Coachella, Hangout Fest and Bonnaroo are three of America’s most influential music festivals, and the anticipation surrounding the reveal of the lineups builds over the course of the entire year. Each year, the festivals feature a wide variety of artists and genres to provide an invigorating music experience. The shows include pop, hip-hop, indie-rock, folk, bluegrass, rock, alternative and many other genres of music. Over the past few days, each of these lineups have been released, creating varying reactions among the festivals’ attendees.
Coachella’s lineup was the first released, the dates of which are April 10-12 and April 17-19. The headliners are the legendary ACDC, Jack White, who will perform in Starkville this month, and the popular rapper Drake. Other artists performing at Coachella include Alabama Shakes, the Weeknd, alt-J, Hozier, Florence + the Machine, Ryan Adams, Kaskade, David Guetta, Brand New and Vance Joy. One-hundred thousand people annually attend the California music festival, and many celebrities often frequent the concerts.
Ali Gray, sophomore marketing major, said she wishes she could attend the festival, but it is just not feasible considering its location.
“The lineup is incredible, and it would be so cool to say I’ve seen ACDC. California is just too far away, though,” she said.
Hangout Fest might be a geographically plausible option for MSU students. It is located on the beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama. The festival’s lineup this year features headliners indie rock band Foo Fighters, country music’s Zac Brown Band and hit ‘90s artist Beck. More artists scheduled to perform are Skrillex, My Morning Jacket, Foster the People, Paramore, Lupe Fiasco, Vance Joy, Jenny Lewis, Umphreys McGee, Spoon, Trampled by Turtles, Drive-by Truckers, MisterWives, The Mowgli’s and many more. Hangout Fest began 6 years ago in 2009, making it the newest member of the festival family. Dates for the festival are May 15-17.
Carson Bailey, a sophomore marketing major, said she has attended several different music festivals but was less-than-enthused upon hearing Hangout Fest’s lineup for this year.
“I’m pretty disappointed. The only artist I’m really excited about is Paramore. I’m not sure if I’m going to go this year,” she said.
Bonnaroo is an iconic festival located on a farm in Manchester, Tennessee, and the 2015 dates are June 11-14. Bonnaroo is the festival most similar to the famous Woodstock music festival as people camp out in tents for days.
The headliners for Bonnaroo will be the classic Billy Joel, folk band Mumford & Sons and EDM artist deadmau5. Artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Florence + the Machine, Robert Plant, My Morning Jacket, Bassnectar, Alabama Shakes, Childish Gambino, Flume, Hozier, Earth Wind and Fire, Gary Clark Jr., Shakey Graves, Ben Folds, Twenty One Pilots, Tove Lo and Moon Taxi will perform this year as well.
The lineup release generated a roar of excitement on the Internet, and one huge artist’s name has even yet to be released. Everyone has ideas of who the mystery artist could be, but the public will know for sure soon. Bonnaroo began in 2002, and it has since attracted an enormous amount of followers and loyal attendees. Upwards of 90,000 people attend, and “Rolling Stone” named it the Best Festival in 2008.
L.H. Marshall, sophomore business administration major, has attended Bonnaroo for the past three years. She said this year, she is ecstatic about the lineup.
“This lineup might be the best one out of all of the ones I’ve been to. I’m absolutely going; I can’t wait,” she said.
The music community is abuzz with excitement over lineups ad the festival season draws near.
