The Euros:

More than a few major European music festivals have unveiled their 2010 headliners over the last week and if their selections are any indication, then Muse, Pearl Jam, and Pink will be the flavors of the summer. Belgium’s Rock Werchter has tapped all three; Portugal’s Optimus! Alive and London’s Hard Rock Calling both sport Eddie Vedder and Co.; Muse is confirmed for Roskilde and the Rock Am Ring & Rock Im Park; The Netherland’s Pinkpop Pestival will see John Mayer, Kasabian, Pink, Rammstein headline; London’s Wireless Festival has also tapped Pink. For additional information, click on the numerous links proceeding this sentence.

Coachella Music Festival:

On the Coachella front, CoS can independently confirm Phoenix’s Indio appearance, while The Big Pink and The Cribs appear to be solid possibilities. Perhaps the biggest item of note, however, is the possibility of a Beastie Boys headlining performance, as hinted at by the trio’s Adam Yauch in a recent interview. What’s more, there also appears to be a chance that Billy Corgan and his current band, still somehow known as the Smashing Pumpkins, will be playing as well. Of course, Coachella has yet to make anything officially official.

Summer Camp Music Festival:

Chillicothe, Illinois’ favorite annual three-day music festival has announced its 2010. The Summer Camp Music Festival will return to Three Sisters Park from May 28-30. And not surprisingly, the festival has already confirmed moe. and Umphrey’s McGee’s participation. Tickets are currently on sale via eTix.com.

Anyhow, you could probably imagine our surprise, and utter horror when word surfaced yesterday evening that Mr. Flowers joined Mr. Springsteen & The E Street Band for a performance of “Thunder Road” during the band’s headlining set at this weekend’s Pinkpop Festival. Well, the video has since surfaced, and we must say, this time, we applaud you, Mr. Flowers. Not only did you drop the over-the-top antics and bird feather costumes in favor of a sense of normalcy, and even humility!, but your vocal performance was actually quite decent – Conor Oberst has nothing on you! – and for that, color us impressed.

We’ll put any other snide comments or suggestions that Bruce should open an academy for reforming today’s frontmen aside, and let you get a taste for yourself below…

Whether you share are humor or not, you will have plenty opportunities to take in the sounds of the band’s third full-length studio album in the coming months. Following an extensive trek across Europe, Alex Kapranos and Co. will embark on a 19-date U.S. affair, highlighted by a stop at this year’s Coachella Music Festival. After that, your opportunities for more live Franz Ferdinand will come from a slew of appearances on the European festival circuit, including Glastonbury and Pinkpop.

Tickets for select North American dates go on sale beginning today via Ticketmaster.com.

Franz Ferdidnad 2009 Tour Dates:
02/10 – Tokyo, JP @ Zepp
02/26 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
02/28 – Limerick, IE @ Dolans
03/01 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia
03/02 – Belfast, IE @ Mandela Hall
03/04 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowlands
03/05 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowlands
03/06 – Manchester, UK @ Academy
03/08 – Birmingham, UK @ Academy
03/09 – London, UK @ Hammersmith Apollo
03/10 – Southampton, UK @ Guildhall
03/12 – Brussels, BE @ AB Club
03/13 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
03/14 – Cologne, DE @ Palladium
03/16 – Lille, FR @ Aeronef
03/17 – Paris, FR @ Olympia
03/18 – Paris, FR @ Olympia
03/20 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
03/21 – Stockholm, SE @ Circus
03/22 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
03/24 – Hamburg, DE @ Docks
03/25 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle
03/26 – Munich, DE @ Tonhalle
03/28 – Zurich, DE @ Schiffbauhalle
03/29 – Bologna, IT @ Estragon
03/30 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz
04/01 – Toulouse, FR @ Le Phare
04/02 – Bilboa, ES @ Pabellon de La Casilla
04/03 – Madrid, ES @ Palacio de Desportes
04/04 – Granada, ES @ Coliseo de Atarfe
04/13 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
04/15 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
04/17 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Marquis Theatre
04/19 – Tuscon, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
04/21 – Magnua, UT @ Saltair
04/22 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
04/24 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
04/25 – Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
04/27 – Kansas City, MO @ Beaumont Club
04/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
04/29 – Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
04/30 – Chicago, IL @ Riveria Theatre
05/02 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
05/03 – Pontiac, MI @ Clutch Cargo’s
05/04 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
05/06 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
05/07 – New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
05/08 – Providence, RI @ Lupo’s
05/30 – Jelling, DK @ Jelling Musikfestival
06/01 – Landgraaf, NL @ Pinkpop Festival
06/05 – Kraskow, P @ Blonia Park
06/19 – Scheesel, DE @ Hurricane Festival
06/20 – Neuhausen ob Eck, DE @ Southside Festival
06/24 – Zagreb, HR @ INmusic Festival
06/27 – Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury Music Festival
06/28 – Luxembourg @ Rock a Field Festival
07/03 – Bucharest, RO @ B’Estfest
07/18 – Benicàssim, ES @ Benicàssim Festival

For weeks, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band have been rumored as possible headliners for a number of summer music festivals, including Bonnaroo and Glastonbury. While the idea seamed plausible, especially considering Springsteen’s latest studio endeavor, Working on a Dream, is due out next week, critics pointed to the fact that the Boss has been rumored at festivals for years and never had anything come to fruition. They argued, it just wouldn’t work; Bruce, a man so innovative and freewheeling, who could and usually would play for as long as he wanted to, regardless of the temperature, setting, or atmosphere, playing a music festival all the restrictions, both in time and intimacy it brings? It wasn’t possible!

Well, as we learned today, it not only is possible, it’s happening. In what will likely be the first of many headlining spots this summer, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band are officially confirmed to play the Pinkpop Festival. Scheduled to take place between May 30 and June 2 in the Netherlands, the band will join announced headliners acts Depeche Mode, Placebo, and The Kooks as acts that will take to the stage over the three-day event.

Of course, in addition to the festival appearance, today’s announcement also confirms that Bruce and the band will be touring in support of the new album, a possibility that has been strongly rumored for some time. And while an official announcement has yet to be made, a number of dates, specifically on the European side of the world, have already began to leak.

In other words, it’s going to be a Bruce filled summer! We’ll update you as more is known. In the meantime, stream, Stream, STREAM!

Bruce Springsteen 2009 Tour Dates:
05/30 – Landgraaf, NL @ Pinkpop Festival
06/02 – Tampere, FI @ Ratinan Stadion
06/04 – Stocholm, SE @ Stockholm Stadion
06/05 – Stocholm, SE @ Stockholm Stadion
06/09 – Bergen, NO @ Bergenhus Festning
06/10 – Bergen, NO @ Bergenhus Festning
07/02 – Munich, DE @ Olympiastadion
07/05 – Vienna, AS @ Ernst-Happel-Stadion
07/08 – Herning, DK @ MHC Messecenter
07/19 – Roma, IT @ Stadio Olimpico
07/21 – Torino, IT @ Stadio Comunale
07/23 – Udine, IT @ Stadio Fruli