Welcome to Click Track's live coverage of Virgin Mobile FreeFest

This bucolic scene is a fleeting one. The Merriweather Post Pavilion lawn will be swarming with fans once doors open at noon. (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP)

By Chris Richards

After a hot and sticky summer of anticipation, Virgin Mobile FreeFest is finally upon us -- and the weather couldn't be more glorious. As these keystrokes hit your eyeballs, early birds are enjoying balmy temperatures and cloudless skies as they shuffle in through the gates of Merriweather Post Pavilion for the 2010 edition of the region's leading pop music festival.

We're expecting a day (and night) of stellar performances from the likes of LCD Soundsytem, Pavement, Trombone Shorty and others -- but FreeFest still offers a few uncertainties. Will M.I.A.'s reportedly inconsistent live show come into focus when she headlines the West Stage this evening? Or will beleaguered Atlanta rap maestro T.I. actually show up? (Promoters say he's still welcome to perform, but aren't expecting him to materialize.)

Promoters are, however, anticipating a massive crowd: 35,000 fans are expected.

And for constant updates from FreeFest in 140-character bites, follow the Washington Post's David Malitz and I on Twitter. We're @chris__richards and @malitzd.