Festivals, For the Rest of Us

Bossman has returned from a three-week hiatus that saw him:

1) ringing in the New Year at the newly instated San Francisco after-hours hotspot Prehab (too exclusive to be pictured here)
2) dining with the hoi polloi in Vegas, and
3) co-hatching a plot to hit up the South-By-Southwest Music Festival in a 25-foot rented RV

Yes, that's right. It's that time of year again, when the music industry and various hangers-on (read: me) congregate down in Austin to proclaim our collective relevance, or in some cases, irrelevance. Though the festival is less than two months away, there has been no sign of a preliminary lineup on the official website. Rumor has it they're trying to discourage free daytime shows or something. Luckily, in the Information Age, people don't put up with that kind of bunk. Presumably in this spirit, Austinist.com has printed a compilation of rumors, leaks and educated guesses on some of the acts that will play this year's festival. Make sure to read on through the comments section for a few additions.

But not everyone can get to Austin, so for West Coasters who are jonesing for a multi-day music fix, there are alternatives. Coachella has announced its lineup, which includes many of the usual suspects (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Interpol, The Arcade Fire), along with a smattering of newer names (Peter, Bjorn and John; Grizzly Bear; Pop Levi) and a dusting of established acts that you might not expect to see at an outdoor festival (Rufus Wainwright, Roky Erickson, Ghostface Killah).

Finally, for those that can barely pony up for a MUNI pass (again, me), there's always San Francisco's beloved Noise Pop, which has all but finished assembling its lineup. There's no big name like The Flaming Lips this year (Cake ain't no Flaming Lips, people), but there are some solid small-to-midsize acts like Clinic, Ghostland Observatory, Annuals, Matt & Kim (that's right, Paul, you'll finally have your chance to see them), Trainwreck Riders, Ted Leo, The Dandy Warhols, Sea Wolf, Malajube, Midlake, The Oohlas and, of course, the reunited Sebadoh. The almost-full lineup is here, with a few supporting acts still to be determined.

Looks like my March and April are getting booked up quick.