons play their largest show to date
11. The honor of seeing Mr. Robert Plant live
10. Hearing Warren Haynes play “Soulshine”
9. One more time to see Gregg Allman before it’s too late
8. Superjam
7. Late night with Dr. John and the Original Meters
6. Surprise performances that are sure to be in store this year
5. Celebrate 25 years of Widespread Panic
4. Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Bonnaroo
3. String Cheese Incident do their thing
2. In my lifetime getting a chance to see Buffalo Springfield perform live
1. Four days listening to music and camping with great friends
Of course there are a whole lot more than 49 reasons to look forward to Bonnaroo so feel free to drop yours in the comment section below.
Do You Hear The Music? 