Festival goers were pissed when Kanye West’s set was delayed for more than two hours. I would be too. He requested a late night performance at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee but did not go on when he was scheduled. The festival crowd responded by chanting “Kanye sucks” and throwing glow sticks at the stage. What’s up with Kanye and glow sticks anyways?

He was supposed to take the main stage at 2:45 a.m. on Sunday morning. The concert goers were getting sleepy and waiting for West to come on stage. A message on the jumbotrons told them his show would be delayed until 3:15 a.m. and when that didn’t happen, 3:30 a.m.

West didn’t actually get on stage until 4:25 a.m. because there were problems setting up his elaborate stage set. The set included an interplanetary landscape, wavy black platform, slanted floor in the middle and a video screen above for his galactic themed concert… complete with a spaceship. At Bonnaroo, really?

Most of the crowd were mad and lost energy and returned to their camp sites. During his performance the morning light came out to show the crowd had disappeared. The crowd was still upset the next day and were encouraged by other bands to continue the “Kanye sucks” chant. Poor Kanye.

I’m sick of the Reggae on the River vs. Reggae Rising feud and the negative vibes from the production companies. Boycotting while your floating down the river - seriously? Peace and love, man. I’m happy to announce that the 2nd year of Reggae Rising has A TON of performers. Here’s some highlights of the line up (view the rest & purchase tickets/camping at http://reggaerising.com/artist.php) :

• Junior Reid
• Julian Marley
• Don Carlos
• Collie Buddz
• Gentleman
• Mr. Vegas
• Rebelution
• Sizzla
• Turbulence
• UB40

Keep checking for new performers and buy your tickets soon before prices skyrocket! There’s surely somethin’ for all you festies out there and Butte Creek and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s will be there for all the Chico folk. Bring your birks, have yo mama teach you how to Sufi dance & get ready for a week-long fiesta.

Here’s a video of the scene so all you Reggae virgins know what to expect …

Today, 5/1, is May Day. I, like most people I know, don’t know jack shit about May Day, except that “Mayday!” is the thing you’re supposed to shout into your intercom when your WWII fighter jet gets shot down. So I’ve decided to do a little investigating for educational purposes while I sift through SonicBids bands all hoping for a spot on our Band of the Day post.

As it turns out, May Day is about the most burly awesome pagan holiday ever. For the Irish Gaelics and Ancient Celts, May Day is also known as Beltane, a Fertility Rites of Spring Festival/Orgy.

I actually tried to spark a Beltane ritual a few years back at the Oregon Country Fair….despite it being July and two months past its time. I ended up with 3rd degree burns on my feet after taking mushrooms and fire walking. True story. Wrote a song about it. Look into that shit, you might get a few hippie chicks to do some fun pagan stuff with you.

Anyway, so I know what I’m planning on doing tonight, after my eight hour work day, thanks to International Workers Day, which also corresponds with 5/1.

From Wikipedia:

The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian Europe, as in the Celtic celebration of Beltane, and the Walpurgis Night of the Germanic countries. Many pre-Christian indigenous celebrations were eventually banned or Christianized during the process of Christianization in Europe. As a result, a more secular version of the holiday continued to be observed in the schools and churches of Europe well into the 20th century. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the Maypole and crowning of the Queen of the May. Today various Neopagan groups celebrate reconstructed (to varying degrees) versions of these customs on 1 May.

The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of Spring, May 1 was the first day of summer; hence, the summer solstice on June 25 (now June 21) was Midsummer. In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary’s month, and in these circles May Day is usually a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this connection, in works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary’s head will often be adorned with flowers. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of “May baskets,” small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbors’ doorsteps.[2]

As previously mentioned, Sub Pop has been planning a little party for their 20th anniversary. Rumors circulate, but now, Sub Pop has made an official announcement. From their press release:

In unabashedly conspicuous celebration of 20 years of not going out of business (sometimes only barely), Seattle’s Sub Pop Records will gather past and present label-mates for a series of events, including a two-day festival at Marymoor Park on July 12 & 13 and a comedy show on July 11 at Seattle’s Moore Theatre. Proceeds from the sale of tickets will go to support beneficiaries of each participating act’s choosing. Tickets go on sale April 26 at 12 PM Pacific at SubPop.com and all Ticketmaster locations.

Confirmed performers include Iron & Wine, Kiwi comedy/rock duo Flight of the Conchords and influential grunge band Green River will make a reunion. Performers for the comedy show include Patton Oswalt, Eugene Mirman, Todd Barry and surprise guests. Sub Pop promises more performer announcements in the coming months as well as special guests.

Tickets go on sale and noon Pacific, April 26th at Subpop.com, Ticketmaster.com or by calling (206) 628-0888. And they’re not even that expensive. Early discount tickets will cost $30 for a one-day pass, $50 for two days; prices will increase to $35 and $60 respectively after May 10th. Comedy show tickets are $20 and available starting the same day and via the same venues. A full list of confirmed bands performing after the jump.
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Curious about the lineup for the Austin City Limits Music Festival 2008? Well here’s your chance to find out. Listen to the ACL Lineup-Mashup from Car Stereo (Wars) and see how many artists you can decipher. The mashed-up song features 29 of the130 total artists on the 2008 bill. How many can you name???

Click here to listen to the ACL Lineup-Mashup 2008

Festival Radness Alert! SF Outside Lands, which will be held at Golden gate park in San Francisco from August 22nd - 24th, has announced their headliners: Radiohead. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Jack Johnson.

You know they’re going to announce some more rad additions; this is a three-day festival so those three will probably just be the tip of the iceberg, but one hell of a tip that is: Tom Petty and Thom Yorke? Do you really need any more?

Well, more couldn’t hurt. Be sure to check back at www.sfoutsidelands.com in the coming weeks for more news.