After enduring one of the longest and most brutal winters the east coast has seen in years, festival season is almost upon us!!!

As much as we’d all like to kick off our shoes and enjoy every festy the summer has to offer, the reality is that with full-time jobs and bills to pay, most of us have to be a bit more selective about the ones we attend.

Because of this, Buntology has enlisted the help of five expert panelists to offer their infinite wisdom and expertise on the subject, and to make sure that YOU get the most bang for your buck this summer… 

Presenting our lovely panelists:

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STRANGE CREEK CAMPOUT (www.wormtown.com)
May 27-30
Greenfield, MA
$90.00

L. Dav: Love love love this small beautiful festival. It has a great vibe and setup and although there are no big-name bands I never fail to have a good time. The music stops for maybe six hours throughout the whole weekend and there’s a bonfire that lasts all night. It’s really an amazing experience and a great way to kick off the summer. I can see myself going to this festival for a very long time!

Mike: Best. festival. ever. Why? Three words: THE FUCKING CABINS.

Xtina: What’s not to love about this cute little intimate fest for Memorial Day weekend? Although they aren’t showing my homeboys DDO the love this year– it’s cool– as with every year, I’m there. Oh yeah and SILENT DISCO again, woop woop!

Angela: I just hope I don’t have a repeat incident with that bag-of-wine like I did last year…

BONNAROO (www.bonnaroo.com)
June 9-12

Manchester, TN
$250.00

Angela: To me, Bonnaroo is the festy for people who never go to festies. Probably the same type of people that listen to OAR and think they’re being really edgy. I mean, there are definitely a ton of bands playing that I love intensely (Man Man, Primus, Lil Wayne… hmm, I guess that’s it), but the lineup is so massive it’s almost absurd. And why the hell would they list Girl Talk in front of Primus on their website? Anyway, like I always say, the biggest reason I’d never go to Bonnaroo is because there’s no way I could do drugs in that kind of heat.

Mike: I just want to say: WTF BONNAROO? Here’s a tip- get Paul McCartney and Outkast to headline next year. You’re welcome.

PHISH SUPER BALL IX (www.superballix.com)
July 1-3
Watkins Glenn, NY
$200.00

Holly O: This is what fans have been waiting for since the band’s triumphant return: a Phish festival in the Northeast. It’s being held over 4^th of July weekend at Watkins Glenn Raceway in New York.

Angela: I’m only being skeptical of this because I know I’m going to shell out the 200 bucks to go, but… can you really call it a “festival” if there is no other music? I love Phish just as much as the next pothead, but do I love them enough to sit and listen to them and only them for three days straight? Eh- probably.

Xtina: This is a no brainer people. I’ll be there.

CAMP BISCO TEN (www.campbisco.net)
July 7-9
Mariaville, NY
$160.00

Holly O: As a die-hard Biscuits fan, it’s no surprise this is #1 on my list of festivals to hit this- and every- summer. I think the lineup is great, but then again I’m into a lot of the more “indie” ba

nds they’ve added this year, and many people in the festival scene may not agree with me there. Besides the stellar lineup, there’s going to be a DFA tent and a larger silent disco area than last year, both should lead to a lot of smiling faces all weekend. Acts I am most excited for: the Biscuits (duh), Cut Copy, Yeasayer, Holy Ghost, and The Magician.

Angela: I was considering going to this for the first time ever, but I’m going to a wedding that weekend so count me out. I’d definitely like to go at some point, though. Lots of good electronic music and that rap shiz that I not-so-secretly love.

L. Dav: I’ve heard good things about this from friends and can imagine all the electronica late-night dance parties would be a blast. But I probably won’t go because Angela has a wedding that weekend.

ALL GOOD (www.allgoodfestival.com)
July 14-17
Masontown, WV
$189.00

Angela: This seems like a solid festy choice if you’re an east-coaster like me and looking for somewhat of a journey. The drive to West Virginia is the perfect road trip (long enough to hit up some rest-stops on the way, but short enough that you don’t want to shoot yourself on the drive home), and I heart heart heart Les Claypool and therefore heart Primus. Besides Primus, the set list is nothing to sneer at with Furthur, moe., Umphrey’s and Keller, to name a few.

Mike: Al

l Good consistently has some of the best lineups around. They know what they are doing and they do it well. That being said, they also get the award for Most Amount of Drugs Confiscated by Security and Then Sold Back to the Concert Attendees by the Promoter. Also get the award for Most Unattended Children. If you go, make sure you stop at Funck’s Family Diner and pick me up a t-shirt.

L. Dav: One of the only things holding me back from this festival is that it is 10 hours away. I only have six vacation days left for the whole year and need to use them sparingly! (My job sucks.) A concern I have with this festival is that they have no overlapping of music. I know it’s so everyone can see all of the bands, but I like having different options and it also makes the stages less crowded.

Xtina: Is it bad that I just want to go to this festival so I can say “it’s aaallll goooodd, maaannn.” Haha, but seriously, I have never been to All Good, and I’m very impressed by the lineup. Ten hours from Boston is a hike, but I’m down for a fun road trip this summer. I am particularly stoked for Furthur, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, and Orgone, who I recently saw in Boston and they were AWESOME.

GATHERING OF THE VIBES (www.gatheringofthevibes.com)
July 21-24
Bridgeport, CT
$205.00

Angela: The biggest “vibe” coming from this festy is sketchiness. But, it is super convenient for me to get to now that Bridgeport is legit just a ferry ride away from where I live. The lineup is also pretty effing dope, with the hands-down biggest draw for me being ELVIS COSTELLO. Oh my GOD would that be incredible. Oh, and if you go to this festy make sure to check out Rubblebucket or you are dumb.

Mike: THIS is the epic festival. No doubt. I was there the year someone got killed in some weird Nitrous Mafia bullshit and I honestly had no idea it even went down. I was camped in family camping, right near the beach, with families of Deadheads in their campers who came from all over the U.S. to spend the weekend together. It’s like a multi-family reunion. We were supposed to be camped somewhere that was a half hour walk to the stage. Fuck that noise. Family camping is a two minute walk to the stage, and the beach, and you don’t have to worry about people being murdered over drugs. Sorry if I just blew up your spot family camping. Oh wait… there are bands, too?? COOL!!! Best lineup of any east coast festival by far. So in short, you can either focus on the sketchiness of everything, or you can focus on the amazingness of it. Your call.

Xtina: Ahh, Vibes. So many mixed emotions. This was my first ever festival many many years ago, and I had an amazing experience. Then, at Vibes ‘09 everything went downhill. Not only did my entire life (i.e. purse) get stolen basically from right underneath my feet, but some extremely shady shit went down.  I’m not going to get into details, but I will say two words- brutal murder. That being said, the lineup this year is pprreetttyyy good so far *cough* Furthur *cough*.

L. Dav: My main attraction to this festival is obviously the whole Grateful Dead vibe. I mean, Furthur, Dark Star, and former Dead drummers Mickey Hart & Bill Kreutzmann’s Rhythm Devils featuring Keller Williams (who I’m also a big fan of) ? Come on. I’ve only been to this festival once and want to give it another shot because I feel as though I was very young and overwhelmed at my first big festival scene- or maybe because I was spun out of reality within 20 minutes of being there. I’m also drawn to being by the water at a festival even though it might not be clean enough to swim in!

THE BIG UP (www.thebigup.com)
July 28-30

Ghent, NY
$90.00

Holly O: A lot of my friends went to this last year and had a blast so I’ve been highly advised to check it out. Seeing as my good buddy Speakerbot just got added to the lineup you can bet I’ll be there. It’s being held on Sunnyview Farm, which is located just after you cross the Massachusetts border into New York, and tickets are only ninety dollars! Can’t really beat that.

Angela: I’ve also heard great things about this festy. And it may be my only chance to see EOTO this summer! Ooooh, Big Gigantic and Dopapod are playing, too? Mama likey. I predict this festival is going to last a really long time and be similar to a Strange Creek-type-thing.

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NATEVA (www.natevafestival.com/)
August 4-7
Oxford, ME
$220.00

Mike: Cancelled. Wompfest 3000.

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JAM AT THE GROVE 5 (www.jamatthegrove.com)
August 12-14

Ottsville, PA
$60.00

Holly O: Another smaller festival, like the Big Up, but this one is only two days and tickets are super cheap! Sixty bucks for the weekend. Conspirator is playing, along with Papadosio, Roots of Creation, Indobox, Speakerbot and many more great acts. Since I’m only able to get so much time off from work, this is a great choice for me and other people who have a 9-5 but still want to be able to catch as many festies as they can.

Overall Thoughts on Festival Season this Year???

Angela: On one hand, we seem to be missing some of the more big-name “epic” festivals this season. On the other hand, lots of small DIY festivals have been cropping up which means cheaper tickets, more late-night music, less sketchiness and overall much more bang for your buck. Then again, I’m probably always going to be spoiled by Rothbury ’09, aka the best experience of my life, so whatever.

L. Dav: Although I only have enough vacation time for one big festival this summer, I know whatever I choose will be amazing because festivals are the best thing ever created! Peace, love, best friends and music all together in one place, babyyyy!!!

Mike: There’s some cool festivals that are farther out there: Wakarusa (best lineup of the festival season), Outside Lands, Summer Camp, Guantanamo Bay Arts and Crafts Festival (didn’t call us back?! Fuck you). But here are some coming up that are focused on some seriously good music:

Camp Creek – August 5-7
Great Bay Music Fest – August 18-20
Sunseeker’s Ball – August 19-21 (Goosepimp Orchestra’s first international fest!!!)

I’m not even going to plug the rest of what we’re doing. Just know that we’re gonna’ murder it wherever we go. Like the Nitrous Mafia. Ooh- too soon?

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To check out what else Holly O has to say over at Headstash Magazine, click here.

To check out Mike’s upcoming shows with his band, Goosepimp Orchestra, click here.