I think the sunny weather might finally be here to stay, so with that in mind I trolled the Internet in search of outdoor festivals of the musical variety. (You gotta plan ahead if you want to get those front row lawn seats.) I found a lot of really great venues, relativity close or within a reasonable driving distance, so I thought I'd share what I found.

Rothbury, held at the Double JJ Ranch resort in Rothbury, Michigan, is a venue with a "sustainability mission." It runs July 3 - 7 and will feature artists like Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Widespread Panic, Black Keys, Snoop Dogg, and more than 20 other musical groups.

Pitchfork Music Festival, a Chicago venue, takes place July 18 - 20 at Union Park. The headline includes Animal Collective, The Hold Steady, The Apples in Stereo, and Vampire Weekend.

Lollapalooza , another Chicago happening takes place August 1 - 3 at Grant Park. Headline artists include Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Kanye West, and Nine Inch Nails.

Chicago is also the place to go if you enjoy other kinds of live music like jazz, gospel, or blues. Check here for the lineup.

The Wheatland Music Festival features traditional roots music (Bluegrass, Cajun, Blues, Celtic, etc.) and a juried arts and craft show. It takes place September 5 - 7 in Remus, Michigan. Click here for a complete artist line-up.

Although it's more than a few hours away, the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas features an awesome lineup of 130 bands on eight stages. Artists include Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Patty Griffin, Erykah Badu, Duffy, and MGMT. ROAD TRIP!

Posted by Angela at 09:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Don't forget to come down to the Main library and catch Earthwork Music Collective featuring Seth Bernard and Daisy May from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm in the Ryerson Auditorium, Level 3.

The concert is free and open to the public. The first 100 people in the door will be given an energy efficient compact fluorescent bulb. Check out their myspace pages: Daisy May, Seth Bernard.

Posted by Marianne at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

One of my favorite bands, The Mighty Narwhale, played at Festival this Friday. I'm pretty distraught that I had to miss them play. Instead, I was here at the library working diligently. Luckily, I'll be able to see them and another favorite musician of mine, Jes Kramer, play a benefit concert at the DAAC for the DAAC on June 10. It looks like the Sleep Tils, Mister Squid, and Cloud Cluster will also be playing. Speaking, well, typing of the DAAC, I'm planning on attending a show there this Wednesday night. It will be the first time I see O Grandeur play, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Here at GRPL, we were lucky enough to get a grant from the Ryerson Foundation to start a local music collection. At this point we don't have any CD's for the bands mentioned above, as most have yet to release CD's. Still, there are many gems to be found. My favorite find in the collection is the Icicles, and I've seen them play twice since then. Local favorites, La Famiglia, are also a part of our collection. If you are browsing cd's and you notice a small, bright green sticker on the cover, that means you are looking at a part of our local music collection. To see what local music cd's we have, click here.

Posted by Marianne at 05:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Every so often I decide I need to be more in touch with mainstream music. To accomplish this, I've been listening to the radio. This personal assignment has forced me to realize some things. First is that it's time to hear more from those (sarcasm alert!) talented Hanson brothers. Oh, that Mmmbop was a catchy tune. But, on a more serious note, I've learned that I don't much like the new music on the radio. Well, with one exception: Justin Timberlake. Yes, the music of JT speaks to me. Judge me as you must; I completely understand.

My grumpiness over the current state of the radio waves makes me think of my dear father. He is stuck firmly in the music culture of his teen years. He listens to 70's rock, Zeppelin, The Stones, The Who, etc. Now, I want to make it clear this is not me, and it will never be me. I'm not stuck in the era of my youth. I listen to plenty of new music, and my tastes are continually shifting. The simple fact is, I do not like most of the new music on the radio.

This leads me to my third realization of my week long foray into mainstream pop culture: I am very thankful for the library's music collection. It's my music salvation - my haven, if you will.

While the music collection at the library rocks, (pun fully intended) often one needs to plan ahead to get the music she actually wants. This means holds need to be placed. If placing holds is new to you, check out these instructions on our website.

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Posted by Marianne at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)