The counter-culture farmyard playground of Woodstock came to an end before most college-age students’ parents were even of college age. Though Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jerry Garcia’s festival performances ended after two short days in 1969, Woodstock creators Michael Lang, John Roberts, Joel Rosenman and Artie Kornfeld’s idea for the open air legendary concert has prompted several nationwide music festivals.
This summer, an array of outdoor music festivals offer a brief escape from the highly competitive internship and job world. With hundreds of thousands of festival-goers, an environment where drugs are practically legal, and no showers, you might just forget about the need to achieve.
Rose Sirna, a senior, plans on making a second appearance at Summerfest in Milwaukee. She said, “Last year I went to [Summerfest] to see Kanye [West] and ended up listening to a great jazz band.”
Summerfest this year will take place June 26 to July 6, headlined by the Stone Temple Pilots. Other acts scheduled to appear include Stevie Wonder, John Mayer and the Steve Miller Band.
The Summerfest Web site offers a list of the ideal equipment to bring on your retreat from civilization. But Sirna said there are a few items that the site leaves out.
“Bring sunscreen, ear plugs and clothes you don’t care if beer is spilled on,” she said.
Another summer music festival, Bonnaroo, is taking place on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn., reminiscent of Max B. Yasgur’s 600-acre dairy farm that was used for Woodstock.
Boasting a lineup that includes Pearl Jam, Metallica, and Kanye West, the four-day event will be held June 12 to 15.
Adam Charness, a junior who has attended Bonnaroo, as well as Starscape, Warped Tour and Ultra, said that Miami’s own Ultra is by far his favorite.
“It was the best music festival I have gone to and I would definitely go again,” he said.
Ultra, which is affiliated with the Winter Music Conference, celebrated its 10th anniversary March 28 to 29. Acts such as Tiesto, Justice (exclusive to WMC) and The Bravery played on the main stage.
Whitney Roux, a senior who has attended Bonnaroo, Langerado, and Coachella says Coachella is her personal favorite.
“It may be in the middle of the desert and like 100 degrees, but it’s the hippest place to be all summer,” she said.
Coachella will take place April 25 in California with feature acts Jack Johnson, The Verve, Prince and Fatboy Slim.
As for what to bring, Roux added, “sunscreen, Kleenex packs, drugs and a good hat.”
Still another chance to forget about the perils of work this summer takes form in the well-known Lollapalooza. The event plans to attract festival enthusiasts with their “vision of being a musical, cultural, community experience.” The event will take place Aug. 1 to 3 in Chicago, with main acts Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Wilco, Gnarls Barkley and Nine Inch Nails.
Meanwhile, for those summering in Seattle, Bumbershoot, taking place from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, will host Beck, the Stone Temple Pilots, and Neko Case, among others.
Finally, for the hip-hop heads, Rock the Bells will be going on its national tour again this year. This year’s lineup includes A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, Nas, De La Soul, Mos Def and Wale, among others. The tour will include 10 stops, including a stop at Miami on Aug. 2.
For some, music festivals may prove to be a monumental experience. But if living outdoors with hundreds of thousands of people for a few days is not your idea of a good time, several standard concert tours will launch this summer. Pearl Jam, Radiohead and the Stone Temple Pilots all have concerts coming to Miami, as well as the rest of the country.
So this summer, all you need to regress into a ’60s flower child, or at least free yourself for a few hours, are a few easily obtained items, and a ticket to ride.
Jenny Presser-Kroll may be contacted at j.presserkroll@umiami.edu.
Upcoming Miami concerts
Thrice: April 29 @ Revolution Live
Santana: April 30 @ Hard Rock Live
Eric Clapton: May 5 @ Hard Rock Live
Radiohead: May 6 @ Cruzan Amphitheatre
Kanye West w/ Lupe Fiasco and Rihanna: May 6 @ American Airlines Arena
Tim McGraw: May 10 @ Cruzan Amphitheatre
Aventura: May 17 @ American Airlines Arena
Duran Duran: May 19 @ Mizner Park
Erykah Badu w/ The Roots: May 20 @ Mizner Park
Lynyrd Skynyrd: May 23 @ Mizner Park
Steve Miller: May 24 @ Cruzan Amphitheatre