Stonehenge Solstice Celebrations

by Willy Volk on

Broadly speaking, summer solstice — the longest day of the year, in the northern hemisphere, at least — is a time to celebrate the arrival of warm weather; the impending harvest; and — for some — the birds and the bees. Perhaps more than any other place on earth, summer solstice is associated with Stonehenge and Druids.

I don’t know if the all people who celebrate summer solstice at Stonehenge today are Druids — they look a lot the hippies I went to college with — but their celebrations look like fun. Generally speaking, they feature a lot of dancing and singing and didgeridoo’ing and jumping around. There’s some standing around, too, waiting for the sun to rise. It looks something like this:
But it also looks somewhat more peaceful, serene — and even mystical. Here’s a two-part series showing the celebrations. This is probably more what I had in mind when I think “summer solstice” and “Stonehenge.” Part I:
Part II:
Thee guys are definitely NOT Druids — or hippies:

This happens, too — but I don’t know why the revelers need to be naked:
If you put the right kind of music on, the celebration seems more mystical:

I’m not sure how “mystical” the event is, though:
In the end, a lot of people show up — including King Arthur!

Santa Barbara’s Summer Solstice Celebration

by Willy Volk on

This Thursday, June 21, is the Summer Solstice (or June Solstice, or Northern Solstice, or whatever you want to call it). The fact is, Thursday is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Since most of us will be toiling at work on that long day, the organizers of the Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Celebration wisely decided to schedule their solstice celebration for Saturday, June 23. Sure, the day is a tad bit shorter — but Saturdays just feel more like party-days, don’t they?

Begun in 1974, today the Parade is the largest, single-day arts event in Santa Barbara County, drawing crowds of over 100,000 spectators from around the world. The theme of the Celebration for 2007 is “Stars.”

In addition to a parade — which features 1000+ starry-eyed participants, extravagant star-shaped floats, and whimsical star-inspired costumes — the event sports a festival with lots of star-themed crafts and food (star fruit, anyone?). Want an idea of what the event is like? Check the gallery of images from the past few years.

Sounds like fun: I’ll give it a gold star.

[Thanks, Michelle!]

A Canadian in Beijing: Summer Ice Skating

by Ember Swift on

Here it is the heat of summer in Beijing and I found myself on ice skates last night. I looked down at the ice rolling under my skate blades in the “You Yi Shopping City” mall ice rink last night and I laughed out loud. I was wearing a light shirt and jeans and the sweat was dripping down my back. Ice skating in the summertime? I don’t think this Canadian has ever been skating without mittens on her hands! China, I keep forgetting how inventive you are!

Last night, a group of us went to a local mall to strap on skates and make some circles around the rink. It was a standard ice rink just like the ones back home, but this one was in the middle of a huge shopping mall – one of the largest in Beijing – and it’s not the only ice rink found in a mall in this city. In fact, naïve me thought that only our famous “West Edmonton Mall” in Canada had ever thought of such a crazy idea. Turns out, thanks to a quick chat with my Quebecois friends who came along, that there’s one in a mall in Montreal too. So, I guess it’s not so rare after all . . .

When we arrived, we descended down giant escalators into a wide walkway and saw gallery style railings that looked down and into the ice rink. People leaned over these railings all evening, intermittently watching the skating from above. I did the same for a moment before going down yet another set of escalators into the skating area.

Choosing skates was the first adventure. I don’t use figure skates because I’m more comfortable in hockey skates. When I asked for hockey skates, the overwhelming response was “Are you sure? They’re dangerous!” I assured the staff and my Chinese friend that I was sure and was reluctantly handed the skates without picks on the blades. It seems as though this choice is more rare here in China, especially for a woman. I explained that I thought it was more dangerous for me to have the picks on the ends of the blades because I’m not used to them and they catch the ice and could tip me forward. It all depends on experience, I suppose.

We all sat down and strapped our skates on and I was excited. It’s not every day that I get to go skating and, even though I live one hour from the longest skating rink in the world (Ottawa’s Rideau Canal), I did not make it into Ottawa for a skating day this winter. I love to skate but I had to go to Beijing to find the time!

My skates were laced and done up long before anyone else’s. I took to the ice and took a few loops to gather back my comfort on blades. I love the feeling of ice beneath me. It’s such a powerful sound, too, that slick scrape of skate blades on frozen water. The very pitch of that sound is nostalgic. Then, when I get the rhythm under me, I feel like I’m flying on the ice the way flying sometimes feels in a dream state. It’s as though you’re being carried along and not actually generating the flight, like the way your hand will catch and ride the wind when you dangle it out your car window while driving.

Like surfing the air.

I suddenly realized that I was daydreaming and ignoring my friends then, and so I went back to check in on them to find out why they were taking so long. There were some size confusions with the skates and then lots of switching between hockey skates and figure skates going on. All of my friends that came with me are male, but all but one settled on figure skates in the end.

It’s very common for men to skate with figure skates here. It’s very unusual back home, in my experience, unless they are training to be figure skaters. In fact, in Canada, I’m ashamed to say that as kids we used to differentiate hockey skates and figure skates as boys’ skates and girls’ skates, respectively. I no longer see it this way, of course, knowing that many women (like me) prefer hockey skates and/or play ice sports and many men (of all sexual orientations!) are accomplished figure skaters. Still, I realized last night that these assumptions are still in me when I found myself marvelling at all the boys in figure skates being so beautiful and graceful with their turns and spins while I roughly cut and scraped the ice at top speed, racing between people and wishing I had a hockey stick and a puck to chase.

Stereotypes are meant to be broken.

When I looked up at the posters hanging from the upper railings around the rink, I saw a maple leaf almost immediately. A picture of a local hockey team showed the kids wearing hockey jerseys with various NHL team logos. One of the kids in the front row was sporting a Montreal Canadiens jersey. I definitely felt at home in that moment and quietly complimented the photographer on placing that kid in the front row. Of all the teams to feature, I’d say that was a good choice!

There were many little kids on the ice as well — some who looked no more than four years old — and several were being coached in certain techniques by professional skaters. The center of the ice was being used as training areas as were the corner circles, thus making it necessary to skate a bit slower in order to avoid collision with the little ones. Speed could be increased as it got later, though. By around nine o’clock, the rink was clearing out and we had the last half an hour with lots of free space to mess around and practise tricks and have some races.

I had a great time. It was an unusual outing, for sure, but I enjoyed the exercise and the challenge of trying to remember how to skate backwards in a circle. The skills we learn as kids stay in our limbs, I believe, and I found my body recalling the movements and finding the steadiness bit by bit. I’ll have to go back and keep practising!

When we left, it was closing time at 9:30. Some of my friends spent most of their time off the ice, but everyone tried to skate, at least, and we all put on our shoes again in a good mood.

With the piped in Muzak still ringing in our ears, we watched the rink staff rolling large silver coverings onto the ice not unlike those used in the windshields of cars in the summertime to protect one’s interior from overheating. No zamboni and so I imagine that this technique enables the rink to maintain its frozen state, like a cooler. Still, I wonder how they do smooth the surface again? Perhaps the zamboni comes out in the mornings? I have no idea.

I woke up this morning with sore muscles and a bit of homesickness for Canada. Next year, I’m not going to miss the canal. That’s a promise to myself.

And I’ll be sure not to forget my mittens.

A Canadian in Beijing: Being a Tourist at the Summer Palace

by Ember Swift on

I’ve been here for six weeks now and I’ve barely been a tourist. I’ve never been much of a tourist, really, seeing as most of my travelling has been related to my music (i.e. work), but I did imagine that I would do more “tourist-y” things while here in Beijing than I have. That dawned on me this week when I realized that I am half-way through my trip and I have yet to take the bus just ten minutes down the road to check out a major tourist attraction and historic landmark:

The Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan Gong Yuan)

Today, my friend David and I hopped the #726 bus from outside of the university and we headed for the site with cameras in hand. I slathered on the sunscreen (despite the hazy skies) and we geared up to be tourists for once, agreeing to rent the self-guided tour headsets and buy the tourist guides. I even declared that this would be the first occasion that I would buy postcards from the relentless vendors. And so I did. (Successfully bargaining down from 20 kuai to 5 kuai for a package of 10, I might add!)

When we got to the site, it began to rain. It didn’t last long, however, and the freshness in the air combined with the expanse of green (and therefore, oxygen) that surrounds this gorgeous landmark made the air feel light in my lungs. I breathed deeply. Even with the slight chill in the air, I was certain that a bit of cool rain was going to be good for my health.

We bought our tickets, maps and rented our headsets and then started the tour by following our noses, almost ignoring the maps altogether. We went through the east gates and turned right first, finding ourselves walking through beautiful gardens and mounting the “Longevity Hill.” This took us up to a beautiful pagoda that overlooked the grounds. Here, we could see the Kunming Lake and the tips of several other ornate pagodas and towers.

The headsets were configured to sense where you were and then provide a brief history lesson about your surroundings while you’re there. The contraption dangled around our necks like backstage passes and the headset fit on one ear. I felt like a security staff person or something and we laughed at the fact that our sensors were spaced differently so that suddenly mine would start talking when Dave’s hadn’t registered yet. It made for some awkward conversation stoppers. I’d have to interrupt what he was saying with: “oops, uh, someone’s talkin’ in my ear again! Sorry!” and then try to concentrate on what was being said.

We found that most of the content of this self-guided tour was replicated on the signs which were written in both English and Chinese. Still, I didn’t mind the storytelling. For just $40 kuai (less than $6 Canadian), I got the luxury of not having to push my way to the front of the crowd to read every sign.

One of the most magnificent structures was the “Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha” which stretches 41 metres high and is a three-storied octagonal building with four tiers of eaves. The headsets told us that successfully ascending the one-hundred steps leading up to the tower would represent a long life of at least one-hundred years. Since we had come upon this tower from the opposite side, I wondered if descending these steps would have the opposite effect. Let’s hope not!

We walked down them and eventually found ourselves next to the water’s edge and the “Long Corridor.” This is a raised, covered walkway that enabled the Emperor and then the Empress Dowager to walk along the lake without risking the elements. It stretches 728 metres long with 14,000 pictures painted on its ceiling. They are magnificent pictures full of exquisite detail and intricate designs. It is known as the longest painted gallery in the world.

Of course we followed this corridor to its end where we found the stone “boat” pavilion, a structure that was used for leisure and entertainment purposes that looks like a boat but is made entirely of marble and stone — definitely not gearing to float away anytime soon! Behind this ironic relic, we decided to cross over the water by the stone bridge to find out what was on the other side.

What stretched before us then were some of the most beautiful trees I have seen in a long time, the oldest willow and mulberry trees in the Beijing area. The willows were first planted during Qian Long’s reign (1735-1796) and nineteen of these trees still remain. I was touched to see evidence of preservation efforts; a crew was working on one tree while we passed and some of the other trees were propped up with permanent braces as though their age had crippled them and they need canes to stand upright. It struck me as a merciful sight.

On either side of this stone walkway were waterways that were breathtaking. Small inlets with lotus flowers on the right-side or the wide expanse of the Kunming Lake stretching back towards the palace buildings on the left. Small bridges with intricate stone carvings and wide steps. Everything was so beautiful that it was hard not to photograph something new with every step.

It was about here that I started to get really tired. We had walked endlessly and the beauty was remarkable, but I was losing my ability to concentrate and take any more in. We hopped in a boat that took (weary) people across the lake rather than having to walk around and then we checked out just a few more buildings that we’d missed in the beginning before returning our headsets and heading home.

One of the last buildings we entered was one that housed an old car that was bought for the Empress Dowager and is purported to be an early Benz. It was surrounded by four rickshaws and on display behind iron bars. On the other side of this room were several personal items of the Empress Dowager’s including her famous portrait and a few pianos and pieces of furniture.

Two young girls on either side of these displays stood in period costumes including (what appeared to be) extremely uncomfortable high-heeled shoes. They had wide headdresses and looked gorgeous in their outfits, but their eyes were tired and bored and I wanted to take them by the hand and lead them out of there. What a job to have to stand there and be beautiful all day, smiling for photographs and pacing slowly behind iron bars! Of course, I didn’t take their pictures. I smiled at them with a look of sympathy and I received a flash of appreciation from one of the girls, as though she registered my meaning. I wish I’d had something to offer them, but all I could give them was my shy retreat and the silent respect of a lowered camera lens.

When we hopped in a cab for “home,” I was ready for a long nap – being a tourist is exhausting! I highly recommend seeing this landmark, though, because it felt like a moment of countryside in the middle of a bustling city. It’s wonderful that Beijing has preserved such a stunning site. The Summer Palace should definitely be on your list of places to see if you’re passing through Beijing.


(This is us posing before the famous statue of the Bronz Ox, said to be the controller of floods. It was cast during Qian Long’s reign, 1735-1796.)

Gadling’s Massively Huge 2007 Summer Music Festival Roundup

by Justin Glow on

Welcome to Gadling’s massively huge 2007 summer music festival round-up! This is the definitive guide to music festivals from around the world, from Serbia to Japan, Ireland to Kansas — we’ve highlighted 33 of the world’s best. No matter where you’re traveling to this summer, there’s sure to be a fest to suit your musical tastes. Let’s go!


Pinkpop, May 26-28, Landgraaf, Netherlands. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this three day event is the oldest annual music festival in the world, with almost 40 years under its belt. The 2007 lineup includes Marilyn Manson, Iggy and the Stooges, The Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, and Scissor Sisters. [Official website]

Primavera Sound Festival, May 31-June1, Barcelona, Spain. Located on the beautiful Mediterranean coastline of Barcelona, the Primavera Sound Festival boasts an impressive headlining act including the likes of Wilco, The White Stripes, Sonic Youth, and a personal favorite of mine: Of Montreal. [Official website]



Gods of Metal, June 2-3, and June 30th, Milan, Italy. With a name like GODS OF METAL, how can you go wrong? This is Italy’s largest and loudest metal festival, featuring bands like Mötley Crüe, Velvet Revolver, Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, Megadeth, and Type O Negative. [Official website]

Sweden Rock Festival, June 6-9, Sölvesborg, Sweden. The Sweden Rock Fest has been around since the early 90s, when the stage was mostly filled with Swedish bands. Today the festival has gone international, offering up such class acts as Aerosmith, Meat Loaf, REO Speedwagon, and Motörhead. [Official website]

Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival, June 7-10, Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A. Wakarusa is a newcomer on the festival circuit — the four day festival, which was born in 2004 and is held just outside of Lawrence, Kansas at Clinton State Park, features a jam band-focused lineup consisting of headliners Les Claypool, Widespread Panic, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Yonder Mountain String Band, and many, many more. [Official website]

Bonnaroo Music Festival, June 14-17, Manchester, Tennessee, U.S.A. The word “bonnaroo” is Cajun slang meaning “a really good time,” and with the star-studded lineup this year, the festival stays true to its word. What began in 2002 as a mostly jam band festival, Bonnaroo has branched out to include music from all genres, and this year is no different. Headliners include The Police, Tool, Widespread Panic, Wilco, and The Flaming Lips. [Official website]

Hultsfred Festival, June 14-16, Hultsfred, Sweden. The Hultsfred Festival (Hultsfredsfestivalen in Swedish) is an annual, three day event which began in 1986. The wildly diverse bill includes Ozzy Osbourne, 50 Cent, Pet Shop Boys, and Korn. [Official website]

Bang Your Head!!!, June 22-23, Balingen, Germany. Die ultimative Rock und Metalparty, Bang Your Head!!! began in 1996 and quickly grew to become one of Germany’s premiere underground metal festivals, bringing in audiences from all over the world. 2007 will see bands like Heaven and Hell, Edguy, Hammerfall, and Amon Amarth. [Official website]

Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, June 22-24, Pilton, England. Glastonbury is the “largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world,” with over 150,000 people sprawling over 900 acres (in 2005). Unless you’ve already got tickets to this monstrosity, you’re out of luck. The show has completely sold out, well before they’ve even announced the full lineup. You can bet it will be big, though. [Official website]

Hellfest Summer Open Air, June 22-24, Clisson, France. Hellfest is an “extreme music” festival located in Clisson, France. Korn, Slayer, Dream Theater, and Megadeth lead the lineup, with plenty of other bands with crazy, hard-to-read logos there for support. Running an “extreme music” festival in rural France isn’t easy, though, and the organizers urge concert-goers to “respect the residents, the community, the environment and all other aspects of the festival,” and to “help combat prejudices and media propaganda who portray metal heads as violent, blood-thirsty demons who revel in black masses.” Looks like they’re on the right track. [Official website]

Hovefestivalen, June 26-30, near Arendal, Norway. This festival is the only one on the list that takes place on an island: Tromøy, formally occupied by vikings. This summer, over 20,000 people will shipwreck themselves to see many great bands, including Bright Eyes, Arcade Fire, Chamillionaire, The Killers, My Chemical Romance, and Slayer. Also of note, they bill themselves as the most “environmentally sound festivals in Norway.” [Official site]

Peace & Love, June 26-30, Borlänge, Sweden. Peace & Love is one of Scandinavian’s fastest growing festivals. Their goal is to spread the message of “Diversity, Solidarity and Understanding,” while mixing in music, poetry, theater, and art. Iggy and the Stooges, Alice Cooper, Babyshambles, and many others will be there to help spread the message. Wait… peace and love, and… Peter Doherty? We’ll see about that. [Official website]

Eurockéennes de Belfort, June 29-July 1, near Belfort, France. The Eurockeennes has been held at the peninsula of Malsaucy near Belfort, France for the past 18 years. This year the Wu-Tang Clan, Arcade Fire, and Marilyn Manson headline the event described as being “a hullabaloo of different musical style[s.]” [Official website]

Open’er Festival, June 29-July 1, Gdynia, Poland. This Heineken-sponsored music fest takes place on the Babie Doły military airport grounds in an “urban complex” called Trójmiasto (which roughly translates to “3-City”) which consists of — you guessed it — three cities: Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot. Beastie Boys, Björk, Muse, The Roots, Sonic Youth, Bloc Party, LCD Soundsystem, Groove Armada, and Dizzee Rascal will all be in attendance. Killer lineup. [Official website]


Roskilde Festival, July 5-8, Roskilde, Denmark. Second only to Glastonbury Festival in size, the Roskilde festival is one of Europe’s largest, with over 100,000 attendees last year alone. The festival also features a “Naked Race” each year, where an even number of guys and gals strip off their clothing and run laps around a track. Why? Why not? Two winners — one male and one female — are comped at next year’s festival. Musically speaking, Muse, The Who, Beastie Boys, The Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queens of the Stone Age and Björk will all be in attendance. Nude people and great bands — what else do you need? [Official website]

Evolution Festival, July 7, Florence, Italy. Who knew Italians loved metal so much? With Gods of Metal in June, and Evolution in July, metal-heads have no reason to leave Italy this summer. Fans of Sebastian Bach, this is your lucky day — literally: Evolution takes place on 7/7/07, and aside from seeing everyone’s favorite Skid Row, the festival is bringing in underground metal acts from all over the world, including Nevermore, Sodom, Cynic, and Virgin Steele. Be afraid. [Official website]

Oxegen, July 7-8, County Kildare, Ireland. Oxegen is another fest sponsored by Heineken (Open’er in Poland also serves the green-bottled goodness), only this one is in Ireland. This makes you wonder why they don’t have a certain other beer company’s support. Guinness, where ya at? Turns out, Guinness used to sponsor the show. I’m sure there’s a good story as to why Heineken took over. Anyway, the festival boasts six stages, camping areas, and carnival rides. And the music, right — the music! Air, Bright Eyes, Muse, Interpol, Bloc Party, Daft Punk, and a TON more will be making an appearance. [Official website]

Dour Festival, July 12-15, Dour, Belgium. Pronounced dow-er (don’t lose any scene points for saying the name wrong!), this huge music fest in Belgium saw upwards of 130,000 people over four days in 2006. This year Andy C, Hot Chip, Wu-Tang Clan, and DJ Shadow are included in the list of headlining acts.

Masters of Rock, July 12-15, Zlín, Czech Republic. Look, another heavy metal festival in Europe. This one’s big, though — real big. Masters of Rock is the second largest heavy metal fest (out of 10,000, it seems!) with almost 30,000 headbangers in attendance in 2006. Motörhead, Children of Bodom, Rage, and Sepultura are on the bill, along with a ton of smaller Czeck heavy metal bands.

EXIT, July 12-15, Novi Sad, Serbia. Head a little further east, and you’ll run into the 7th annual EXIT summer fest in Novi Sad, Serbia. Watch out, Heineken. Beck’s has their hands all over this one. “Held in the picturesque setting of an eighteenth century fortress by the Danube,” the festival boasts the hottest names in the electronic and dance music scene, including Basement Jaxx (another personal favorite of mine), John Digweed, and Richie Hawtin, along with pop music mainstays like the Beastie Boys, Wu-Tang Clan, and Robert Plant. [Official website]

Pitchfork Music Festival, July 13-15, Chicago, Illinois U.S.A. US-based Internet music mag Pitchfork has turned their snarky online success into one of Chicago’s hottest summer festivals, featuring a bunch of bands whose fans hope you’ve never heard of. I kid, I kid! The bill includes Sonic Youth, Slint, GZA, The New Pornographers, Iron and Wine, Of Montreal, and a few others. [Official website]

Metalcamp, July 16-22, Tolmin, Slovenia. Another — cough — European metal fest. Metalcamp is no walk in the park. Hard-hitters such as Motörhead, Blind Guardian, Immortal, Hatebreed, and Sepultura will be there to disturb the peace. [Official website]

Earthshaker Fest, July 19-21, Kreuth, Bavaria. Motörhead, Within Temptation, Cradle of Filth, Testament, Kreator, Sepultura, J.B.O., Gamma Ray, U.D.O., Unleashed, Korpiklaani, Legion of the Damned, God Dethroned, Freedom Call, Norther, Dew-Scented, Keep of Kalessin, Hatesphere, Graveworm, Threshold, Mystic Prophecy, Eluveitie, Melechesh, and last but not least: Beatallica! Haven’t heard of Beatallica? Start with their entry on Wikipedia, and then do what you can to see them live. [Official website]

Paléo Festival, July 24-29, Nyon, Switzerland. Named afer a successful racehorse (seriously), The Paléo fest is one of Switzerland’s biggest. Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, over 3 million people and 250 artists have attended the fest since its inception in 1976. 2007 brings the Swiss artists like Björk, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, and Arcade Fire. [Official website]

Fuji Rock Festival, July 27-29, Naeba, Japan. Our one and only Asian festival to make the list, the Fuji Rock Fest began its days in 1997, when a typhoon struck the Mt. Fuji area and nearly demolished the entire event. Meanwhile, hardcore fans stuck around like there wasn’t a frickin’ hurricane going on. Amazing. Even so, the second and third day of the festival had to be canceled. Hopefully this year the weather will hold, because they’ve got a killer line-up. Artists include The Chemical Brothers, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Shins, and Blonde Redhead. [Official website]



Augustibuller, August 2-4, Lindesberg, Sweden. “Augustibuller” literally translates to “August sound pollution,” so don’t be mad when you show up and hear the likes of whatevercore bands like Madball, All That Remains, Discharge, and Rotten Sound. Hey, they warned you. [Official website]

Wacken Open Air, August 2-4, Wacken, Germany. The Wacken Open Air fest bills itself as the “largest exclusively metal music festival in the world,” with over 60,000 metal fans congregating in Wacken, Germany in 2006. It’s truly unbelievable how many metal festivals there are in Europe, but this is the one to go to. [Official website]

Lollapalooza, August 3-5, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. Ah, Lollapalooza — the quintessential American rock music festival of the 1990s. You’ve had some rough times in the past, sure, but we’re glad to see you back in the swing of things. And what a line-up! Grant Park, watch out. Pearl Jam, Daft Punk, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Muse, Iggy & the Stooges, Modest Mouse, Interpol, My Morning Jacket, and many, many more will invade the Windy City this August. Be there. [Official website]

Uppsala Reggae Festival, August 9-11, Uppsala, Sweden. Uppsala is the largest reggae festival in all of Scandinavia. Earlier this year, the company who organizes the festival declared bankruptcy, leaving the fate of the festival unknown. Fortunately a new company (with some money) was formed, and the festival will continue on as planned. USCB Allstars, Gentleman, and Midnite are all on the bill, with plenty more reggae favorites to be announced soon. [Official website]

FM4 Frequency Festival, August 15-17, Salzburg, Austria. Austrian radio station FM4 and promotion company Musicnet joined forces back in 2001 to create the FM4 Frequency Festival, now Austria’s largest alternative music celebration. Nine Inch Nails, !!!, and M.I.A. are expected to perform, along with ex-Blur front man David Albarn’s latest project: the unnamed band whose debut album,The Good, the Bad and the Queen, reached #2 on the UK albums chart and reached gold status. Unnamed band, eh? I wonder how they announce them to the stage? “Ladies and gentleman, put your hands together for…!” [Official website]

Slane, August 18, Slane village, County Meath, Ireland. Slane is an annual concert held in Slane village, along the banks of River Boyne. In the past, ticket-less fans have died while attempting to swim the river to gain access. Teams of jet ski-riding rescue units now patrol the water during festival time. The Rolling Stones will be headlining this years concert, though it seems to be sold out. [Official website]

A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise, August 18-19, Biddinghuizen, Netherlands. More commonly referred to as simply Lowlands, this festival is on par with late-May festival Pinkpop for popular Dutch festivals. This year, bands like Arcade Fire, Dizzie Rascal, and Motörhead are on the bill, along with the “hillbilly tribute to AC/DC,” Hayseed Dixie. A mixture of music, stand-up comedy, film, visual arts, literature and street theatre makes for a unique experience dubbed “Glasto meets Goa!” [Official website]

Electric Picnic, August 31-September 2, Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland. Who knew Ireland had so many good music festivals? The last, but not least, on our list is Electric Picnic, a unique festival that offers up an eclectic mix of music, film, stand-up comedy, and silent disco. Wait, silent disco? According to Wikipedia, “the concept of a silent disco is having a DJ play music which is then transmitted to headphones worn by audience members.” Modest Mouse, The Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, and many others will perform over three days. [Official website]

Fin!