For one weekend in June, folks from all across the nation will descend upon Dover in a Passion Pit of indie rock aficionados, Manufactured Superstars and Leagues of other music fans, all geared up to enjoy a Royal Concept in the summer music festival scene.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, we know you know already: The 2013 Firefly Music Festival lineup was released today, three days before the mad dash to snap up passes takes off.
This year’s bash is the second time around for Firefly, and while many may argue (and rightfully so) that the inaugural festival left big, muddy shoes to fill, one look at this year’s lineup will have the choosiest of tuneheads feeling like a kid on Christmas morning.
This year’s fest adds upwards of 20 bands to 2012’s 48 scheduled performances across four stages at the Woodlands of Dover International Speedway, and the lineup includes a great mix of bands and artists you have and haven’t heard, spanning EDM, folk rock, rap, electro-pop and other genres.
The most recognizable names among the 71 performers include headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, as well as Calvin Harris and Dispatch, but as these festivals go, the gems among set lists are what you haven’t heard on the radio from up-and-coming performers like Delta Rae, Kendrick Lamar, the Joy Formidable and Imagine Dragons.
Delaware’s own Spinto Band also gets a piece of the action too, supporting their recently released album, Cool Cocoon, which is sure to get some play during their performance. And speaking of local favorites, we can’t wait to see what unfolds under the Dogfish tent.
If you couldn’t get tickets for recent (and sold-out) Philly performances by Ellie Goulding, Imagine Dragons and the Lumineers (who did get these tickets?), don’t fret: They’re also making appearances this year at Firefly, along with Twenty One Pilots and Matt & Kim, who played the Radio 104.5 Winter Jam at the Piazza in Philly last month.
Also scheduled is LA’s eclectic 10-member group Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, who are set to release their third album this March. Culled from Here’s leftovers, the upcoming album will be “far more rambunctious” said frontman Alex Ebert in a Billboard interview last September, and we can’t wait to see how that energy will lend itself to a live performance at what’s certain to be a delightfully less-than-civilized weekend.
The full lineup is available at fireflyfestival.com, and tickets go on sale Thursday, Feb. 21. FYI, anyone who buys tickets online before 11:59 p.m. will be entered to win one of 20 free VIP upgrades, but don’t let that be your only motivation. Tickets are expected to drain quickly, and with a lineup like this, it’s not hard to see why.
