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BPT’s Summer Music Festival Guide

Music >

Through the tiny window in the Event Promotions office, a ray of light penetrates the Brown Paper Tickets basement offices. It hurts my eyes to look at. It’s something that I haven’t seen for many months. What could it be? I think it’s sunshine! That tells me one thing, summer is coming. Time to break out the sunglasses and the shorts and get out there and do some outdoor living.

The sunshine also heralds the beginning of summer music festival season and, let me tell you, we’re ticketing tons of great festivals all over the country. From classical concerts to jam bands to indie rock, it’s all represented here and while my list is probably far from complete, I’ve included some of the festivals that caught my eye.

Gotta love a music festival. Sure the port a-potties can get nasty by day three but such minor details are insignificant when you can sit on the grass, catch some rays and enjoy great music with friends and family. Doesn’t matter where you’re at in the country or what kind of music you like, Brown Paper Tickets has a festival for you.

This is an, admittedly, incomplete list so if you have a festival that you’re ticketing through us, be sure to comment and promote it in the comments section below or leave a post on our Facebook page.

June

Friday, June 10: Conscious Culture Festival 2011 Tonasket, WA – The Conscious Culture Festival is committed to providing the community and guests with the very best multicultural, environmentally friendly and educationally stimulating experience possible. This amazing event will feature musicians, singers and DJs of various genre’s including reggae, folk, rock, hip hop, world music, dubstep and more. They will also have speakers, poets, workshops, fire dancers and craft booths to create a fun, family environment that engages all ages.

Saturday, June 11: Gem State Jam Music Festival Boise, ID – The 3rd Annual Gem State Jam Music, Art and History Festival will be held inside the walls of the Old Idaho Penitentiary and will feature national and local musicians on two stages. Enjoy premium food and beverages while taking in art displays and vendors, prison exhibits and live music. 2011 musical lineup includes Delta Spirit, Cash’d Out (Johnny Cash Tribute), Maria Taylor, Buster Blue, Old Death Whisper and many more.

Saturday, June 18: Westword Music Showcase 2011 Denver, CO – Westword Music Showcase 2011 will be held at the Golden Triangle District! This year’s headliners include Chromeo, Yo La Tengo, Del The Funky Homosapien, The Sword, Murder By Death, Young The Giant, The Epilogues, Ume, and more. Listen to over 150 local acts on 15 stages and vote for your favorites at www.westword.com.

Saturday, June 18: Founders Fest 2011 Grand Rapids, MI – Founders Brewing Company’s annual beer and music festival takes place on the streets of downtown Grand Rapids! This year’s event will feature: Galactic, Rubblebucket, Terrapin Flyer featuring Melvin Seals, The Ragbirds, Steppin’ In It, AB & Coconut Brown, FBC All-Stars and DJ Spydre Murphy. Also featured will be local food vendors, a local “Artist Row” and of course plenty of Founders beer.

Saturday, June 18: Southern Shore Music Festival Milville, NJ – The festival features nationally known artists in a family-oriented setting in Southern New Jersey. Leon Russell headlines this years festival and will be joined by Deer Tick, Jamioe’s Jass Band, Justin Townes Earle, Sharon Little, Justin Plaskett and Patty Blee. In addition to eight hours of peace and music there are vendors offering hand made crafts and home made food.

Saturday, June 25 to Sunday, September 4: The Olympic Music Festival Quilcene, WA – Experience chamber music in an environment that is comfortable and inviting to aficionados and neophytes alike and start a new summer tradition! Choose to sit in the 100-year old barn on pews or hay bales or purchase Lawn Seating for a casual listening experience on lawn chairs or blankets with your picnic. Visit www.olympicmusicfestival.org for schedule information.

July

Friday, July 1: Manifest Lolo, MT – Manifest is a holistic live music and art experience. There will be an opportunity for everyone attending to be involved in some way. Not only will there be a main stage formal festival style area but also a sound camp fully equipped with art installations made by artists from all over the Northwest. Manifest plugs Montana into the Northwest art and music movement that defines itself as a completely new and free access to human creativity. The Possibilities at Manifest are endless and depend on how involved everyone wants to be in it. Come and have your say in the future of human evolution!

Saturday, July 9: Slack Fest 2011 Stanwood, WA – After two years of hibernation, the party of the summer has been revived by Doe Bay Fest curators Artist Home. On July 9th the man, the myth and the legend, Don Slack, will be celebrated again. 2011’s Slack Fest Will be feature raucous sets from: The Moondoggies, The Maldives, Whalebones, The American Girls, The Golden Blondes, My Goodness and more to be announced shortly. Held on a racetrack on a slice of Silvana, Washington farmland nestled against the Stillaguamish River, Slack Fest features some of the Pacific Northwest’s best bands like you’ve never seen them before: playing on a dirt racetrack on the back of a flatbed truck.

Saturday, July 9: Liquid Aloha Music Festival San Diego, CA – San Diego Liquid Aloha Music Festival is a celebration of everything we love about San Diego and Hawaii: a day of taking in the aloha spirit. Enjoy a day of great music, food, Kona Brews and more. A portion of the proceeds benefit the San Diego Coast Keeper. Features: The Dirty Heads, One Drop, Simpkin, Sand Section and Kalama Brothers.

Friday, July 15: 4 Peaks Music Festival IV Bend, OR 4 Peaks initial lineup is Poor Man’s Whiskey, New Monsoon, Elephant Revival, Ten Mile Tide, Taarka, Tapwater, Moon Mountain Ramblers, Acorn Project, Sugarcane String Band, Wasabi Collective, Asher Fulero, Wild Rye and Huckle. Ticket price includes camping.

Saturday, July 16: Nerdapalooza 2011 Orlando, FL – 2011 marks the first year that Nerdapalooza branches out to being a nerd music and arts festival. It does continue to be a charity event. Headliners include Metroid Metal, The Protomen, Armcannon, brentalfloss, MegaRan and The OneUps.

August

Friday, August 5 & Saturday, August 6: The Dawg Daze of Summer Festival at Lake Paradise Resort Lone Jack, MO – Located only 35 minutes from downtown Kansas City, MO, Dawg Daze of Summer Festival will host tent, RV and cabin camping opportunities along with over 30 great musical acts on 4 stages including national touring as well as regional touring acts in the genres of bluegrass, blues, funk and classic rock. Not only that, Dawg Daze will also feature quality musical entertainment and activities for kids.

Thursday, August 11 to Sunday, August 14: Doe Bay Fest Orcas Island, WA – Doe Bay Fest is hard to describe: a festival which is basically musicians on vacations with their friends at one of the coolest places in the world for a holiday. This weekend festival features an extensive line-up of musicians, local cuisine, camping and activities in one of the most picturesque venues the Northwest has to offer.

Friday, August 26 and Saturday, August 27: Springfield Indie Soul Festival 2011 Springfield, MA – This Festival will provide New England and Tri-State visitors with high quality entertainment that will feature non-stop, live, soulful artists, poets, upscale food vendors, artisans, book & music vendors, fashion market, and much more. Commitments to perform thus far: Roy Ayers, N’Dambi, Navasha Daya, Taalam Acey and Dwayne Morgan.

Saturday, August 27 & Sunday, August 28: 2011 LouFest Music Festival St. Louis, MO – This all-ages event features 18 bands, local food, cool retail, and a greening effort that includes recycling, free valet bike parking, and a refillable water station. For our youngest fans there’s the Kids Village filled with music, magic, kid-friendly food, a rock climbing wall and more. This year’s lineup includes The Roots, TV On the Radio, Deerhunter, Cat Power, The Hold Steady, The Low Anthem and many more!

Saturday, August 27: Prophets Fest 2011 Richmond, IN – Located on a scenic farm 3 miles south of Richmond, Indiana, Prophets Fest is an all-ages event of live reggae, rock, bluegrass, and electronica. The event offers free camping, as well as food and craft vendors, and environmental education booth. Music starts early afternoon and continues through the night. Oregon based band Everyday Prophets will be featured headliners. Other acts include local and regional bands and DJs.

Image courtesy of The Chicago Blog