If Ben Folds and T-Pain weren’t exactly your thing, summer is the perfect time to catch up on live music. From the hip-hop groove of Philadelphia’s Roots Picnic to the pre-teen-flooded, punk-pop scene at New Jersey’s Bamboozle, there are dozens of East Coast festivals to suit any and every taste. The Daily Orange staff picks the concerts we’ll be trekking to this summer.

ILLINOIS

Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago

July 17-19

$35 for a one-day pass, $60 for a two-day pass, $75 for a three-day pass

Pitchfork isn’t the only festival that attracts acts like the Flaming Lips, Jesus Lizard and Yo La Tengo. It is, however, the only festival that lets the audience choose those bands’ set lists. The indie scene go-to guys at Pitchfork Media have titled the 2009 series ‘Write the Night: Set Lists by Request,’ and concertgoers can vote for their favorite songs online before the bands play them at the festival. Basically, both the bands and the songs you want to hear will be in full force at Pitchfork. The National, M83 and Wavves will also perform, among others – they’ll pick their own sets, unfortunately.

– Jennifer Littman, jmlittma@syr.edu

MICHIGAN

Rothbury Music Festival, Rothbury, Mich.

July 2-5

$149.50 for July 4-5, $249.50 for July 2-5

Rothbury is more than a music festival – organizers claim it’s a ‘sustainable camping festival revolution!’ The lineup this year certainly merits that claim, with performances by Bob Dylan, The Black Crowes, Gov’t Mule, Matisyahu, John Butler, Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley and Nas, to name a few. Most notably, The Dead will be playing its only summer concert, and String Cheese Incident will play its only show of the year.

– Peter Slavish, pwslavis@syr.edu

NEW JERSEY

The Bamboozle, East Rutherford, N.J.

May 1-3

$27-$57 for a one-day pass, $116 for a three-day pass

Now in its fifth year, The Bamboozle has grown to be the premier punk-pop festival on the East Coast. A two-day affair held at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, the festival features headliners Fall Out Boy and No Doubt, as well as performances by Taking Back Sunday, Third Eye Blind and Rise Against. This year the format has expanded to include a comedy tent, as well as amusement park games and rides. Despite the hefty three-day price tag, kids ages 11 to 25 will still flock to it.

– Darren Bleckner, drbleckn@syr.edu

All Points West, Jersey City, N.J.

July 31-Aug. 1

$89 for one day, $199 for a three-day pass

Marketed as the East Coast’s answer to Coachella, the second All Points West Festival will top last year’s Radiohead performances by providing three arena-packing headliners and a host of alternative and indie acts. Beastie Boys, Tool and Coldplay are scheduled to perform, as well as MGMT, Arctic Monkeys and Vampire Weekend. APW promises better transportation to Liberty State Park, quicker beer lines and more side attractions, including comedy acts, in its second year.

– Darren Bleckner, drbleckn@syr.edu

PHILADELPHIA

Roots Picnic, Philadelphia

June 6

$47.50 presale, $51.00 day of show

The legendary Roots will be headlining the second annual Roots Picnic in the band’s hometown of Philadelphia. The all-day event will pack tons of top hip-hop and Afrobeat acts onto two stages, with big names like Santigold, TV on the Radio, the Black Keys and Public Enemy on the main stage, and Kid Cudi and Asher Roth on a second stage. DJs Cash Money and Jazzy Jazz will spin between sets.

– Peter Slavish, pwslavis@syr.edu

TENNESSEE

Bonnaroo Festival

Manchester, Tenn.

June 11-14

$224.50 – $249.50

Whether you’re into music, comedy or methamphetamines, the legendary Bonnaroo Festival undoubtedly has something to offer. Bruce Springstein and the E Street Band headline the marathon three-day festival in the middle of Tennessee, which also features performances by diverse acts like Jimmy Fallon, David Byrne, Wilco, Elvis Costello, Snoop Dogg, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Girl Talk and Animal Collective. In fact, Bonnaroo thinks it’s so awesome that you’ll risk your life or health to get there: Its Web site, www.bonnaroo.com, includes a super sketchy ride-share finder and a work-for-tickets program.

– Caitlin Dewey, cedewey@syr.edu

Published on April 27, 2009 at 12:00 pm