2008 Summer Festival Update!

Hold your horses, festival fiends. This summer is packed with lineups that’ll leave everyone from your little grandma to your little sister surfing the crowd and begging for more. Check out the scene below for dates, originally scheduled acts, and recent gig additions.

Hold your horses, festival fiends. This summer is packed with lineups that’ll leave everyone from your little grandma to your little sister surfing the crowd and begging for more. Check out the scene below for dates, originally scheduled acts, and recent gig additions. 

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival:
Manchester, Tenn.
June 12-15George, Wash.
May 24-26United States of America, the National, and Stephen Malkmus. And who could forget the Flight of the Conchords? That’s right, everyone’s favorite New Zealand duo will also be gracing Sasquatch!’s main stage this year. It’s “business time!” Rothbury, Mich.
July 3-6West Michigan town, but the lineup continues to expand. Originally scheduled headliners include Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Widespread Panic, and Snoop Dogg, and it will also feature performances from Modest Mouse, Michael Franti & Spearhead, the Black Keys, and many others. Chicago, Ill.
August 1-3

AC Entertainment and Superfly Productions, creators of this yearly favorite, recently had to make some changes to the 2008 lineup. Though they were scheduled as Saturday’s headliners, the Allman Brothers Band unfortunately had to cancel their appearance due to health issues afflicting founding member Greg Allman. According to a press release, the group has been forced to scrap a number of shows in recent weeks while Allman recovers from side effects of treatment for the Hepatitis C virus.

As Bonnaroo veterans will agree, however, expectations remain high. Jam-band icons Widespread Panic have been added to close-out this year’s festival, marking their 7th Bonnaroo appearance. Right on the heels of the band’s hugely successful album Free Somehow, released in February, the guys “hope to have plenty of surprises for the fans… Bonnaroo is always a blast.” Jack Johnson, originally scheduled as the Sunday headliner and festival-closer, has been moved to the Allman’s original slot on Saturday night. He’ll close out the day just prior to Pearl Jam’s performance.

Aside from AS favorites the Avett Brothers and Vampire Weekend, originally announced acts also include My Morning Jacket, Iron and Wine, Gogol Bordello and Robert Randolph’s Revival. Other recent additions include Les Claypool, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, Superdrag, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Adele, Grand Ole Party and the Postelles. Don’t have your ticket yet? Find one Here.

Sasquatch! Music Festival:

The Sasquatch! monster was spotted early this season, and the American Songwriter news team managed to catch a glimpse before it scampered back into the forest. Again the season’s destination for any live alt-rock mega-fan, this year’s headliners will include newly recharged superstars R.E.M., freshly energized in the wake of hit album Accelerate, released in March. The Flaming Lips and the Cure will also be headlining.

The lineup also features acts by Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, the Presidents of the

Certified as Carbon Neutral by Sustainable Energy Partners, this festival is all green, baby. Find tickets Here.

Rothbury Music Festival:

The first installment of this massive, environmentally conscious celebration is set for the Double JJ Ranch in the small

A dozen more acts were added in mid-April, including Iron and Wine singer/songwriter Sam Beam and albino rapper Brother Ali. Other recently-added acts include Atmosphere, Steel Pulse, the Wailers, Ingird Michaelson, Perpetual Groove, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Boombox, Greensky Bluegrass, Trampled by Turtles and Four Finger Five.

The festival will feature more than 70 acts performing on multiple stages over four days, and with it’s “green theme,” it also aims for environmental sustainability and zero waste production. Find tickets here.

Lollapalooza Music Festival:

No introduction needed, here – plan for another unforgettable pop celebration, this time with some ’90s flavor. Headliners include Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West, Wilco and the Raconteurs. Also on the docket are performances by Gnarles Barkley, Bloc Party, the Black Keys, Cat Power, Broken Social Scene, Lupe Fiasco, the National, G. Love & Special Sauce, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, and many more. More information and tickets available here.

As the bunny says, that’s all for now, folks. Keep checking the American Songwriter newsroom for festival developments. Watch for bluegrass and country summer festival updates, coming soon!