HPR Summer Festival Guide

By Matt Beshear
Staff Writer

May
Soundset: May 30, Canterbury Park, Shakopee, Minn.
The festival season kicks off with the only good hip-hop festival around, the third annual Soundset. Taking place at Canterbury Park, Soundset is this Memorial Day weekend and features another great lineup. As usual, it features a ton of the Rhymesayers artists like Atmosphere, P.O.S., Brother Ali, but is also featuring big names like Method Man and Redman this year. And if you’re a bit older, and liked hip-hop back in the 90’s, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised that some of the Hieroglyphics crew is performing this year, led by Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Souls of Souls of Mischief. Tickets for the all-day show are $35. http://www.soundsetfestival.com
June
Rib Fest: June 9-13, Fargodome Parking Lot
It seems the 90s are the new 80s, at least as far as rib fests and fairs go. Not that the 80s aren’t still present, but more and more artists of the 90s are appearing at these festivals. Last year it was the irrelevant Eve 6 and this year it’s the Gin Blossoms, a band that should have been in the spotlight a lot longer with great Big Star-sounding songs like “Hey Jealousy” and “Til I Hear It From You.” Country artist Phil Vassar and the pairing of Slaughter and Dokken round out the national acts, while local favorites 32 Below and Post Traumatic Funk Syndrome fill out the rest of the nights. And with a $5 gate admission, Rib Fest is maybe the best value of any of the summer shows. http://www.fargoribfest.com
Moondance Jammin Country: June 17-19, Walker, Minn.
Moondance Jammin Country isn’t as big as WE Fest, but at times actually packs just as big a punch for the buck. The first night is headlined by the ever-popular Martina McBride. Friday features classic artists like Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and maybe the best young female artist out there, Miranda Lambert. The final night features popular American Idol alum Kellie Pickler, and the Zac Brown Band, who have sold a ton of records over the last two years and are playing Bonnaroo this summer. Single day tickets are available for $85-$95 and three day passes are $160-$170 depending on when you purchase them. http://www.jammincountry.com
Fort Ransom Bluegrass Festival: June 26, Fort Ransom, N.D.
An interesting addition to the summer festival scene is the 1st Annual Fort Ransom Bluegrass Festival. The festival features Monroe Crossing, Cottonwood, Stoney Run and Johnson Family Band. Tickets are $25 at the gate, kids under 12 get in for free and the event runs from 11am to 9pm. http://www.frbluegrass.com
July
Winnipeg Folk Festival: July 7-11, Winnipeg, Manitoba
The Winnipeg Folk Festival once again has a really strong lineup. Maybe the best Americana band making records right now, the Avett Brothers, are possibly the highlight of the week. A close runner-up, though, is Levon Helm, who, besides being a member of The Band, has had a creative reassurance over the last few years, releasing two critically acclaimed albums. For those that loved the movie “Once,” The Swell Season will be there and will also be a highlight. Tickets are $181.75 for a five-day pass. http://www.winnipegfolkfestival.ca
Red River Valley Fair: July 9-17, West Fargo Fairgrounds
The first concert I ever attended was Willie Nelson at the RRVF back in the early 80’s. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why women were throwing their panties at such an old guy. Of course, he was only 50 at the time, which isn’t that old, but now he’s in his late 70’s and I’m guessing women still throw their panties at him. Pretty much every person my age has an RRVF concert memory (usually involving Poison or Faster Pussycat), and while I’m not sure if that still happens, Sawyer Brown and Tesla will be there, which means beer will be consumed, so I’m sure that’s the case for some. Gate admission is $7 for adults, which includes grandstand entertainment. http://www.redrivervalleyfair.com
Moondance Jam: July 15-July 17, Walker, Minn.
The original Walker, MN Jam is the local classic rock favorite, although they do feature some 90s and modern rock favorites as well. The first night features Hoobastank, Buckcherry, Tonic and Sammy Hagar. Friday features Pat Travers, the Smithereens (!), Pat Benatar and REO Speedwagon. The last night features an all-original Cinderella lineup, Skynyrd and an odd appearance by Jonny Lang. Tickets are $85-$95 for single day passes and $160-$170 for the whole weekend. http://www.moondancejam.com
Fargo Street Fair: July 15-17, Downtown Fargo
It’s a little too early to say what-all will be going down at the 35th Annual Downtown Street Fair this year, but you can bet it will be lots of food, crafts, music and other vendors. Plus it’s free and free is best. Hours are 10am to 9pm Thursday and Friday and 10am to 5pm on Saturday. http://www.fmdowntown.com
Pitchfork Festival: July 16-18, Union Park, Chicago, Ill.
Well, this is nowhere near Fargo, but it’s still the Midwest and is worth the drive just to see Pavement on their reunion tour. Other noteworthy artists are Broken Social Scene, LCD Soundsystem, Modest Mouse, and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Tickets are cheap at $40 for day passes. http://www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com
Lilith Fair: July 18, Canterbury Parks, Shakopee, Minn.
Back for the first time since 1999 is Lilith Fair. With female artists pretty much dominating the pop and country charts for the last few years, it’s surprising it took this long to get this thing rolling again. There isn’t a Fargo date, but a quick trip to Minneapolis isn’t bad for a good show. A good mixture of artists peppers the lineup as usual with Beth Orton, Cat Power, Suzanne Vega, Tegan and Sara and Miranda Lambert being some of the highlights. Tickets are $64-$250. http://www.lilithfair.com
North Dakota State Fair: July 23-31, Minot, N.D.
The North Dakota State Fair is back again with another strong lineup. It will be interesting to see if they can surpass last year’s record-breaking attendance, that almost hit 300,000. For the country acts, Darius Rucker, Sugarland, Eric Church and Brooks and Dunn are sure to please fans, while KISS and Buckcherry round out things on the rock side. There will also be the usual car racing, rodeo and demolition derby for people into that sort of thing. KISS tickets have to be purchased alone for around $60, while everything else falls under the package deal of around $75. http://www.ndstatefair.com

Expresion en Corto International Film Festival, July 23-August 1, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Latin American film festival in two of the most beautiful cities in Mexico, high in the hills and relatively cool in summer. More films than I can mention. Expresion en Corto: best of Mexican shorts. This year’s highlighted national cinema: Argentina’s. Bicentennial independence celebrations, national screenwriting competition. MexiCannes partnership with Cannes Festival: 12 young filmmakers participate. Some past MexiCannes laureates are Spike Lee, Deepa Mehta, Spike Jonze, Shyam Benegal and Peter Greenaway. http://www.expresionencorto.com

Blues Fest: July 30-31, Newman Outdoor Field, Fargo
The 15th annual Fargo Blues Fest takes place the last two days of July. Tommy Castro, who has won Entertainer of the Year at the Blues Music Awards, headlines Friday while Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner David “Honeyboy” Williams headlines Saturday. Check HPR later in the summer for further coverage of the festival. Early bird tickets are a steal at $28 for both days. http://www.fargobluesfest.homestead.com
August
WE Fest: August 5-7, Soo Pass Ranch, Detroit Lakes
The biggest of the local festivals, WE Fest has been going strong since 1983 and packs in around 50,000 people each year. This year’s headliners are Kid Rock, Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban. Second-tier performers include Gretchen Wilson, Montgomery Gentry, Blake Shelton and popular newcomers Eric Church and Gloriana. As usual the ticket prices are reasonable with single day tickets at $59 and three-day passes $110. http://www.wefest.com
Minnesota State Fair: August 26-September 6, St. Paul
The MN State Fair features a really eclectic lineup this year. The recently added KISS will make another trip close to the area; Weird Al, who is also no stranger, will be entertaining as always; the Bodeans and Big Head Todd and the Monsters will add a nice 90s touch; and maybe the biggest event will be Rush playing “Moving Pictures” in its entirety. There will also be horse shows, a rodeo and a skate park open all week. Tickets range from $22 for Weird Al, to around $70 for KISS and Rush. http://www.mnstatefair.org
Streets Alive: August 29 and September 19, Fargo and Moorhead Streets
Streets Alive is a community festival that takes place in Fargo for the first time this year. A five-mile stretch of Fargo and Moorhead streets will be blocked off for walkers, cyclists, runners, etc. Everyone is invited and this is sure to be a big hit this summer. No motorized vehicles allowed. Check out the Dakota Medical Foundations website for further details. http://www.dakmed.org

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