With new festivals, new locations, new amenities, and new lineup additions, everything seems to be getting bigger and better this year. A festival arms race is at hand, causing new outfits like Electric Forest to set the bar high in their inaugural year with over 50 acts, the B.O.M.B. Fest to undergo a humongous expansion, along with some legally enforced moves (ahem Electric Daisy Carnival). Whatever the impetus, there’s many changes to be excited about in the upcoming year.

Check out this week’s edition of Festivals in Brief; for while there was no leap year to be had, there was no shortage of news and additions made.

And don’t forget to bookmark Festival Outlook and/or follow us on Twitter in order to get your daily festival fix. After all, Wednesday only comes once a week!

News:

– The Electric Daisy Carnival announced that the annual rave has found a new home in Las Vegas this year. Last year’s event caused much controversy when a 16-year-old died of an ecstasy overdose, sparking not only an investigation, but a temporary moratorium on all LA raves. The organizers’ cited the festival’s projected turnout as the reason for relocating the event so far in advance, as opposed to waiting and hoping for the ban to be lifted. EDC is also planning day raves in Dallas, Denver and Puerto Rico this summer. Additional details are forthcoming.

– The Pitchfork Music Festival will take place the weekend of July 15th-17th in Chicago’s Union Park. Both single-day and three-day passes go on sale this Friday, March 4th, although the lineup is still TBA.

– It looks as though the sophomore installment of the DeLuna Festival will be making some baller changes. This year’s Pensacola, FL fest tiered packages will include various rooms at the nearby Hilton and Holiday Inn, as well as six beach stages, and late-night, indoor stages at the hotels. The lineup will include a more refined, less-mainstream list and expected to be loaded with jam-bands who reflect the laid-back beach vibe. Resort packages go on sale March 15th at 10am via the festival’s website.

– Bassnectar, Infected Mushroom, Lotus, EOTO, Rabbit, and Daedelus will headline along with the 40+ bands that are set to perform at the 13th annual Starscape Music Festival. The Baltimore rave will span sixteen straight hours (2pm-6am), and is full of acts that will fuel dancing through the night. General Admission and VIP tickets are now available through the festival’s website.

– The initial lineup has been announced for the inaugural Electric Forest. Curators and headliners String Cheese Incident have confirmed over 50 acts for the festival on 4th of July weekend. Joining them will be DJ Tiësto, Pretty Lights, and REO Speedwagon as headliners, with an impressive undercard plus other amenities at the Rothbury, MI Double JJ Resort. Weekend passes go on sale this Saturday with a limited number of discounted tickets will be available, as well as VIP packages. For all ticket options see the festival’s website.

– The Summer Sonic Festival announced Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Strokes, and The Mars Volta will head the premiere Japanese festival this August. With an already-outstanding lineup, and more to be announced, Japan hasn’t rocked this hard since Godzilla showed up. The only problem will be choosing between the Tokyo and Osaka stages which have a varying lineup. Tickets are now available via the festival’s website.

– The Strokes will be headlining at this year’s edition of the Sweetlife Festival. Helping the restaurateur organizers promote their values of sustainable food and live music in D.C. metro area this April 30th, additional information is forthcoming, so be sure to stay tuned. For now, you can hit up the festival’s website to sign up for a special pre-sale code.

– The fourth annual Roots Picnic will take place at Penn’s Landing on June 4th. The Roots have employed Nas, Esperenza Spalding, The Dismemberment Plan, Ariel Pink, Wiz Khalifa, among others to help rock their hometown. Tickets are on sale this Saturday at 10am, and can be purchased at LiveNation. No word yet on whether Jimmy Fallon will be in attendance, or with his guitar skills, supporting them for a change.

– The B.O.M.B. Festival must’ve been taking some performance-enhancing drugs in the off-season. With headliners Snoop Dogg and Weezer leading a long list of all-stars this Memorial Day weekend, this is sure to be the biggest thing to hit Connecticut since being named “home of the world’s smallest natural waterfall”. All proceeds will be benefiting Bring Our Music Back, Inc., and initiatives for the formation of an Emerging Artists Scholarship Fund for Western Connecticut State University. Pre-sale tickets are available now, get them before two more possible price jumps once they go on sale to the public this Friday at 6am.

– Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival returns for its sophomore effort this year, expanding the art forms on display at Massachusetts’s Museum of Contemporary art with some killer acts and collaborations. Feature Thurston Moore, The Levon Helm Band, Liam Finn, and loads of Wilco-related collabos, the festival will take place June 24-26th. Passes are now available at Front Gate Tickets.

Lineup Additions:

– South By Southwest: Kanye West (Rumored); Added Moby (DJ set), Odd Future, Little Dragon, Acrylics, Big Sean, Bun B, Immortal Technique, Meat Puppets with Roky Erickson, Semi Precious Weapons, The Airborne Toxic Event, White Denim, and Willie Nile

– Bonnaroo: Shpongle DJ set (Expected)

– Lollapalooza: Anberlin (Expected), Civil Twilight (Expected), Crash Kings (Expected)

– Ottawa Bluesfest (Canada): Big Sam’s Funky Nation (Expected)

– B.O.M.B. Fest: Lineup announced, includes Weezer, Snoop Dogg, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Wiz Khalifa, Coheed & Cambria, Neon Trees, George Clinton & The Parliament/Funkadelic, and The New Pornographers

– Pitchfork Music Festival: Yuck (Expected), Os Mutantes (Expected)

– Mountain Jam: Added Umphrey’s McGee, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Charlie Hunter, and Big Gigantic

– Movement: Paxahau Electronic Music Festival: Lineup announced, includes Ana Sia, Green Velvet, Soul Clap, Art Department, Scuba, Kerri Chandler, Goldie, and Marcel Deltman

– Starscape Festival: Lineup announced, includes Bassnectar, Lotus, Daedelus, Mayhem, Hot Pink Delorean, and Infected Mushroom.

– Electric Forest: Initial lineup announcement includes three shows by The String Cheese Incident, Tiësto, REO Speedwagon, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Stephen Marley, Kaskade, The New Deal and many more

– Glastonbury Festival (UK): Added Yuck

– Summer Sonic (Japan): Lineup announced, includes Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Strokes, and a special guest (from the UK), The Mars Volta, Panic! At The Disco, House of Pain, Deerhunter, Neon Trees, Friendly Fires, Two Door Cinema Club, Simple Plan, and more

– Summerfest: Added Florence and the Machine, The Black Keys, and Cage the Elephant

– Roots Picnic: Lineup announced, includes The Roots, Nas, Wiz Khalifa, Ariel pink, Esperanza Spalding, The Dismemberment Plan, and Little Dragon

– Harmony Festival: Initial lineup announced, includes The Flaming Lips, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Railroad Earth, Krishna Das, Lost at Last Tribe, Will Durst, James Twyman, and Brooke Medicine Eagle

– Sweetlife Festival: The Strokes confirmed to headline

– Solid Sound Festival: Wilco to play 2 headlining sets; other acts include Thurston Moore, Levon Helm Band, Liam Finn, Sic Alps, and The Autumn Defense, among others

– Fuji Rock Festival (Japan): Lineup announced, includes Coldplay, The Chemical Brothers, Arctic Monkeys, Incubus, Cake, and Wilco, among others

– Exit Festival (Serbia): Added Pulp, Magnetic Man, DJ Sneak, and Carl Craig

– T in the Park (Scotland): Added Kids in Glass Houses and Villagers

– Rock Ness Festival (Scotland): Added The Cribs, Magnetic Man, Frightened Rabbit, Glasvegas, and Simian Mobile Disco

– Sonar Festival (Spain): Added M.I.A., Cut Copy, Boys Noize, and Die Antwoord

– Sonisphere UK: Added Sum 41, House of Pain, and You Me At Six

– V Festival (UK): Lineup announced, includes Eminem and Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, Duran Duran, Razorlight, Tinie Tempah, Ellie Goulding, and Buno Mars, among others

– Rock Werchter (Belgium): Added Linkin Park

– Roskilde Festival (Denmark): Added Mastodon and Parkway Drive

– Wireless Festival (UK): Added Bruno Mars, The Streets, David Guetta, and Far East Movement

– ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas (UK): Caribou, Battles, and Les Savy Fav confirmed to curate

– Camp Bestival (UK): Added Laura Marling

Starscape Festival, aka Baltimore’s annual all-night rave, returns for its 13th incarnation on June 4th at Fort Armistead Park. This year’s lineup features many of the usual suspects, including Bassnectar, Infected Mushroom (live), Lotus, EOTO, Rabbit (live), and Daedelus, who will all play the festival’s mainstage.

All in all, over 40 acts will play across four stages during the one-day fest, which is set to begin at 2:00pm and run until 6:00am. Other confirmed names include Excision & Datsik, Bad Boy Bill, Skrillex, Steve Aoki, Klever, Hot Pink Delorean, Feed Me, Paper Diamond, Zeds Dead, Dieselboy, Sigma, Dirtyphonics, and TC. You can find all of this year’s confirmed participants over at Festival Outlook.

General admission and VIP tickets are priced at $69.50 and $169.50, respectively, and are now available via the festival’s website.

For a full debriefing of all the latest rumors and news, scroll down and check out this week’s edition of Festivals in Brief; and to keep up with it all, remember to bookmark Festival Outlook and follow us on Twitter. After all, Wednesday only comes once a week.

NEWS:

– Attention Florida: you now have no reason to complain about the lack of concerts in your state. Festival Republic — the same folks behind UK festivals Reading & Leeds and Glastonbury) — have announced the launch of Orlando Calling 2011. The three-day, four-stage endeavor will run from November 11-13 2011 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Line-up details still forthcoming.

– The Wakarusa Music Festival unveiled its 2011 line-up.  My Morning Jacket and Ben Harper and Relentless7 will handle the headlining duties, while Thievery Corporation, STS9, Bassnectar, Umphrey’s McGee, and Mumford & Sons are among the notables filling out the rest of the bill.

– My Morning Jacket will also headline next year’s Mountain Jam music festival, along with Gov’t Mule and Warren Haynes Band. Other notable acts include The Avett Brothers, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

– Internet hoax, maybe not? Spain’s Arenal Sound festival has booked The Third Twin, aka the electronic duo who claims they are actually Daft Punk.

LINEUP ADDITIONS:

– Coachella Music Festival: The Strokes (Expected), PJ Harvey (Expected), The Black Keys (Expected), Cage the Elephant (Expected), Gayngs (Expected), Bright Eyes (Expected), Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears (Rumored), Menomena (Expected), When Saints Go Machine (Rumored)

– South By Southwest: Added Bright Eyes, Man Man, Middle Brother, The Felice Brothers, & Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

– Pitchfork Music Festival: Drake (Rumored) Gang of Four (Rumored), Guided by Voices (Rumored), Twin Shadow (Rumored)

– Wakarusa Music Festival: 2011 line-up announced, featuring My Morning Jacket, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, Bassnectar, and STS9

– Mountain Jam: 2011 lineup announced, featuring My Morning Jacket, Gov’t Mule, The Avett Brothers, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

– Sasquatch! Music Festival: Das Racist (Expected)

– Starscape Festival: Infected Mushroom (Expected), Steve Aoki (Expected)

– 35 Conferette: Added The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Cut Chemist, Adventure, Esben and the Witch, John Grant, and O’Death

– Never Say Never Festival: 2011 line-up announced, featuring Neon Trees, Cartel, Das Racist, and Travie McCoy

– Reading and Leeds Music Festival (UK): Muse (Rumored)

– iTunes Festival 2011 (UK): Duran Duran, Linkin Park and Rumer confirmed as first three acts

– ATP (All Tomorrow’s Parties) Curated by Animal Collective (UK): Added Atlas Sound, Big Boi, Micachu and the Shapes, Teengirl Fantasy, Terry Riley, and The Entrance Band

– Arenal Sound (Spain): The Third Twin confirmed as first act.

– EXIT Festival (Serbia): Added Arcade Fire, Hadouken, James Zabiela, and Tiga

– Lollapalooza Chile: The Strokes (Rumored)

– M.P. M. Fest: Added Cloud Nothings and Toro Y Moi

– Scion Rock Fest: Morbid Angel (Expected)

As a junior at the University of Maryland, I have a lot of friends from the Baltimore area; this means a lot of people to meet up with at the fest, but no one to ride with. In last-minute desperation, I put ads (pleas, rather) on JamBase and Phantasy Tour explaining my situation and need of transportation. At 7 a.m. on the day of, I received a mysterious text from a number I didn’t know: “U still need a ride to starscape?” Blinded by desperation, I answered immediately and arranged to meet up with the driver and her boyfriend near my apartment a few hours later.

We left from my apartment in downtown New York City to go pick up another festival-goer in Harlem, over 150 blocks away. After getting lost innumerable times and finally ending up in New Jersey, the drivers and I were a little bit annoyed; so much so, in fact, that the driver’s boyfriend called the kid we were trying to meet to leave him a voicemail filled with cussing and death threats. Fearing for my life, I mumbled a weak excuse about homework and started to read a book assigned for one of my classes; however, I was soon distracted by the couple’s discussion of upcoming festivals. They mentioned they were going to pretty much every festival ever, from Michigan to West Virginia, so I naively asked how they could afford it. “We work them”, they answered. I was so excited! I volunteered last summer at All Good, and it was excellent.

When I said that, they laughed at me. Realizing my confusion, they explained that they don’t work at festivals; they work festivals, period. I was riding down to Baltimore with ecstasy dealers. Awesome.

Three hours and millions of imagined scenarios about how I’d get out of jail later, we arrived in Baltimore just in time to catch some Telepath. Though undoubtedly a band best suited for nighttime, Telepath’s set was early on, at 5 p.m.; still, though, there was a sizable crowd and great vibe. The band ran through favorites like “Chaos Theory” and “Can’t Come Down”, as well as some lesser-known songs featuring their signature Middle-Eastern groove.

After Telepath, my friends and I decided to check out the dance tent; inside, we found a huge crowd of people, a single DJ, and a smoke machine. The tents are great spaces (aside for the dance tent, there’s also one dedicated to drum-n-bass) because air can circulate but the sound is clear. We stayed for the break between Telepath and Pnuma Trio; it was nothing remarkable, but we definitely had some fun shaking our groove thangs with probably one or two hundred other sweaty individuals.

By the time we’d had enough of the smoky haze, it was about time to return to the Main Stage for Pnuma Trio. This is a group I’d been trying to catch for over a year, so I was pretty excited. Still light out, the set started out slowly, and though it hurts to say, I was almost bored. I walked away to meet up with some more friends, but got dragged back in time for the last half-hour of the set. Now a little bit darker outside and a little more crowded inside the gates, Pnuma was getting into their set and the crowd, accordingly, was getting down. I maneuvered back up to the ramp and soon felt someone squeeze my arm: The kid next to me wanted to make sure I appreciated just how excellent Pnuma was. That moment pretty much summer up Starscape for me; we were all just a group of kids looking for good beats and a great time.

After Pnuma, I kept rooted in my spot so I’d be right in front for one of the night’s most-anticipated acts: Bassnectar. A DJ from San Francisco with a cult-like following, Bassnectar is an act you have to see to understand. His set is an intricate mix of music, vocal samples, and images broadcast behind him from a three-screen projector that drives the crowd wild. Opening with the classic “5…4…3…2…1″ image from old movies, the set went right into some dark beats that were almost drowned out by the screams from the audience. Soon, the dark dub-like sounds were replaced by more typical Bassnectar, dance music set to tracks with higher BPMs than the average human should be able to handle; no one called anyone at Starscape average, though.The next hour and a half were a blur of arms and legs as my body tried to keep up with the musical gifts Bassnectar was throwing at my ears. Sweaty and satisfied, the Bassnectar set lead me into Lotus at the Beach Stage.

Another group I’d been trying to catch, Lotus is a jam-rock-dance fusion act with a pretty devoted following. By the time they started playing, the sun had fully set and the party was in full swing. We settled in by the waterfront and watched in awe as Lotus began to tear up the stage. Though Bassnectar was undoubtedly the highlight of my night, Lotus was a very close second. The audience recordings I’d spent the previous year or two listening to were hit-or-miss, so I didn’t know what to expect; however, from the beginning of the set until I left, I was enamored by the band. Appropriate for the festival, Lotus toned down the rock in exchange for a more electronic sound; the effort paid off, because the crowd was enraptured by what was happening on stage.

With an hour of Lotus left to go, I went back up to the Main Stage to catch the Disco Biscuits. Drawing the biggest crowd of the night, the Disco Biscuits were the most popular name on the bill and one of the most anticipated acts of the festival. Bisco is a band I’ve seen many times, and though sometimes I leave their shows feeling like I’ve been blessed by the gods of music, I’ve caught many a dud show as well. This first set was of the  former category; it was almost two hours of non-stop electronic-based jam featuring one of my favorite songs, “Abraxas”, as well as a thirty-minute “Strobelights and Martinis>Cyclone>Strobelights and Martinis” that left me standing by the stage for the first minute of set break, freaking out over what I had just seen.

The first set ended with Brownie, the Biscuits’ lead singer/guitarist, telling the crowd they’d be back to play until the festival ended. Though I was looking forward to ending my night (by then early morning) with EOTO, a potentially five-hour long Biscuits set wasn’t something I could walk out on. When the band came back, they kept their promise; their second set, a little bit less danceable but just as enjoyable, went right into a half-hour long encore that brought the Biscuits’ playtime for the night to four-and-a-half hours, as opposed to the originally scheduled three-hour slot.

The Bisco encore ended at 5:20 a.m., giving me just enough time to run back to the beach stage and catch EOTO’s last half-hour. The crowd was thin, due to tDB’s surprise, but the duo was still rocking out. Everywhere I turned, there were people passed out: Bodies were on the grass, on the beach, on any available hard surface. The sun was up, it was 6 a.m., and I was satisfied.

PS. I got a ride home with a friend.

All photo support provided by Graham Meyer via FalseDigital.com

This weekend in Ft. Armistead Park, Starscape will celebrate its 11th year as an all-day, all-night music extravaganza. Featuring two stages, two electronic tents, and a VIP arena, the music doesn’t stop until the sun is up. Exciting? Pretty much, especially given this year’s lineup, which features over 50 performers, including the likes of the Disco Biscuits, 2020 Soundsystem, Bassnectar, Lotus, and Chromeo. Even local favorites such as Stushido, The Bridge, and Shawn Caeser are in on the fun.

There’s more to Starscape than a killer lineup, though. The festival is renowned for its intense light shows and live art wall, a 40-foot graffiti wall worked on throughout the course of the event by local artists. Additionally, there’s a vending area featuring merchandise, food, and a full bar for those 21+. To top it all off, the park itself is a beautiful thing: Ten acres at the foot of the Key Bridge with paved lots by the stages, a pier, a quarter-mile beach stretch, and grassy slopes.

Recently, I had the chance to chat with Jason Hann about the upcoming weekend. Hann, the keyboardist of improv-electronic duo EOTO, is well-known not only for his work with the group, but also for his time spent playing percussion with the String Cheese Incident. The Incident’s first show since 2007 is coming up in July: A headlining spot at Michigan’s Rothbury Festival alongside heavy-hitters like The Dead and Bob Dylan. Starscape, a small festival lasting only one day, is considerably different from the Michigan festival; while discussing the differences between the two, Hann interestingly noted that while Rothbury is host to “a lot of flavors”, Starscape is designed for the “hardcore dance fan”.

Because EOTO is all improvised, interaction with fans is integral — to gauge their performance, Hann and Michael Travis (percussion) have to keep an eye on the audience. Noting the effort it takes to make their performance appear seamless, Hann said he and Travis constantly ask each other, “Are people way into it? Are they freaking out on it?” Described on their MySpace as “Live dub-step, live electro, live house”, the duo never repeat a song and rarely keep their sound the same. The band used to rely on a Middle-Easten theme, with heavy emphasis on a sitar-like sound; the nature of the project allowed themes to be used as “launching pads” in the quest to never play even the same note twice, leading to a realization Hann described as, “All of a sudden … it doesn’t sound like anything it used to sound like.”

This is the second year at Starscape for EOTO; they played a sunrise set on the beach stage, a time and setting that Hann says has “another kind of energy.” It’s this kind of performance that sets Starscape apart from the rest. While most people are asleep by 5 a.m. on a Sunday, at Starscape, the crowd is just hitting their second wind. At the park, by that hour, the people left standing are the “particular music lovers”: The ones who are using Starscape as a break during the week-long Phish run; the ones who are going to a Starscape afterparty at 8 a.m.; the ones who have been awake since noon the day before, running from stage to stage to catch their favorite bands.

Essentially, Starscape brings together the biggest names and most talented groups in electronica, dubstep, house, techno, and jam-rock for Baltimore’s (and possibly the nation’s) biggest beach party — it’s not an event to miss. If that’s enough to sell you, we’ll see you at the park on Saturday, June 6. The festivities begin at 2 p.m. and last until dawn. Ticketless? VIP and GA tickets still available via starscapefestival.com.

Lineup:

2020 Soundsystem (feat. Ralph Lawson), Baby Anne, Bassnectar, BioDiesel, The Bridge, Cannon Boys, Charles Feelgood, Chase & Status, Chromeo, Computer Club, Demetrios, Dieselboy, The Disco Biscuits, Donald Glaude, Dubwar NYC, EOTO, Evol Intent (live), Ewun, Headhunterz Inc., Hot Pink Delorean, Hyx and Houston, Infiltrata, Jay Selway, Kill The Noise, Leko, Lotus, Ludachrist, Mayhem, Micro, Messinian, MJ Project, Noah D, DJ Nysus, Oh Snap! & Jen Lasher, Pnuma Trio, Proxxy & Lantern, Scottie B & The Chavy Boys of London (feat. Scottie B, Segway, Shawn Caeser, and King Tutt), Seraph, Sonkin, Spktrm, Stanton Warriors, Stushido, Telemetrik, Telepath, The Upbeats, We Don’t Sleep

The Disco Biscuits, Chromeo, Bassnectar, and Pnuma Trio will head this year’s lineup, while 2020 Soundsystem featuring Ralph Lawson, Kill The Noise, and Dieselboy mark some of the other noteworty acts set to decend on the festival’s five stages over the course of the 18 hours of non-stop music. As expected, Starscape will also feature a slew of local favorites, highlighted by The Bridge, Damn Right, and Scottie B & The Chavy Boys of London, a super group of sorts featuring Baltimore based DJs Scottie B and King Tutt, along with Shawn Caesar, the co-founder of Unruly Records.

All in all, the 2009 lineup looks something like this:

2020 Soundsystem (feat. Ralph Lawson), Baby Anne, Bassnectar, BioDiesel, The Bridge, Cannon Boys, Charles Feelgood, Computer Club, Chase & Status, Chromeo, Damn Right, Demo, Dieselboy, The Disco Biscuits, Donald Glaude, Dubwar, EOTO, Evol Intent (live), Ewun, Headhunterz Inc., Infiltrata, Jen Lasher, Kill The Noise, Lotus, Ludachrist, Mayhem, Oh Snap!, Pnuma Trio, Scottie B & The Chavy Boys of London (feat. Scottie B, Shawn Cesaer, and King Tutt), Seraph, Spktrm, Stanton Warriors, Telemetrik, Telepath, The Upbeats, We Don’t Sleep

Additional acts will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

General admission ($39.50) and VIP Tickets ($129.00) for this year’s Starscape are now available at an early bird price via musictoday.com.