March Festival Madness Update

We’re back from a break! Spring is just around the corner, and that means it is almost time to stop talking about festivals and start going and watching! Here’s an update, in chronological order of the events.

Here’s one that slipped past our radar until recently – Florida’s Harvest of Hope festival, which happens next weekend in St. Augustine. A lineup heavy on local and regional talent also features better-known acts like Billy Bragg, Dr. Dog, The Mountain Goats, Anvil, Rogue Wave, Kid Sister, Delta Spirit, Senses Fail, Anti-Flag, Man Man, Dead Prez, Kimya Dawson, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Sea Wolf, Dr. Octagon aka Kool Keith, Dead Confederate, A Wilhelm Scream, Portugal. the Man, Samiam, Fruit Bats, and Freelance Whales. It’s for charity too, so check it out. 

These festivals should be done adding artists: Wanee, Harvest of Hope, Suwannee Springfest, Ultra Music Festival, MerleFest and Coachella.

The Beale Street Music Festival always offers an intriguing mix of mainstream artists, blues, country, rock, and jam, and this year is no exception. The three-day event in Memphis will feature festival stalwarts like Widespread Panic, Gov’t Mule, The Flaming Lips, Drive-By Truckers, North Mississippi Allstars, Band of Horses and Blues Traveler next to country and bluegrass stars (Alison Krauss, John Hiatt), modern hard rockers (Seether, Puddle of Mudd, Limp Bizkit), and a slew of blues acts like Ruthie Foster, Janiva Magness, Savoy Brown, Coco Montoya, Bobby Blue Bland, Hubert Sumlin and Coco Montoya. Throw in rejuvenated grungers Alice in Chains, oddities like Hall & Oates, and a little shredding with Jeff Beck, and you’ve got one interesting weekend.

The Hangout Music Festival added headliner Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB plus a few others, and the festival looks amazing. Check it out at the link there. They should be just about set on their lineup.

Joshua Tree Music Festival has added more international electronic flair to it’s lineup with Stanton Warriors and Dehli 2 Dublin.

Hunter, NY’s Mountain Jam has served up a hearty second helping of acts, including Levon Helm & Friends, Drive-By Truckers, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Dr. Dog, The New Mastersounds, Jay Farrar (of Son Volt), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, The Duke & The King, Justin Townes Earle, Jerry Joseph & Wally Ingram, The Bridge, Zach Deputy and The Brew.

Bonnaroo has added some great new acts. Umphrey’s McGee, Galactic, John Butler Trio, Ween, Gossip, and Circa Survive have been added, and boy could that Galactic set be fun. They’ll no doubt do something special in the wake of their outrageous new album Ya-Ka-May.

Maine sounds like a great place to spend July 4th Weekend, and Oxford’s Nateva Festival is raising eyebrows with their bold move into the northeast festival scene. The inaugural event boasts a lineup that will tug at the heartstrings of any erstwhile traveler – The Flaming Lips, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Further with Bob Weir and Phil Lesh, Zappa Plays Zappa, moe., Keller Williams and Lotus are just the start.

Camp Bisco has an initial lineup, not that Disco biscuits fans won’t come if they don’t like the selections. The Disco biscuits will perform all three nights and will be joined over the course of the weekend by LCD Soundsystem, Ween, Theivery Corporation, Girl Talk, Diplo, Brothers Past, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, The New Deal, The Album Leaf, SOJA, Telepath, Future Rock, Orchard Lounge, Gift of Gab, and more.

The Pitchfork Music Festival added a group of bands that is equal to the first group – Broken Social Scene, Panda Bear, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, El-P, and more.

At this point, one of the rapidly approaching fests we know little about is Lollapalooza. As always, there’s a ton of hearsay and half-confirmations out there. Looking strong are Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Green Day, Phoenix, The Flaming Lips, Beastie Boys, and Drive-By Truckers. Lady GaGa has been tossed around as well.

Boone, NC’s quickly growing Music on the Mountaintop has already revealed their lineup, which will unfurl in potentially gorgeous weather if last year was any indication. They’re going for two days this year, and the lineup features many previous performers. Sam Bush and Acoustic Syndicate will again lead the way, augmented by local favorites Toubab Krewe, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Snake Oil Medicine Show, Josh Phillips Folk Festival, Do It To Julia, and others, with more to be announced.

Looking futher down the year, we can see North Carolina’s Bele Chere, Gathering of the Vibes in Connecticut, Austin City Limits, and San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.

We strive to bring you information on only the best festival experiences in the country! Jambase has one of the best festival guides around. Some of it isn’t updated regularly, but nowhere else will you find as many festival listings.

See you on the road!