2004

Galactic, Particle and Robert Randolph and the Family Band are among the bands set to play Kansas’ inaugural Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival. Scheduled for June 18-20 at Clinton Lake State Park in Lawrence, the event will feature more than 50 acts on three stages leaning in the jam band vein, but covering various genres.

Also on board for the event are O.A.R., Leftover Salmon, the North Mississippi Allstars, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the Derek Trucks Band, Indigenous, Robert Walter’s 20th Congress, Jazz Mandolin Project, the Samples and Sound Tribe Sector 9. Reggae act the Wailers has also confirmed its participation, as has rock group the Donnas, alt-country band BR-549 and hillbilly punk the Reverend Horton Heat.

Along with music, the weekend affair will boast activities such as mountain biking, disc golf, water sports and hiking, as well as plenty of food and provisions for revelers. “Once you hit the Wakarusa site, you won’t have to leave the grounds the entire weekend,” organizer John Brooks says. “Wakarusa is not just a concert. It’s a lifestyle and total outdoor experience focusing on good friends, good vibes and great memories.”

A limited amount of early bird tickets priced at $65 — including camping and parking — will go on sale Friday (March 12). Ticket prices will escalate to $75 through April 30, $95 during the month of May and $105 after June 1. A limited amount of $500 VIP packages include a pair of tickets, food and beverage, a premium camping location and access to a special viewing area at the Sundown stage.

For more information and the full lineup of performing artists, visit the festivals Web site.

Source billboard.com.

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals have begun lining up summer European festival appearances. The group will hit the road beginning May 28 at Festimad in Madrid, Spain, and will play 11 additional dates, including Rock in Rio – Lisbon on May 29 and the Werchter Festival in Belgium on July 3.

Later in the summer, Harper and company will open for Dave Matthews Band Aug. 28-29 at the Home Depot Center in Carson City, Calif. Black Eyed Peas will also be on the bill. Harper is touring in support of his 2003 Virgin album “Diamonds in the Inside.”

According to a spokesperson, Harper will hit the studio this month with the Blind Boys Of Alabama and in the near future with his own band. As previously reported, the artist guests on upcoming albums by blues artist Charlie Musselwhite and veteran reggae combo Toots and the Maytals, due April 6 from Real World Records and V2, respectively.

Here are Ben Harper’s tour dates:

May 28: Madrid, Spain (Festimad)
May 29: Lisbon, Portugal (Rock in Rio – Lisbon)
June 1: Cournon, France (Zenith D’Auvergne)
June 3: Dresden, Germany (Alter Schlachthof)
June 4: Hamburg, Germany (Freilichtbuhne Stadtpark)
June 5: Nuremberg, Germany (Rock Im Park)
June 6: Nurburgring, Germany (Rock Am Ring)
June 11: Bayonne, France (Arenes)
June 16: Naples, Italy (Flegrea Arena)
June 17: Pisa, Italy (Piazza De Cavalieri)
June 22: London (Carling Apollo Hammersmith)
July 3: Werchter, Belgium (Rock Werchter Festival)
Aug. 28-29: Carson, Calif. (Home Depot Center, w/ Dave Matthews Band)

Source billboard.com.

The eagerly awaited Pixies ‘Best Of’ compilation and career-spanning DVD are to be released in May, coinciding with the band’s reunion tour.

The band’s former label 4AD issue the 23-track compilation Wave Of Mutilation and DVD called Pixies on May 3 (May 4 in the US), Billboard reports. This is shortly after the band’s co-headlining appearance at the Coachella Festival in Indio, California on May 1.

The DVD will feature eight Pixies videos, a 1988 concert taped at London’s Town And Country Club and the documentary Gouge, which features interviews with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, David Bowie and Bono.

The band play their first live shows in 12 years this spring, kicking off in Winnipeg on April 14. The jaunt includes an extensive trawl round the summer European festivals, a couple of dates supporting Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a four-night, sold-out residency at London Brixton Academy.

A statement on the band’s new website pixiesmusic.com states: “The Pixies have rehearsed and they will rehearse again in March in a secret location in Los Angeles.

“Yes, they have decided which tunes they are doing. For the most part, they’ll be doing Pixies ‘ tunes. As for new songs, there’s a Latvian lullaby, a Czech dirge and a Bulgarian ballad.”

Source nme.com.

One of the East Coast’s longest running and most important festivals, Smilefest, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with another diverse and impressive lineup. The 2004 edition, which takes place July 22-25 at Van Hoy Farms in Union Grove, North Carolina, features performances by the Derek Trucks Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, Steve Kimock Band, Burning Spear, Keller Williams, Tony Rice Unit, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Garaj Mahal, and many others.

Once again, Smilefest comes complete with a wide range of activities to complement the three stages of music. An expanded and improved children’s area fosters a family-friendly atmosphere, while the late night cartoon and film corral add entertainment possibilities for the grownups. Community activism also plays an important role at Smilefest, where structures will be built on-site for Habitat for Humanity and voters will be registered in an effort to increase participation in the democratic process. The annual campsite decoration contest will once again be in place, except this time it will be judged by campers themselves. Look for Smilefest’s expanded Web site to launch in the coming weeks. Union Grove, North Carolina, is located on I-77, 12 miles north of Statesville and 60 miles north of Charlotte.

The full list of confirmed acts can be found at www.smilefest.com.

A stellar lineup is in store for one of the biggest roots music events of the year, coming up this spring. This year’s Doheny Heritage Music Festival boasts headliners James Brown and Los Lobos, as well as a staggering array of living legends and contemporary stars.

Taking place May 22-23 in Dana Point, Calif., the affair will feature multiple stages and a delicious assortment of thematic food vendors. In addition to the aforementioned acts, Etta James, Lucinda Williams, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, The Robert Cray Band, Keb’ Mo’, Charlie Musselwhite, The Blind Boys Of Alabama, Koko Taylor, John Mayall and more are confirmed for the weekend fest.

Source pollstar.com.