festie season

   The start of the 2011 festival season is already well underway for our friends that are rocking Jam Cruise, but the true festival season really won’t start picking up until we see Coachella in April and Jazz Fest soon after. But the promoters for Wakarusa got out ahead of those announcements and released their 2011 lineup earlier than the others.

    Wakarusa always commands the most attention the week before Bonnaroo announces their lineups, the only leg-up they really ever have for continuing on in their own tradition moving forward (considering the always-competitive space). But this year I think the promoters of the festival really outdid themselves and booked a solid lineup. They’ve tapped Michael Franti & Spearhead, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Umphrey's McGee and STS9 to headline the festival and they’ll be supported by a solid crew of mid-size touring bands keeping the lineup as eclectic as ever. A few others that stand out for me are Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Lotus, Wookie Foot, Galactic, Trombone Shorty and tons more really…