 |
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Date: April 24–26; April 30–May 3
Location: New Orleans
Brief: Erykah Badu, James Taylor, Etta James, Common and the O’Jays will be live this year. For all of you old-school lovers, this is the show to attend.
The Verdict: HIT
Capital Jazz Fest 2009
Date: June 5–7
Location: Merriweather Post Pavilion; Columbia, Md.
Brief: En Vogue, Natalie Cole, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, N’Dea Davenport and more will be on hand at this year’s festival. En Vogue lovers will get a special treat as the four original members will reunite: cue hallelujah chorus.
The Verdict: HIT
The Roots Picnic
Date: June 6
Location: Philadelphia
Brief: The Roots, TV on the Radio, The Black Keys, Santigold,
Kid Cudi, Asher Roth and more will drop by the Picnic this year. All of you cyber rap fans should have tons of content to blog about from this one.
The Verdict: HIT
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Date: June 11–14
Location: Manchester, Tenn.
Brief: This huge, popular music festival featuring Snoop, Erykah Badu, Santigold, Girl Talk, Raphael Saadiq, TV On the Radio, Femi Kuti and more, has been a fan favorite for years. If you’re in Tennessee or the surrounding areas, this is a definite must-see, if only for the variety of acts headlining.
The Verdict: HIT
Summerfest
Date: June 25–July 5
Location: Milwaukee, Marcus Amphitheater
Brief: The world’s largest music festival featuring Maze, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Roots, Anthony Hamilton among others this year. Over 700 bands will perform. If you’re into indie acts, this is your paradise. If not, you can probably catch some of the headliners at other festivals.
The Verdict: HIT (but only if you like independent artists and live near Wisconsin).
Essence Music Festival (15-Year Anniversary)
Date: July 3–5
Location: New Orleans
Brief: The 15-year anniversary of Essence Music Festival is sure to be a special one. Beyoncé, En Vogue (with the original members), John Legend, Maxwell, Zap Mama, Ryan Leslie, Jazmine Sullivan, Teena Marie, Maze and more are scheduled to be on hand.
The Verdict: HIT
Pitchfork Music Festival
Date: July 17–19
Location: Union Park, Chicago
Brief: Rapper Pharahoe Monch will be a headliner, with more acts to be announced. There’s also a rumor circulating that OutKast may make a special appearance.
The Verdict: The jury is still out on this one for this year. But, if 2009’s Pitchfork is anything like past years, this is a good festival to hit.
