The Setonian spoke to Scott Shriner, the bassist of Weezer, Aaron Dessner, the multi-instrumentalist and lyricist from The National and Tim McIlrath, the guitarist and lead singer of Rise Against. Each artist will be performing at the upcoming Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tenn. from June 10 to 13.
Each artist expressed excitement for the upcoming festival and remarked on the diversity of the festival, which hosts artists from Dave Matthews Band to Jay-Z and Stevie Wonder to Conan O'Brien. Shriner promised a mix of songs from Weezer's catalogue, hoping to impress fans and skeptics alike, noting that, at festivals, the band feels "like we have something to prove and then basically slay everyone with rock."
Regarding a new Weezer release, Shriner said, "we're always planning and scheming something and we're always working on some new music." No new tunes are expected for the band's upcoming slew of festival dates, but fans have a collection of B-sides, titled "Odds and Ends," along with the deluxe release of the iconic album "Pinkerton" to look forward to in the upcoming future.
The National's Dessner answered numerous questions about their upcoming release, "High Violet," which marks the group's fifth full-length album. Though the album leaked early on the internet, Dessner was solely concerned about the leak's quality, saying, "I don't mind a leak, I would prefer if it was a full quality leak."
Dessner also noted the band's rise in popularity over the years, ascending to a larger stage from their earlier appearance in 2007 after having just released their fourth album, "Boxer." Following their performance, the group intends to tour festivals throughout the summer and then embark on a tour of the United States and Europe from September through December.
Rise Against's Mcllrath discussed the difficulties of performing in Tennessee, remarking that "it's not often that Rise Against gets to anywhere in Tennessee or anywhere in the Southeast." He said he also expects to battle the blazing Tennessean heat, but noted that "adrenaline gets in you and allows you to do something like sing or play or stand out in the sun in 100 degree weather and play for an hour."
Mcllrath also commented on the challenge of appealing to a larger Tennessee audience, having grown up in the punk and hardcore scene.
"That challenge is something that I thrive on and something I look forward to," he said. "I don't like playing shows in safe places where the response is predictable you know."
There is no word on the groups' setlists for the shows, though The National promises a heavy dose of their new album for the festival shows and upcoming tours. And no, Weezer has no intentions of breaking Lil' Wayne out of jail for a surprise performance of "Can't Stop Partying." We confirmed it.
Kevin Stevens can be reached at kevin.stevens@student.shu.edu.
In addition to four days of music, the Bonnaroo festival will have many activities on site as well. The Bonnaroo Cinema Tent is "back and better than ever," according to Bonnaroo.com. In the tent, ticketholders can enjoy movie screenings of various comedies, documentaries, classics, etc.
The Academy at Planet Roo allows guests to interact with the arts with daily performances in art, theater, percussion, belly dancing and break dancing. There will also be a silent auction and yoga classes offered all weekend.
The Bonnaroo Music Festival and Conscious Alliance have announced the 6th Annual Bonnaroo Food Drive. The food drive will benefit the Good Samaritan Food Pantry of Manchester, Tenn. and the first 2,000 people that donate 10 non-perishable food items will receive a limited edition Bonnaroo poster. Last year, the food drive brought in 7,000 points of food donations and this year's goal has been raised to 10,000.
In addition, there will be a number of contests taking place throughout the weekend, such as the Bonnaroo Beard and Mustache Competition and the Tailor your Trailer Bonnaroo 2010 Lineup Video Contest. For a complete list of contests, rules, and prizes, visit http://www.bonnaroo.com/festival/contests.aspx.
Tickets for the event are currently on sale at www.bonnaroo.com.
Laura Masino can be reached at laura.masino@student.shu.edu.
The popular music festival, Lollapalooza, will be held from Aug. 6 to 8 this summer at Grant Park in Chicago, Ill. and is held every year and features some of the hottest artists in the music industry of that year.
A reunited Soundgarden joins headliners Green Day, MGMT and Lady Gaga. The concert features early bird, advanced and regular three-day general admission passes ranging from $175 to $215. Lollapalooza is so popular that almost all tickets are already sold out, but VIP tickets and regular three-day passes are still available.
Lollapalooza began in 1990 as a farewell tour for the band Jane's Addiction. Although the festival used to travel throughout the country, it will be held in Chicago until 2018.
The festival is where the term "Alternative Nation" was coined. Bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica and Incubus have all performed as Lollapalooza.
Some more of this year's musical lineup features The Strokes, B.o.B., AFI and Phoenix. As one of the most popular musical festivals in the country, Lollapalooza has a reputation for providing a good time to concert goers.
Ticket sales also help contribute to parks in the Chicago area. To date, Lollapalooza has donated about $5 million to Parkways Foundation, which is the philanthropic partner of the Chicago Park District and beneficiary of the festival.
Lollapalooza is a great getaway for anyone who loves music and is willing to travel. The Website provides information about hotels also so those attending the concert will have a place to stay nearby. For more information regarding Lollapalooza, visit the website at www.lollapalooza.com.
Amanda Monteleone can be reached at amanda.monteleone@student.shu.edu
The Pitchfork Festival is in its fifth year of showcasing alternative rock on July 16 and 17 in Union Park in Chicago. The annual festival focuses on a variety of genres from alternative rock and indie rock to hip-hop and rap and has a history of headlining great bands and artists such as rap veteran GZA and Yoko Ono. With superstars of the music world headlining the festival, it is no wonder that the three-day passes sold out within 24 hours of their release. This year, Modest Mouse, LCD Soundsystem and Pavement will be headline and it's shaping up to be a great event and hopefully will continue to be for years to come.
Nicolaos Diakos can be reached at nicolaos.diakos@student.shu,edu.
One of the most popular and iconic summer music festivals is the Vans Warped Tour, more commonly known as Warped Tour.
Warped Tour is the brainchild of Kevin Lyman, a man with a lot of music festival experience. Before he traveled across the country with Warped Tour he was the stage manager at Lollapalooza, according to Altpress.com.
After working with those festivals, Lyman decided he wanted to do his own tour so in the summer of 1995 the first Warped Tour traveled the country playing shows. Although it started out as a punk rock tour, Warped Tour as it is today encompasses a variety of bands ranging from emo to metal to pop and even some rap.
This summer will mark the 16th Vans Warped Tour and kicks off on June 25 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. The tour will then make its way across America and down the east coast and then all the way back finishing off at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro, Oregon.
This year's main attractions include The All-American Rejects, Alkaline Trio, Motion City Soundtrack, Every Time I Die, Reel Big Fish and Sum 41 as well as Warped Tour veterans Pennywise and The Bouncing Souls.
Ronan O'Brien can be reached at ronan.obrien@student.shu.edu.
