Sure, the weather’s changing, but that doesn’t mean we have to pack up our festival gear and give up that sacred music-marathon pastime just yet. A handful of festivals still promise to deliver some unforgettable weekend adventures, with events happening all around the country through the rest of 2015.
Whether you’re a dance addict, a rocker or an indie kid, there’s still quite a bit of gold to be found in our 2015 Fall Festival Guide.
San Francisco, CA
October 17-18
The Treasure Island Music Festival (TIMF) has given its incredible 2015 lineup a serious boost with the new addition of Big Grams, the newly formed collaborative project between critically acclaimed artists Phantogram and Big Boi.
The ninth annual incarnation of the festival will host the first scheduled public performance for the new group playing a full set, while Saturday’s headliner Deadmau5 will be performing for the first time in San Francisco since 2011. FKA twigs, recently added to the lineup, will be accompanied by STS9, Run The Jewels, Gorgon City (Live), Hudson Mohawke and more to round out the sounds of Saturday. The National are set to headline on Sunday with captivating sets planned by Chvrches, The War On Drugs, Father John Misty, Panda Bear, Jose Gonzalez, Deerhunter, Drive Like Jehu, who haven’t played the Bay Area in over two decades, and more.
Sacramento, CA
October 24-25
There’s a different energy around Rock these days, a retuning notion that a central power can be found when the subgenres split their differences and join forces. That’s precisely what’s cooking for Aftershock 2015, when the hard-rock likes of Marilyn Manson, Clutch, Slipknot and Coheed & Cambria share a bill with alt-rock heroes Jane’s Addiction, Faith No More, Eagles of Death Metal, Failure and others.
This year’s Rock marathon will be in a new location:Gibson Ranch, just outside Sacramento. The Oct. 24-25 festival will also include live, in-ring matches featuring WWE’s NXT Superstars, and all parties are ready to throw the hell down.
Slipknot’s Corey Taylor says, “We are really looking forward to playing Aftershock in Sacramento! A lot of great bands–can’t wait to see everyone, from Manson to Clutch. Sacramento won’t know what hit it when me and my friends are through.”
Deftones’ Chino Moreno says, “We’re looking forward to being one of the headliners at Aftershock this year and performing in our hometown. It’s always special to return to the city that made us.”
New Orleans, LA
October 30- November 1
The Voodoo Music + Arts Experience is a three day throwdown in New Orleans every Halloween weekend, and the fest takes pride in its spooky goodness.
Amid City Park’s lush lagoons and oak trees, this year’s packed bill features Florence + the Machine and Jack Ü as Friday’s headliners. Ozzy Osbourne with Geezer Butler, Tom Morello, and Slash headline Saturday, while Zac Brown Band and Deadmau5 top the lineup on Sunday. Chance the Rapper, Jane’s Addiction, Modest Mouse, Santigold, Jason Isbell and Third Eye Blind will also make appearances.
Head to the fest’s website to check out the full bill.
Tempe, AZ
October 30- November 1
If you’d rather skip the NOLA madness on Halloween, you can head to Arizona, where veterans Santana, John Fogerty and others will play on Devil’s Night, prior to prog heroes Tool, Deftones, Linkin Park, Puscifer and Rob Zombie delivering what’s sure to be an unforgettable Halloween experience full of hijinks, costumed horror and musical copulation.
Hurry and buy your tickets though, Saturday is already sold out. And if you see Maynard, ask him what the hell is up with the new Tool album already, will ya?
Austin, TX
November 6-8
We love Austin, as evidenced by our long history of musical ass-kicking through SXSW and Austin City Limits over the years. But Fun Fun Fun Fest is a 5-stage blast worth the late-season trip, celebrating 10 years by actually featuring bands that aren’t on every other festival lineup this year. Headliners include the Wu-Tang Clan, D’Angelo and Jane’s Addiction, the latter of which will perform their 1990 LP Ritual de lo Habitual in full.
Other acts include Gogol Bordello, who will play their 2005 Gypsy Punk, Venom and the reunited D.C. hardcore band Dag Nasty, as well as Rae Sremmurd, Chromeo, Chvrches, Cheap Trick, NOFX, Grimes, Future Islands, Coheed & Cambria and Schoolboy Q.
South Lake Tahoe, CA
December 29-31
South Lake Tahoe turns into a winter wonderland throwdown as Snowglobe brings tens of thousands of music fans to the California/Nevada border town for a killer outdoor winterfest to ring in the new year.
EDM superheroes Diplo and Skrillex are bringing their collaborative project Jack Ü out to headline, along with Dillon Francis and Australian dance champ Chet Faker, Duke Dumont, Bay Area rapper E-40, Alison Wonderland, Lane 8, Claude Von Stroke, Justin Martin, J.Phlip, and Justin Jay.
This year will be the 5th iteration of the South Lake Tahoe festival, the largest New Years’ music event in Northern California.
