No matter how many wink-wink-legally downloaded songs you have on your Droid, no matter how diamond-encrusted your Beats by Dre cans are, nothing compares to jamming out to the real thing in person. (If for no other reason, the merch, people, that sweet beautiful merch!)
But this summer, instead of your usual Warped Tour/Lollapalooza concert hajj, try a little something more off the grid. Pick a genre, any genre, and you’ll find something weird and wild out there to aurally please you.
So scrape the rust off your crowd-surfing and mosh-pitting skills — here, five concerts that’ll earn you indie props from the harshest Coachella-hating college radio snob.
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest
San Jose, Calif.; Aug. 8 to 10
When she’s not busy video-bombing newscasts, Erykah Badu has an alter ego known as DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown — and her royal headwrapness will be headlining the one event a year that makes Silicon Valley cool.
Joining her at the 25th annual shindig: soul-jazz pianist Kris Bowers, Bay Area fave Ledisi, a “Salute to Armando Peraza” featuring the Poncho Sanchez Band (and guests) and label showcases from Stones Throw Records and Motéma Music.
If you know just one of those names — and we triple-dog-dare you to try — you’ll be among friends. Swing beats and blue notes not your thing? There will also be plenty of Latin and salsa performers, too, or so they promise.
Three-day passes from $55;
Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam
Panama City Beach, Fla.; Aug. 29-31
Fixin’ on rocking out to the soothing twangs of Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich, Randy Houser, Cassadee Pope and other missing-my-ex/dog types at this second annual go-’round?
Reckon you better lock down lodging well ahead of time — some 15,000 country-music fans are expected to join you. Many will be caterwauling about not having a place to rest their hats. Put your book-learnin’ skills to good use on visitpanamacitybeach.com and book now.
Three-day passes from $139.
Berkleefest
Stowe, Vt.; July 26 and Aug. 30
That’s Berklee as in the music college in Boston, not the way-more-pretentiously spelled Top Dog- and Amoeba Music-serving hippie colony out west.
Nevertheless, head-shop enthusiasts will be here, too, at this first-time team-up between the school and Topnotch Resort. (The pride of the Green Mountains is even funding scholarships to Berklee.) Eight up-and-coming newbie bands will span the entire music spectrum, repping pop and rock to jazz and Latin, “rain or shine” (free poncho handouts guaranteed if need be).
Day 1: the Frotations, Nikolas Metaxas, Arielle Vakni and Damn Tall Buildings; Day 2: Great Caesar, Bigfoot Wallace, Grey Season and Will Gittens will hold court.
The best part is it’s totally free, not counting the ample craft beer and gourmet snackage on hand.
Summer Night Concert Series
Vancouver, BC; Aug. 16-Sept. 1
If you think Boyz II Men must be Boyz II Centrum Silver-poppers at this point, think again. They’re one of several groups headlining this free-with-admission concert series at the Fair at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE).
Other headliners will include Phillip Philips, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Leann Rimes and Gipsy Kings. Come for the “I’ll Make Love to You” renditions, stay for PNE’s new “Game of Thrones” exhibit.
‘Rave On!’ A Tribute to the Songs of Buddy Holly
Auburn, NY; Sept. 12
It’s easy to hear the words “husband and wife duet” and run for zee hills. But Pete and Maura Kennedy are no Marty Culp and Bobbi Moughan-Culp, no sir.
They’re just a couple of “organic rockers” from New York, most famous for their “Byrds-inspired jangle,” who are gracing the Auburn Public Theater with their co-ed harmonies and a love for Buddy Holly. They’re paying tribute to the late bespectacled singer-songwriter during an 8 p.m. show.
Move over, Weezer! Tickets are $20.