BONNAROO & LOLLAPALOOZA:
A TALE OF TWO SUMMER FESTS

Bonnaroo throws open its gates today, and this morning’s N.Y. Times contains an illuminating overview of the annual gathering in Manchester, TN. The festival, Ben Sisario writes, “grew out of the post-hippie jam-band scene, which has traditionally been an open-minded, loyal and not terribly fickle audience: an ideal constituency for an annual festival that relies on repeat customers. Over the years Bonnaroo has served as a kind of training ground for bands to return again and again, to ever bigger crowds. Kings of Leon, for example, has played there three times before.”

More than 100 acts will play the fest between today and Sunday, including KOL, the Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Jeff Beck, John Fogerty, The Dead Weather, LCD Soundsystem, Mumford & Sons, The Constellations and Norah Jones. Among the wrinkles this year are the Flaming Lips performing Dark Side of the Moon, Daryl Hall with Chromeo, Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers and the six-string-shedding Conan O’Brien. Full schedule here.

Past Bonnaroos have attracted up to 90k fans, and more than 75k are expected this year at $250 a person—not a sellout but an impressive number. From Friday to Sunday, YouTube and the NPR Music site will both stream performances.

Looking ahead two months, Lollapalooza, which has successfully made the transition from a tour to a standing event at Chicago’s Grant Park, yesterday released its schedule for the Aug. 6-8 fest. The “Say what?” performer for the event, scheduled for Aug. 6-8, is Lady Gaga.

Friday’s lineup includes Gaga, the reunited Devo, B.o.B (doubling up with Bonnaroo), The Strokes, The Black Keys, Hot Chip, Wavves, The Walkmen, Raphael Saadiq, The New Pornographers, Neon Trees, Matt & Kim, 2ManyDJs and Mavis Staples (who has a new album produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy).

Confirmed for Saturday are Green Day, Spoon, Phoenix (who are also playing Bonnaroo) The xx (ditto), Grizzly Bear, Rogue Wave, Stars, Gogol Bordello, AFI, Metric, Slightly Stoopid and Social Distortion.

The fest closes Sunday with Arcade Fire, MGMT, The National (another Bonnaroo doubler), Blitzen Trapper (same), Soundgarden, Erykah Badu, Wolfmother, Miniature Tigers, Switchfoot, Minus the Bear, Frightened Rabbit and MuteMath.

The full schedule, which is customizable, can be perused here.