Monday, January 12, 2015

Bonnaroo: Our Predictions

This year's Bonnaroo lineup is coming within the next 24 hours. The festival is announcing a month early this year, putting a dent into our plans to do a full-scale lineup prediction as with Coachella (wait 'til next year!). Still, we think we've done a pretty good job below with the headliners, subheadliners and top-billed undercard acts, many but not all of whom have leaked out already...

Headliners
Billy Joel
Deadmau5
Florence and the Machine
Kendrick Lamar
Lorde
Mumford & Sons
(...and we think the acts above and below just may join together to perform as the New Basement Tapes, perhaps with Bob Dylan himself)
My Morning Jacket
Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters

Top Undercard Acts
Alabama Shakes
alt-j
Bassnectar
Belle and Sebastian
Ben Harper and Innocent Criminals
Bleachers
Caribou
Charli XCX
Craig Ferguson (or Chad Smith and Will Ferrell)
D'Angelo (with the Roots?)
Death Cab for Cutie
Death from Above 1979 
Decemberists
Earth Wind & Fire
Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell (or Merle Haggard)
Flying Lotus
Future Islands
Hot Chip
Jenny Lewis
Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood
Modest Mouse
Ratatat
Refused
Run the Jewels
Rya Adams
St. Vincent
Sturgill Simpson
Tame Impala
The War on Drugs
TV on the Radio
Weezer

A quick follow-up on several recent posts

Jazz Fest's "TBA" ... (and?) the Stones? 
The Jazz Fest lineup is out and we did fairly well in our predictions, naming all six announced top headliners, and the days on which five will perform, as well as a good number of additional big-name acts, though we were wrong about one or two, like Neil Diamond. 

A bit of lineup intrigue remains, however, as the top act on the closing Sunday of Jazz Fest remains "TBA." That act is not necessarily the main-stage closer for the day, as that honor at the early-ending festival (which ends at 7PM daily, though it informally continues all night in New Orleans' clubs) appears to be awarded this year to the original lineup of seminal funkateers The Meters. We don't rule out the possibility that that band will ultimately be the opening act for a much bigger one, namely the Rolling Stones, with whom the extended Meters family shares several connections. Still, as said earlier, we don't expect the Stones to play Jazzfest, and we still await an announcement regarding a possible appearance at Rock in Rio, to come as soon as tomorrow. 

Rather than the Stones, we think that the unnamed act will most likely be drawn from the headliner names we've mentioned already, including Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and possibly Stevie Wonder or the aforementioned Diamond. Dylan could appear with the New Basement Tapes band including members of Dawes, Mumford & Sons, and My Morning Jacket, or instead present his upcoming reworkings of Frank Sinatra material, reportedly set for a short-run presentation on Broadway some time this year. Frequent canceler Aretha Franklin is another possibility, as might be the still-questionable return of D'Angelo or perhaps the always unpredictable Lauryn Hill. We also don't rule out the possibility that Bruce Springsteen could return for the second year in a row and third time in four years, but that seems rather unlikely, and we hear that he may be set for another festival this year (more on that later). We also can't quite see AC/DC appearing at what remains a festival of America's musical heritage, even one that has presented harder rock headliners in recent years.

The Dead... only briefly alive? Phish swims North, and More...
A brief word of follow-up on our post about the Grateful Dead reunion. While there is hope for several appearances by the reunited band this year as described below, we also hear word that the planned Chicago stand may be it for the band's reunion this year. Meanwhile, that development may have put the kibosh on those planned Phish gigs at Wrigley Field this Summer. Instead, the band looks headed to the Alpine Valley Music Theatre near Milwaukee, where they may join a lineup including JImmy Buffett, the Dave Matthews Band (July 4th weekend; those dates and the rest of the band's Summer tour will be announced tomorrow), and the Zac Brown Band, all set to appear at the big amphitheater this Summer. 

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Jazz Fest 2015


Tomorrow is announcement day for two big festivals on the Gulf Coast. We'll leave aside the lineup for Gulf Shores, AL's Hangout Festival, but the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival occupies a special place in our hearts. We think this year's top acts, pop, rock, and jazz, will include the following:

Elton John (2nd Sat)
The Who (1st Sat)
possibly one of the following: Jimmy Buffett, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder
Tony Bennett (and Lady Gaga?) (1st wknd)
Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea (1st wknd)
Neil Diamond (1st Sun)
Steve Winwood (2nd wknd)
No Doubt (2nd Fri)
Dr. John
Wilco (1st Fri or 2nd Sun)
My Morning Jacket and/or Widespread Panic (Thu?)
Steely Dan
George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic
Eric Burdon and the Animals (2nd wknd)
T.I. (2nd Sat)
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (2nd Sun)
Robert Cray (1st wknd)
Bobby Rush (with Take Me to the River?) (2nd wknd)
Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn (1st Sun)
Jimmie Vaughan (1st wknd)
Diana Krall (2nd wknd)
Neutral Milk Hotel (2nd wknd)
Terence Blanchard and/or Branford Marsalis
Delbert McClinton (second Sunday)
Chris Botti (2nd wknd)
Brian Blade and Fellowship Band (2nd wknd)
Cowboy Mouth
Hozier (2nd wknd)
Reverend Horton Heat (2nd wknd)
Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys

Some maybes: Andrew McMahon, Angus & Julia Stone, Beck, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, D'Angelo, Eli Young Band, the Grateful Dead, Ben Harper and Innocent Criminals, Kings of Leon, Tame Impala, Tim McGraw, Joshua Redman, Usher, The War on Drugs, Cassandra Wilson

Some possibile-but-unlikelies: AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac

50 and Counting, the Stones to Roll and Dead to be Grateful again in 2015

The next week may see announcements of two big-time appearances by bands that are part of rock history.

Stones in Vegas, NYC, and London?
The Rolling Stones' 50 and counting tour will roll on in 2015, and likely return to the U.S. South America was to be up first this Spring, but that has been deferred to the Fall, we believe to allow for a brief visit to North America. 

What's the play in the USA for this big(gest)-name band? We think it may be Rock in Rio in Las Vegas this May. While we cannot confirm that a contract has been signed, it is our understanding that the Stones have been in talks with the festival's big-spending promoters, and we would not be surprised if their appearance at the already big-name festival gets announced some time this week. We think they would open the festival's "rock" weekend on May 8th, or maybe close its "pop" one on May 16th.

If the Stones do return stateside, we also expect several arena shows in New York City and possibly another location or two, in either the Spring or the early Fall. If the former, we could see the band make a return to the historic Ed Sullivan Theater during David Letterman's final days on the air. 

As for other American festivals, those are less likely - don't expect the Stones at Bonnaroo (about which we'll have more to say later in the next day or so), while a side or guest appearance is likelier than a headlining slot at Jazz Fest in New Orleans. We do, however, expect the Stones to return to London's Hyde Park this Summer with an appearance at the British Summer Time festival there, and additional European shows may include a visit to Wembley Stadium. 

The Dead to Soldier on and Lock in Again
2015 also brings the 50th anniversary of what may be America's greatest rock band, the Grateful Dead. They too will reunite this year, under their own name for the first time in 20 years, we believe. While Jerry Garcia cannot be replaced, a rotating cast of like-minded guitarists including former Jefferson Airplane member Jorma Kaukonen, former Allman Brother Warren Haynes, and Trey Anastasio of Phish will attempt to evoke his spirit. Sometime Dead member Bruce Hornsby will return at keyboards as well. 

As with the Stones, don't expect a full-scale tour, but rather a small number of appearances at select venues. First up appears to be a July 4th weekend stand featuring Anastasio and possibly other guitarists at Soldier Field in Chicago, site of the final Grateful Dead concert in 1995. We expect an announcement of those three concerts this week.

Soldier Field is likely to be the biggest or even only reunion appearance by the band this Summer, but we don't rule out an additional stop or two at a smaller outdoor amphitheater like the iconic Red Rocks in Colorado. At least one festival appearance is likely as well, but the jam-band festival Lockn', which drew 30,000 to central Virginia in September 2014, looks a bit likelier than a major festival like Bonnaroo (though we don't rule out an appearance there too), which has broadened well beyond its jam-band roots. Lockn's promoters would like to draw Phish as well, but we think that's unlikely, as Phish will host its own "festival" (with no other acts) this August (21-23) at Watkins Glen International Raceway, where it previously drew 35,000 in 2011. 

There will certainly also be a Dead appearance in their native Bay Area some time this year. Top billing at the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival in August is possible, but likelier is a residency later in the year at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, named for the band's famous late promoter, possibly after a summer gig at the Bay Area's Shoreline Amphitheater. We also expect appearances in the Dead's second home of New York City, probably at Madison Square Garden this Fall. 

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

We're Having a (Governors) Ball

Hot on the heels of today's Coachella lineup drop (we accurately predicted, to varying degrees of confidence, about 75 of this year's acts, including all three headliners) comes the next big announcement from festival-land. We are now mere hours away from the announcement out of New York City of the 2015 Governors Ball lineup, which promises to rival the great festival in the desert. And that's just one of several big announcements that may come in just the next week or so, including Bonnaroo, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the rest of the Rock in Rio Las Vegas lineup.

Our Gov Ball predictions are briefer and far more hastily-prepared than those for Coachella, with lesser attention to the depths of the undercard, and leaning heavily on the festival's own hints, but we will throw them into the ring for your delectation nevertheless. In alphabetical order, with headliner-level acts highlighted, and a few question marks and surprises saved for the end...

Action Bronson
A-Trak
Big Freedia
Bjork
The Black Keys
Brett Dennen
Built to Spill
Cage the Elephant
Charli XCX
Courtney Barnett
Death Cab for Cutie
Drake
Fishbone
Flume
Future Islands
Gorgon City
Hot Chip
Jessie J
Kaskade (or Calvin Harris?)
Kidnap Kid
Lana del Rey
Little Dragon
London Souls
Lorde
Madeon
Marina and the Diamonds
Moby
My Morning Jacket
Parquet Courts
Passion Pit
Purity Ring
Ratatat
Sleater-Kinney
St. Vincent and/or Tune-Yards
Tame Impala
Twin Shadow
The War on Drugs
Zella Day

Acts we doubt would return so soon: Avett Brothers, The Dead Weather, Kendrick Lamar, Modest Mouse, Portugal. the Man

A few wild-card possibilities: Courtney Love, Robert Plant, Refused, Smashing Pumpkins, and the wildest of all... the reunion of Sonic Youth?!

Stay tuned for more festival predictions in the days ahead!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Coachella 2015: Our Predictions

Here, after much too long a wait, is our educated guess at the 2015 Coachella lineup, which we expect to drop within the next two weeks, and perhaps imminently. Stay tuned...

The Headliners (or high-billed Subheadliners):

AC/DC or Kanye West
Drake
Jack White (as the Dead Weather?)
...and maybe Coldplay, or one of the asterisked artists below

Scroll down to the bottom of this post for an in-depth discussion of our headliner picks, and several more names we think might make a surprise appearance on the poster.

The Undercard (* for artists that could get elevated to headliner status):
Alesso
Alt-j
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
Angel Olsen
Angus & Julia Stone
Annie Mac
Antemasque
Atmosphere
Autechre and/or Aphex Twin
Avicii*
Axwell /\ Ingrosso
Bad Religion
Baths
Belle and Sebastian
Benjamin Booker
Bleachers
Brand New
Carl Cox
Cedric Gervais
Charli XCX
Chet Faker
Clark (weekend 2)
Clean Bandit
Cold War Kids
Dada Life
D'Angelo
Danny Tenaglia
Datsik 
Death Cab for Cutie*
Death From Above 1979 and/or MSTRKRFT
Deltron 3030
Die Antwoord
Dimitri Vegas + Like Mike
DJ Dodger Stadium
Djemba Djemba
Eagles of Death Metal
Erol Alkan
Excision
Ex Hex
Faith No More
Father John Misty
FKA Twigs
Flake Music
Flying Lotus
Garbage
The Gaslamp Killer
Gaz Coombes
George Ezra
Glass Animals
Gramatik 
Grizfolk
The Handsome Family
Hot Natured and/or Jamie Jones 
Hozier
Interpol
J. Cole 
Jenny Lewis
Jessie J 
Joey Bada$$ 
Jungle
Kaiser Chiefs  
Kiesza
King Tuff
The Kooks
Kygo
Landlady
The Libertines
London Grammar
Low
Mac deMarco
Made in Heights
Marilyn Manson
Mew
Milky Chance
Neneh Cherry
Nero
Nightmares on Wax
Oliver 
Panama
Panda Bear
Parquet Courts and/or Perfect Pussy
Party Favor
Pete Tong
Pond
Porter Robinson
The Presets
The Prodigy
RAC 
Rainer Maria
The Reverend Horton Heat
Ride
Royal Blood
Run the Jewels
Ryan Adams
Ryn Weaver
San Fermin
SBTRKT
Slowdive
Sohn
Sonny & The Sunsets
Spoon
St. Vincent
Stromae
Sylvan Esso
TJR
Todd Terje
Torche
Tove Lo
Tuxedo 
Twenty One Pilots
Two Gallants
Tyler, the Creator
Until the Ribbon Breaks
Volbeat
The War on Drugs
The Weeknd
Wilco*
Wildcat Wildcat
Wolfgang Gartner
Young the Giant 
Zhu 

...and some more possibilities we'll name with lesser confidence or significant doubt - 1-800-Dinosaur, 2 Live Crew, a-Ha, Amtrac, Angel Haze, A$AP Rocky, Asgeir, Azealia Banks, Babes in Toyland, Baroness, Bassjackers, Ben Harper and Innocent Criminals, The Blood Brothers, Bondax, Brandon Flowers, Brody Dalle, Broods, Cashmere Cat, Chelsea Wolfe, Coasts, Cobra Starship, Culture Club, Delicate Steve, The Dandy Warhols, DJ Snake, DJ Snoopadelic, Electric Six, Erasure, Failure, Falcons, Frank Ocean, Glassjaw, Green Velvet, Har Mar Superstar, Imagine Dragons, Jungle Brothers, Junior Prom, K. Flay, Kasabian, Kaskade, Kelela, The Kinks, L7, Laidback Luke, Las Krudas, Lincoln Jesser, Los Angeles Police Department, Low Litas, Luke James, Lydia, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Mark Ronson, Matthew Dear/Audion, Meaux Green, The Mercy Beat, Mighty Oaks, Miguel, Mirel Wagner, Museum of Love, My Crazy Girlfriend, My Morning Jacket, Mystery Skulls, New Pornographers, Nosaj Thing, Odesza, Oliver Heldens, The Orwells, Porcelain Black, R3hab, Rae Sremmurd, Raury, Robert Plant, Royksopp, Rusty Maples, Screaming Females, Sia, Simian Mobile Disco, Sky Ferreira, The Soft Moon, The Soulsavers, Streets of Laredo, Swans, SZA, T. Mills, Tears for Fears, Television, Thomas Jack, Tiƫsto, Tobacco, TOKiMONSTA, T-Pain, Two Fresh, Tune-Yards, Underworld, Vacationer, Vance Joy, Wiz Khalifa, W&W, Zella Day

About those headliners...
Before we get into the who, we'l start with the how many. in an age of audience fragmentation, with fewer and fewer major touring acts, Coachella has begun to depart from its traditional single headliner dominating each night of the festival. Both 2011 and 2013 featured a fourth headliner sharing top billing on one of the nights, with The Strokes and Kanye West doubling up four years ago, and blur and The Stone Roses trading top billing two years back. We think there is a good chance that the odd-year trend continues, and we would not be surprised if it happens on more than one night in 2015. On to the big names.

Jack White (with The Dead Weather?)
in the wake of two recent releases under his own name, Jack White has stepped out and up as a solo artist, graduating through subheadlining spots at Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, and Austin City Limits in 2012 to prime time at Bonnaroo in 2014. The only major festival left for him to conquer is Coachella, and we expect he'll do just that in 2015. His tour schedule certainly points in that direction, with a big-time gig headlining Madison Square Garden in New York City late this month and dates across the South and Southwest that stop abruptly at Las Vegas, just short of the territory governed by the festival's exclusivity clause (we don't count a planned February appearance at the $1500-a-plate MusiCares industry gala dinner). Our only question is whether Jack is a big enough act to headline alone, or whether the festival wants to hold out for a future White Stripes reunion. While we have a good deal of confidence that he'll be on the poster, we think he might appear again as a subheadliner with The Dead Weather, set to release a new record sometime in the middle of the year, or, more likely, on a shared top line with an act like... 

Drake (with Special Guests) 
Since Jay-Z conquered Coachella in 2010, at least one big-name artist from the hiphop world has appeared at or near the top of the bill in every subsequent year - Kanye West in 2011, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg (with a raft of special guests) in 2012, the Wu-Tang Clan as subheadliner along with a reunited Jurassic 5 in 2013, and Outkast in 2014. We expect that trend to continue in 2015, and regard rising superstar Drake, set to release his new album in April, as perhaps the likeliest candidate for a variety of reasons including the fact that he's besties with the former CEO of Coachella parent AEG Live. Drake would also be an age-appropriate lure for the young audience sought by the festival - where Kanye is 37, Andre, Big Boi, and "Fitty" 39, Eminem 42, Snoop and Method Man 43, Jay 45, and Dre 49, "Drizzy" is a mere 28. That age, however, may be a double-edged sword, as more established rappers and rockers may have a certain droit du seigneur that drops Drake to a less prime spot like that occupied in 2014 by "Happy" hitmaker Pharrell, who subheadlined while the arguably less popular Outkast took top billing. Still, we think that Drake is a headlining act, and expect him, like Pharrell, to bring along a good number of special guests to flesh out his stage presence, including potential big names like Lil Wayne (maybe), 50 Cent+G-Unit, Eminem (a potential headliner himself), Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, Miguel, quite possibly Stevie Wonder, and, if he is not headlining himself...

Kanye West
When not designing incredibly popular limited edition sneakers, the 2011 (co-)headliner has been busy preparing his upcoming release, reportedly titled "Paris" and expected to drop any day now... i.e. just about the same time as the Coachella lineup. We have long expected the rapper to stand alone on a top line at Coachella (and without too man special guests, though we could see an Iggy Azalea or two) when that album drops, and our confidence grows with signs that 'ye will embark upon a major American tour in 2015. Yes, that would mean two rap headliners if we're also right about Drake, but we see no reason for that not to happen. We are given pause, however, by three cautionary considerations. First, the new album still lacks a release date, and we don't discount the possibility that Yeezy's perfectionism will produce delays substantial enough to push his appearance to 2016. Second, there's the possibility that he's planning a stage production unwieldy enough to produce similar delays or transcend the capabilities of the festival, which the self-declared "Yeezus" may regard as beneath him now. And third, while he has worked with AEG on past tours, it's unclear whether that relationship will continue in 2015. If Kanye is not in fact on the poster, we think these next guys probably will be...

AC/DC 
One of the biggest-selling rock acts in history is set to embark upon a major tour in 2015, with European dates already announced from early May to late July, but nothing announced in the U.S. That has led to some serious speculation that the band will kick off its world tour with an April appearance at Coachella. We think it could happen too, but color us a little skeptical. While U.S. dates are surely forthcoming, we expect them to follow Europe in August and precede an Australian homecoming in the Fall. More significantly, this band is relatively old news - their most recent hit is older than many festivalgoers, the lead guitarist is approaching 60, the singer is closer to 70, and they've already lost two members to dementia and drug charges with a side of threatening to kill someone, hardly the look the festival, which hasn't booked a true hard rock headliner since at least 2007, is going for. Furthermore, we don't think either party needs the other - Coachella sells out on its brand, which AC/DC has potential to damage, while the band reaps festival-level paydays from ordinary gigs. Still, the oldsters could ironically be this year's buzz band at a festival that reportedly went after aging acts in Black Sabbath in 2012 and the Rolling Stones in 2013, and we don't rule out the possibility that Coachella will do so again at the beginning of what might well be the last go-round for a very big-name band. We already know it's the last time, however, for our next possibility...

Coldplay
The 2005 headliner recently announced that its upcoming 2015 release and world tour would be its last. The band skipped the festival on its last major release in Fall 2011, instead selling out three nights at the Hollywood Bowl, but with four records to its name since its last appearance, we think a final turn at the festival is probable before Chris Martin & Co. makes their final bows. With no release date announced, we're not certain it will happen in 2015 rather than 2016, but we note that the band made its last appearance in advance of a record release, and tend to believe that Coachella will be the band's kickoff again. It would make sense for a festival bill thus far a little light on melodic pop and the sort of Anglo- and Europhilia that is sometimes its stock in trade - since 2004, at least one headlining act has hailed from beyond American shores, though both Drake and AC/DC might fill that quotient in 2015. If in fact neither party needs the other, we think Coachella might get its pop fill from a smaller act like one of the asterisked artists above.

In the Wings (wait 'til next year)?
Bjork - set to release a new album (by the middle of?) this year, the two-time headliner, also the subject of an exhibit this spring at New York's Museum of Modern Art, could well threepeat, perhaps taking Jack White's fourth-place slot. But with diminished popularity and no release date set, we tend to think she won't be back before 2016, if ever.
Daft Punk - since the festival's inception, a number of Coachella headliners have incorporated what used to be termed "electronica" into their sound, but no electronic dance music act has ever headlined Coachella. We expect that sound barrier to get broken in the next few years, and think that Daft Punk may be the only act with the right stuff to break it - Underworld doesn't strike us as quite big enough a name - but as of yet, they show no signs of activity in 2015, apparently focusing on family life, and we think a big-name DJ act like David Guetta (Deadmau5? more on him below) or one of the asterisked artists above would be likelier. Then again, you never know what to expect from the secretive helmeted duo, who may have been busy designing a new stage show this whole time. 
Florence and the Machine - while these up and comers will both release a new album and graduate to small-headliner status (i.e. fourth at Coachella?) this year, we think that neither of these things will happen until after April. 
Kings of Leon - less au courant today than fellow 2011 headliner Kanye, we're not sure the Kings will ever return to the festival. Still, if they're set to put out product before he does, they might just take his spot on the lineup. 
Mumford and Sons - we think these guys are going to headline on their next record, which may come some time in 2015. Or it may not. Wait 'til next year, we say.

Surprise (never say never)?!
Beyonce - her last record came completely out of the blue, and so could the next one, bringing with it a headlining appearance. If Bey ever does headline Coachella (and she did guest with hubby Jay in 2010 and dance with sis Solange last year), we think it may have to wait until after her next record, reportedly a family collaboration.
"Nirvana" - If there's truly a wild card on the bill, we think it could be a reprise of this past April's one-night-only Nirvana "reunion" with a rotating cast of female guest vocalists.
"N.W.A." - if they could bring back 2Pac in 2012, they can bring back Eazy-E in 2015. Unlikely, but with a new movie about the seminal gangsta rap group on its way, not an impossibility.
The Rolling Stones - reportedly in talks for the 2013 festival, and exploring North American options this Spring, we expect them to appear instead, if anywhere, at the bigger-spending Rock in Rio in Las Vegas in May, about which we may have more to say very soon. 
Smashing Pumpkins - not the original lineup, but that isn't coming back, they have a somewhat well-received new record, and they've never played the festival. Then again, they're mostly yesterday's news, and new drummer Tommy Lee is purportedly "banned" from Coachella along with friend/co-conspirator Deadmau5. 
Talking Heads - many expect the famously broken-up band never to reunite, but a few signs of thaw in recent years say it's not a complete impossibility one of these days. Still, if it ever happens, we doubt it would happen in California first.