Summer Music Festival Preview 2014

Sarah Chrysler, Arts editor

About three weeks into summer break almost everyone is bored out of their minds. So what is more fun than music, people, and people who love the same music as you? Nothing. Here is a list of a few music festivals within a few hours of driving that are going on this summer that all have great lineups.

JUNE

  • B93 Birthday Bash– Martin- June 7-8
    blog.mlive.com
    blog.mlive.com

    Featured Artists:

    • Dierks Bentley
    • Justin Moore
    • Danielle Bradbury
    • Parmalee
    • Lucy Hale
  • Tickets Available at: http://www.b93.com/pages/birthday-bash-22/tickets
  • Story:
    • Theres a good chance you have heard of B93 Birthday Bash. They have been in the news plenty in the past few years, between star lineups, and floods, this bash has gotten their share of free advertising. It is funny to see how the festival has changed over the years. It has always been held in a big field, and has always had two days of music. The differences are the lineups, and the weather. This year looks like a good one. Standing in the sun, rocking out to an amazing show can be quite a great experience. It is wonderful to have a more country-ish festival close to us. It is just a change in music scenery.
  • Electric Forest– Rothbury- June 26-29
    bassnectar.net
    bassnectar.net

    Featured Artists:

    • Art Department
    • The String Cheese Incident
    • Matt & Kim
    • Luminox
    • Flying Lotus
    • MOBY
    • STS9
  • Tickets available at: http://www.electricforestfestival.com/general-admission.php
  • Story:
    • Chances are, you know what Electric Forest is. Four days of music, camping, and crazy-ness. Just ask anyone who has ever been there. It seems as though all of Grand Haven’s teenagers pack up and head to Rothbury for four days in June. This years lineup looks great, if you like Indie rock, Jam-band and electronic types of music, this is your festival! Campsites are available for on site for the first time. Another new thing this year is that you do not have to buy a pass for the whole festival. You can get weekday passes, three day passes, and then you have the option of an full festival pass. This has something for everyone.
  • Common Ground– Lansing- July 8-13
    awesomemitten.com
    awesomemitten.com

    Featured Artists:

    • 311
    • Flobots
    • The Hold Steady
    • OMP
    • Say Anything
    • Seaheaven
    • You Blew It
  • Tickets Available at: https://www.festivalticketing.com/boxoffice/?cref=3834f986-fe65-44bb-812e-b533eb592868
  • Story:
    • Six days of music of just about every genre. Country, Rock, Indie Rock, Reggae, Alternative, Hip-hop, Folk, and Punk. A great thing about this festival is the fact that you do not have to buy a pass for the whole time, tickets are purchased on a day to day basis. Tickets are available online, and they also have VIP options as well. This could be great for a mid-summer adventure. Everyone should go to this, with the opportunity so close, you might as well go and give it a shot. If you don’t, then you will have missed out on an opportunity to see potentially the best show ever.

AUGUST

  • Lollapalooza-Chicago– Aug 1-3
    mtvhive.com
    mtvhive.com

    Featured Artists:

    • Arctic Monkeys
    • Cage The Elephant
    • Eminem
    • Foster The People
    • Spoon
    • Kings Of Leon
    • Foster The People
    • Broken Bells
    • Lorde
    • Rudimental
    • The 1975
  • Tickets Available at: http://www.lollapalooza.com/#tickets/
  • Story:
    • Indie, Alternative, with just a touch of pop and rap. The perfect festival with a huge headline list. Three days of absolute music madness, a paradise for any hardcore current music lover. Even though you cannot get tickets for just one show, they do have options. There is a one day, a three day, and an early bird three day, VIP, and Platinum passes. The festival takes place in Chicago in early August. It is the perfect time for all artists and fans to come together and rock out for three days.
  • Unity Festival– August 6-9
    alternavox.net
    alternavox.net

    Featured Artists:

    • Steven Curtis Chapman
    • Matthew West
    • Third Day
    • Love & The Outcome
  • Tickets Available at: http://www.unitymusicfestival.com/get-tickets/
  • Story:
    • The little festival that could, The Unity Festival in Muskegon has grown so much larger than anyone could have ever imagined. After over ten years, this festival has yet another rock star lineup. This three day Christian festival has a way of bringing an entire crowd together. The combined facts that it is local, and that they have never had a bad lineup, just makes it harder to not buy tickets.