PEARL JAM • DAVE MATTHEWS BAND • BEASTIE BOYS
INCUBUS • BLACK EYED PEAS • M.I.A. • JASON MRAZ • WEEN
THE MARS VOLTA • THIEVERY CORPORATION • MODEST MOUSE
BAND OF HORSES • TV ON THE RADIO • THE DEAD WEATHER • ATMOSPHERE
TOM JONES • SILVERSUN PICKUPS • ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND
THE NATIONAL • Q-TIP • BRETT DENNEN • BUILT TO SPILL • MASTODON
RAPHAEL SAADIQ • CALEXICO • OS MUTANTES • MIDNITE • JJ GREY & MOFRO
KINKY • DEERHUNTER • LILA DOWNS • TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE
THE DODOS • BETTYE LAVETTE • DENGUE FEVER • HEARTLESS BASTARDS
THE DIRTBOMBS • LENKA • AKRON/FAMILY • JOHN VANDERSLICE
MATT & KIM • PORTUGAL. THE MAN • THE MORNING BENDERS
THE DUKE SPIRIT • ZEE AVI • BLIND PILOT • SAMBADA
RYAN BINGHAM • WEST INDIAN GIRL • EXTRA GOLDEN

There you have it folks; one of the (many) reasons I love living near San Francisco. This is a quite an amazing line-up if you ask me. I’m actually very glad I decided not to go to Coachella this year.

I have never seen any of the headliners live, so I am most definitely excited about Pearl Jam and The Beastie Boys. Dave Matthews Band seems to be the “Jack Johnson” of the line-up to cater to the backwards ballcap bro-crowd.

I was always a fan of Incubus (a shock, I know) until they abandoned their trademark sound with A Crow Left of the Murder. Since then it’s been downhill for the band. So am I excited to see them?…kind of. But I doubt I’ll hear anything from S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

As for Black Eyed Peas and Jason Mraz, that will most likely land on “Dave Matthews Day” which will be my cue to wander around Golden Gate Park and the weird shit I see.

This will be my 2nd time seeing M.I.A. and TV on the Radio, both of which put on amazing live shows.

Indie-rock heroes Modest Mouse and Ween should be entertaining I guess. I got into both of them kind of late so I’ll be happy with whatever they decide to play.

I’ll finally get to see The National and Mastodon perform live. Both bands always seem to come to town on days I already have plans or have to work. Hopefully we won’t have any scheduling conflicts.

The hip-hop side of the festival is kind of weak. I’m no fan of Atmosphere but I am really looking forward to Q-Tip’s set. He’s only made my favorite hip-hop record of last year.

There’s some odd choices…like…uhh…Tom Jones? Jack White’s Dead Weather seems to be a band that will be forgotten about this time next year. The random toss of Thievery Corporation in the line-up seems kind of bizarre. I don’t see any other trip-hop acts in the line-up so I don’t know why they agreed to perform this year (why not Treasure Island Festival?).

The bottom of the list looks very promising with Portugal The Man, Akron/Family, The Dodos, John Vanderslice, and Heartless Bastards. Plus I’m sure I’ll discover some new acts that I’ve never heard of along the way.

All in all, it seems promising for a festival that is a 20 minute drive from my place. It gets kind of “Bro-chella” around the top, but I like what I see so far.

Anyone have any thoughts?

John Vanderslice – Trance Manual

Portugal. The Man – Out and In and In and Out

Band of Horses – Is There A Ghost

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