Official Virgin Festival Lineup, Vol. 1
See you in Balmer, bruh.
Finally, some real news about Virgin Festival 3.0 Virgin Mobile Festival 2008, which will be held Aug. 9 and 10 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
The headliners, as announced today by Sir Richard Branson, will be Foo Fighters, a newly reunited Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West and Mr. Festival himself, Jack Johnson.
The Foos are the least surprising name in the group, given that DC101's Elliot Segal "accidentally" confirmed them on the air in late February. Even before then, Producer David made the Foos his first guess in the original Official VMoFest Predictions post.
I'd called the STP booking in the comments section of that same post. (Too bad I didn't do nearly as well with my March Madness bracket. Thanks a lot, Georgetown.) Scott Weiland hinted that the group might reunite when I interviewed him in advance of last year's festival.
The Nine Inch Nails buzz really began to heat up when they (he?) announced their (his?) US tour and there was no DC date - and nothing on Aug. 9 or 10, either. Last time I saw Nine Inch Nails at a festival, by the way, was 14 years ago at a little thing called Woodstock '94. NIN's ferocious, mud-covered set was the highlight of the weekend.
Jack Johnson is a little bit surprising since he's one of the headliners at the competing All Points West festival in New Jersey on the same weekend as VMoFest. (He's booked for Sunday there, meaning he'll be in Baltimore on Saturday. No word yet re when the other acts will be slotted.) Of course, Johnson just loves him some festivals. He seems to be following Matisyahu's lead and playing just about every big music gathering in North America this year, from Coachella and Bonnaroo to the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco and the Kokua Festival in Honolulu.
As for Kanye - can't say I saw that one coming. Especially since he'll be at Nissan in May with Rihanna, N.E.R.D. and Lupe Fiasco. But I think he'll be an excellent addition to the lineup. Now let's see if he can convince Daft Punk to join him.
The full lineup and ticket price information will be out "in the coming weeks," according to a festival rep.
"When the rest of the artists are announced, everyone will see that we have remained true to form in our quest to provide nothing but the very best bands in the world from the start of the day through the final notes," VMoFest booker-producer-promoter-golf cart driver Seth Hurwitz says in the press release. "People have come to rely on us for this, and this year's Virgin Mobile Festival will feature the most solid and exciting lineup ever."
So what do you think? Are you inclined to go? To skip? To wait until the rest of the lineup is announced to make your decision? To see the weather forecast for that weekend? How would you divvy up the headliners if you were king (which is to say, Seth) for a day? Do tell.
By J. Freedom du Lac |
April 1, 2008; 12:59 PM ET
Virgin Festival
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Posted by: kimmy | April 1, 2008 02:07 PM
This isn't some April Fool's joke? what a snoozefest.
Posted by: really? | April 1, 2008 02:37 PM
APW is the same weekend and that one has Radiohead, I may just do that instead.
Posted by: TJ | April 1, 2008 02:59 PM
I also saw NIN at Woodstock '94, and their performance, followed a still ferocious Metallica and Aerosmith is still one of my favorite concerts.
Posted by: Hemisphire | April 1, 2008 03:24 PM
Is the STP reunion sticking? If it's a one-time deal I might just have to go. I'll wait for the rest of the line-up to decide.
Posted by: msto | April 1, 2008 03:29 PM
From what I can tell from NIN's touring schedule they will be on Sunday. Which is good for me as I'm already booked into something else in Baltimore for Saturday. I'm thinking they might go for a softer Saturday and a harder Sunday. Last year was kind of the same.
Posted by: EricS | April 1, 2008 03:43 PM
Let's party like its 1999!
Posted by: Paul | April 1, 2008 04:12 PM
The 1999 comment was on point. I guess new bands just don't have the drawing power the old ones do. Maybe their audiences are older and therefore more able to afford a couple hundred bucks in tickets. I mean, all but Kanye established mainstream careers in the 90's. . . I'm waiting to see who else is on board before I make a decision on this one.
Posted by: robgoose | April 1, 2008 04:23 PM
i hope its april fools, lets really hope they sneak some big name like daft punk in behind those headliners
Posted by: bill | April 1, 2008 04:38 PM
Let's kidnap Radiohead and force them to play at the Virgin Fest instead of APW. Move Jack Johnson to the children's stage, just before nap time.
Posted by: SSMD | April 1, 2008 05:00 PM
Green Day blew everyone away at Woodstock. Period.
Posted by: dcboog | April 1, 2008 10:52 PM
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I will be there!!
:)
not for jack johnson or foo fighters..everyone else