2014 summer music festivals worth the trip [Pictures]
Coachella came and went, Lollapalooza sold out weeks ago and the nearly 700-mile drive to Manchester, Tenn., for Bonnaroo seems more daunting than fun. What does a music fan have to do to get a multiday-festival fix without sweating the cost of airfare or gas? (Karl Walter / Getty Images for Coachella)
Baltimore Sun
Just because you missed out on Coachella, Lollapalooza and the other major festivals doesn’t mean you can’t experience this summer’s live music scene. -- Wesley Case, The Baltimore Sun
We recommend the relatively new Firefly Music Festival. Now in its third year, the four-day event takes place June 19-22 in Dover, Del. This year’s lineup includes Foo Fighters, Jack Johnson, Imagine Dragons, Beck, the Lumineers, Pretty Lights and many others. Most importantly for many attendees, the reuniting-for-the-summer rap pioneers Outkast (pictured) are confirmed headliners.
Talent-wise, there is plenty of overlap between Firefly and the other major festivals of the summer. (Broken Bells, Arctic Monkeys and Chance the Rapper are all examples of major Firefly artists also on the “big” lineups.) The best part? Firefly is approximately 100 miles away from Baltimore, so you can leave on Sunday and get enough sleep to talk about it incessantly at work Monday.
If the aforementioned festivals failed to excite, we offer these other summer options ... (Karl Walter / Getty Images for Coachella)
Notable acts: The Roots, Snoop Dogg, Janelle Monae (pictured)
When: May 31
Where: Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia
Why: Although some identify the Roots as Jimmy Fallon’s house band on “The Tonight Show,” the Philly hip-hop group has consistently curated an intriguing mix of talent for its annual outdoor concert.
rootspicnic.com (Jason Merritt / Getty Images for Audi)
Notable acts: Erykah Badu, John Legend (pictured), Chaka Khan
When: June 6-8
Where: Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia
Why: Celebrating its 22nd year, the Capital Jazz Fest offers as strong of a one-two R&B punch as you will find in Badu and Legend. Over three days, nearly 30 acts -- including Kem, the O’Jays and Faith Evans -- will grace two stages.
capitaljazz.com/fest (Ferdy Danman / AFP / Getty Images)
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Notable acts: Thievery Corporation, Rodrigo y Gabriela (pictured), Jimmy Cliff
When: July 26
Where: Oregon Ridge Park, 13401 Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville
Why: Founded by Kenny Liner formerly of the Bridge (who will reunite that night), the Believe in Music Foundation teaches music education to underprivileged students in Baltimore in hopes of promoting self-expression and community awareness. Proceeds from this inaugural concert benefit the organization.
believeinmusicfestival.com (Samir Hussein / Getty Images for The Old Vic)
Notable acts: The Flaming Lips, Dashboard Confessional, Matt & Kim
When: Aug. 16
Where: Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds, 1450 General’s Highway, Annapolis
Why: After debuting in 2012 and taking last year off, Silopanna returns with a stellar lineup of national and local artists. While we haven’t been able to shake the idea of Flaming Lips leader Wayne Coyne (pictured) walking on top of an Annapolis crowd in a giant ball (Google it), we are also excited by the inclusion of Sun Club, one of Baltimore’s most promising young indie-rock bands.
silopannafestival.com (Brett Deering / Getty Images)
