This summer, rather than wasting away at the community pool or collecting dust on the couch, why not hop a plane to Europe (or elsewhere in the States) to attend a music festival no one's ever heard of? Here are four festivals for the weary Warped Tour veteran.
First off, there is the Benicassim Festival (or Festival Internacional de Benicassim) held in Spain, which indisputably has one of the most impressive lineups one is likely to come by this summer. Artists ranging from Antony and the Johnsons and Rufus Wainwright to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Animal Collective, the Benicassim Festival is worth every penny, or 170_ to be exact (which comes to roughly $229). The festival is held July 19 through July 22 right along the picturesque Mediterranean Sea between Barcelona and Valencia, providing a serene background of sun, sand and sea for the splendid music. Past festival attendees stress that if one plans to venture to Benicassim that one must heed Baz Luhrmann's 1999 advice regarding sunscreen: wear it, as the Mediterranean Spanish sun during the summer proves to be less than forgiving.
Next, there is a unique festival that goes by the name of Get Loaded in the Park and is held in Clapham Common, London, at a peaceful park in England's capital. Get Loaded can best be described as an indie/dance crossover festival. Strategically held over London's bank holiday weekend of August 25 - 26, the festival is a relatively young one, yet already has an A-list, primarily British indie lineup, including M.I.A., The Go! Team and The Streets. Unlike other festivals that one is likely to stumble upon over the summer, Get Loaded in the Park features a series of DJs, such as MSTRKRFT, Zombie Disco Squad and Duke Dumont, who provide the beat for dance parties between live acts. Tickets cost ?35 ($47) and are all standing room only. Therefore, if getting loaded in the park sounds like your cup of tea, be sure to arrive early, as the festival is said to be growing in popularity each year.
Perhaps these abovementioned festivals are simply not obscure enough for you. Do not fret, for there is also the Haldern Pop Festival located in a quiet German town along the southern Rhine. The festival is nearly 20 years old and has an interesting philosophy. According to Haldern Pop's Web site, the festival's founders believed that there is a spiritual connection to festival attendees and the festival itself: "Quality is inextricably linked to time. Haldern does not just want your money, we also want your time, your attention." Haldern Pop is a difficult festival to acquire tickets for, as they first go on sale to German citizens and then to the rest of the world. Confirmed live acts this year include Sebastien Tellier, The Electric Soft Parade and The Editors, all set to take the stage August 2 - 4.
The most prominent festival in Eastern Europe is, by nature of it occurring in Eastern Europe, relatively obscure. Exit, or State of Exit, started in Novi Sad, Serbia, in 2000 to provide relevant entertainment to Serbian youth and raise pertinent social issues into the public discourse. A 4-day festival pass will put you back 78.50_, or $106, but to see the likes of Lauryn Hill, CSS, Wu-Tang Clan and the Beastie Boys under one roof, the tickets are a bargain. Exit takes place in the Petrovaradin fortress of Novi Sad, perched above the Danube. The festival runs July 12 - 15, and the 315-year-old fortress fills up quick on concert night.
If punk (and staying Stateside) is more your thing, a necessary stop for any summer vacationer would be Richmond, Virginia's C.L.I.T. Fest. The festival is a blend of workshops and shows (C.L.I.T. is an acronym for Combating Latent Inequality Together) that will be sure to tickle your inner crust punk. Organizers hope that the festival will be a space to learn from and educate others about the ways that sexism manifests itself, even in an ideological alternative to the mainstream, like the punk community. With three nights of concerts from female-fronted crust and hardcore acts like I Object, Appalachian Terror Unit, Call the Cops and Optimus Crime and workshops on bike maintenance, feminist porn and alcoholism in punk, the Fest is well worth the $25 admission. C.L.I.T. Fest runs from June 29 to July 1.
For more information on obscure domestic and foreign music festivals, check out NME First for Music News at NME.com for a comprehensive list of festivals that will certainly invigorate your summer.
Staff Writer Jeff Lambert contributed to this article.
