Photo of the day: Bonnaroo fountain

by Elizabeth Seward on

The time for music festivals is sneaking upon us and Bonnaroo is one of the top festivals
every summer. Bonnaroo takes place in Manchester, Tennessee every June. Multiple stages host both mainstream and emerging bands. Artists set up shop throughout the Bonnaroo grounds. Delicious local and organic food is served. And, alas, a giant mushroom spitting water acts as a cleansing landmark for all Bonnaroo attendees. The mushroom fountain takes a different form each year, sometimes sporting neon colors and sometimes more simple colors, but no matter what, it’s something you can’t miss at Bonnaroo.

This photo of the Bonnaroo fountain was shot during Bonnaroo 2010 by photographer Ben Britz. Want us to feature one of your photos for photo of the day? Upload your shots to the Gadling Flickr Pool.

Photo by: Ben Britz

Get into the groove: Summer’s best music festivals

by Gadling Staff on

Nothing says summer like backyard barbecues, the beach and live music. Spend a steamy summer night under the stars listening to your favorite band, or commit a weekend to rocking out at some of the best music festivals around the country. Here are a few of our favorites:

Delfest is a blue grass festival masterminded held in Cumberland, Maryland. The McCoury family – who have been in the business of blue grass for 50 years – started the festival. This family friendly weekend festival is organized by High Sierra.

All Good: A bit more “crunchy” than some festivals, All Good is a nitty-gritty atmosphere with stellar musical acts. They really have a great vibe at Marvin’s Mountaintop, West Virginia, and you’ll really get back to your roots here!

Gathering of the Vibes: The Gathering is great, especially since they moved it to Bridgeport Connecticut. The location is great for biker riders, like me, because it has sidewalks throughout the festival ground, and the Vibes family has built quite a community of vendors and fun morsels for their concert goers.

Camp Bisco: Camp Bisco is at the Indian Lookout in Mariahville, New York, where the Gathering of the Vibes used to be held, which is a great location. This intense, electronica-jam festival is now in it’s 9th year, and is certainly one to catch if you are in the area.

Philadelphia Folk Fest: The “mother” of all folk festivals, this festival is in it’s 49th year! Just outside the city of brotherly love, this festival has great acts, a family friendly atmosphere, and lots and lots of craft vendors. So if you are looking to let loose to some down-home sounds, this festival is a great way to cap off the festival season here on the East Coast!

Mayan Holidaze: Previously called “Caribbean Holidaze” this is the cream of the crop of festivals for anyone who loves to travel. The previous years, it has been held in Jamaica, and this year they have moved it to beautiful Mexico, right in the middle of the Mayan temples! Put on by the Disco Biscuits and Umphrey’s McGee, this is a decadent festival that will leave lasting memories. This has to be, hands down, one of the best festivals I have ever been too, and it’s held in January, so you can save all year to make it there!

Bonnaroo: There is almost no way I could talk about festivals without mentioning one of the country’s biggest. Bonnaroo is a playground for adults who love music of all genres. The musical mix boasts something for everyone, so even your pickiest friends would have a blast at this one. And with attendance being around 100,000 per year, you will feel the energy surging all weekend!

— The above was written by Billie Nichols, Seed contributor.


The Great South Bay Music Festival is held in Patchogue, NY, July 9-11. Local artists drive this scene and deliver an eclectic blend of rock, folk, jazz and reggae, with Robert Randolph and the Family Band headlining this year. Family friendly scene as well, there’s even a dog tent.

Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic happens in Bee Cave, Texas, and it’s as easy-going as a backyard barbecue. Grab a hot dog, a cold Lone Star Beer and listen to Willie’s deft finger-picking, dust kickin’ good time country swing. Driving a few days from either coast to Willie’s own backyard to for the festival? That’s America.

Jerry Fest, the annual music tribute to Grateful Dead great Jerry Garcia, takes place Aug. 6-7 in Mountain Springs, Shartlesville, PA. An entire weekend devoted to the life and music of Jerry Garcia includes nature walks, jam bands, bluegrass weirdness and more, all for $35.

Lollapalooza descends on Chicago Aug. 6 – 8. Perry Farrell, the Godfather of the modern fest, has found a home for his circus tent. Pearl Jam, Ice Cube, Beck, Neil Young and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers have all killed it in the past. Soundgarden, Green Day and MGMT this year? Historic.

Lake Champlain Bluegrass Festival in Vermont happens Aug. 12 -15, and is one of the finest down home American roots music festivals in New England. Of note this year are the Mad Mountain Scramblers, absolutely kickin’ it with that “high lonesome sound.”

Celebrating Brooklyn, the annual party in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, features a varied and esteemed summer-long lineup in one of the area’s most pristine open spaces. Highlights will include The Dead Weather, Buena Vista Social Club, The Roots, The National and of course, the inimitable Sonic Youth who, for some reason, really go for broke outdoors in the heat.

Burning Man takes place in Black Rock Desert Aug. 30-Sept. 6. Located approximately 120 miles north of Reno, Nevada, this festival is for the truly extraordinary. You don’t go to Burning Man. You become Burning Man. Don’t expect to be the same – ever.

— The above was written by Drew Moss, Seed contributor.


Rock Fest Cadott: Heralded as the biggest music festival in Wisconsin each year, Rock Fest has never been a disappointment. With incredible line-ups featuring some of the biggest names in Rock ‘n’ Roll. Along with the great local accommodations, Rock Fest offers a spectacular festival venue. Last year there were over 25,000 people in attendance.

Rock Jam Mack: Colorado Rock Jam is the largest Rock ‘n’ Roll music festival in Colorado. Known to draw crowds of up to 10,000+ fans each day of the event, it is unlike any other Rock ‘n’ roll festival on the planet. Rock Jam offers two days of great music and lots of local campsite as well as hotels available for those looking for accommodations.

Abbey Road On The River Louisville: Nothing can compare to the experience of attending the worlds largest Beatles tribute festival. Throughout the festival’s four days, fans of the Beatles band together to experience something that is truly unforgettable. For any Beatles fan this is the ultimate event. Many cover bands perform, as well as other world famous musicians.

— The above was written by Benjamin Ray Williams, Seed contributor.

Fuse & Twix want to send you and ten of your friends to Bonnaroo 2010

by Scott Carmichael on

Summer is for music festivals – and music festivals don’t get much better than the Bonnaroo music & arts festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Rolling Stone called Bonnaroo the “ultimate over the top summer festival”.

This year, the festival will host the Dave Matthews Band, the Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder, Conan O’Brien, Tori Amos, Mumford and Sons and about 150 other amazing performers.

Now, part of the fun of a summer festival is of course pitching your tent and roughing it out – but if you’d like to visit Bonnaroo with a little more luxury, Fuse and Twix have put together the “Keys to the Barn” sweepstakes. With a prize package worth well over $10,000, you and ten of your friends will be flown to Bonnaroo where you’ll sleep in the Fuze and Twix (air conditioned) barn for three nights. They’ll also throw in a meet and greet with a band, $500 in spending money and all the Twix products you and your friends can eat.

Entering is simple – head on over to the Fuse TV contest web site and fill in the form. Best of luck, you have till midnight May 19th to enter.

Gadling’s guide to Summer music

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Summer. Music. Could any two words in the English language possibly go so well together? There’s just something about warm weather that makes you want to be outside, bare feet touching soft grass and dirt underfoot, hands in the cool night air, eardrums fluttering to the vibrations of a strumming guitar.

And aside from Summer, what could go better with music than travel? Whatever your favorite genre, this season is prime time to catch some of the best live performances you’ll see all year. So what if nothing good is playing near your hometown? Jump in the car or book that cheap plane ticket. Music is just the excuse you’re looking for to get out on the road. From the smallest local city festivals, to the giant multi-headliner events now dotting the country (and the world), it’s time to start making some travel arrangements to catch your favorite band.

We won’t pretend to list out every music festival and event going on this summer – there’s way too many. But we’ve been to our fair share of good ones – and we know what’s worth the trip. Grab those earplugs and stop making those Free Bird requests, Gadling is bringing you our picks of this Summer’s best music events, both in your backyard and around the world.
International Festivals
There are some music events so incredibly epic, bringing together so many great bands, and unique performers in such unique settings, that they’re worth a trip halfway across the globe. That’s not to mention peculiar quirks of the local crowd. What better way to meet the locals than your shared love for Metallica? The international festivals below are definitely worth your money’s worth:

  • Sonar Festival – Barcelona, Spain (June 19-21) – the cutting edge Sonar Festival, hosted in one of Europe’s most dynamic cities, brings together multimedia art and music for three days of decidedly high-tech fun and dancing. This year’s festival features big names like M.I.A. and Justice. Did we mention the city is on a beach for when you get tired of the party?
  • Glastonbury – Glastonbury, England (June 27-29) – Glastonbury has long been known as one the one the premier festivals in England, if not the world, offering a huge lineup of some of pop music’s up-and-comers as well as established superstars. This year promises a similar showing, featuring hip-hop star Jay-Z, singer songwriter Leonard Cohen and bands like indie-rockers The National marquee acts such as Franz Ferdinand, Q Tip and Bruce Springsteen
  • Gnaoua Festival – Essaouira, Morocco (June 26-29) – if your musical tastes run towards the more esoteric and global, consider a trip to Morocco’s Gnaoua Festival, held each year in the lazy seaside village of Essaouira. Gnawa is type of music indigenous to Northern Africa, characterized by its soulful chanting and acrobatic dancing. As if a visit to the whitewashed town of Essaouira wasn’t reward enough, you’ll bear witness to some of the most amazing musicians from across sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Roskilde Festival – Roskilde, Denmark (July 3-6) – Denmark is not exactly a hot spot when you think of great musical events, but the annual Roskilde Festival is proof the Danes really know what they’re talking about. This year brings yet another killer lineup including uber-rockers Radiohead and Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West, Lucinda Williams, and many others.

U.S. Festivals
Alright, so the Spanish music festival is out of your budget this year. That’s not a problem really – live music is practically a birthright of American citizens, guaranteeing that each summer you’ll find a heap of great musicians touring at a concert hall or ampitheater near you. To help you figure out what to check out, we’ve broken down some of our favorites based on geography: East Coast, West and Central. Take a look:

  • EAST COAST – All Points West, New York, NY (July 31- August 2) – brought to you by the same team that pulls together the annual Coachella Festival in Indio, CA, New York City’s All Points West Festival is now entering its second year. Much as you’d expect from a sister festival to the excellent Coachella, All Points West brings in top-notch talent like the Beastie Boys and MGMT to a gorgeous waterfront park facing the Statue of Liberty.
  • CENTRAL – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, TN (June 12-15) – many people wondered what was going on when a new festival was first announced in 2002 on a 700 acre farm in Tennessee. But the detractors have long since been silenced by Bonnaroo, now one of the country’s most famous music festivals. 2009 brings yet another eclectic and stellar lineup headlined by Bruce Springsteen, Snoop Dogg, Phish and Wilco.
  • CENTRAL – Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL (August 7-9) – consider Lollapalooza as the grandfather of national music festivals. It’s been around longer than just about every other major Summer festival around, originally created by Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell way back in 1991. The fact Lollapalooza no longer tours the country each Summer also works to your advantage – the festival now permanently resides in wonderful Summer climes of Chicago. Headliners this year include Depeche Mode, Kings of Leon and The Killers.
  • WEST – Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride, CO (June 18-21) – you know you have a good thing going when your festival has been ongoing for 36 years. That’s exactly the advantage of the long-running Telluride Bluegrass Festival, a celebration of a distinctly American musical style nestled in the scenic heights of the Rocky Mountains. This year’s lineup includes a diverse roster of performers including David Byrne, Elvis Costello as well as old favorites like Jerry Douglas.

Ready for an encore? We only had space to list a few of our favorite summer musical events here. What did we miss? Have a favorite festival you think we should know about? Leave us your thoughts in the comments and there very well may be a Summer music roundup “Part II” in the near future.