As autumn has arrived in ernest, the music festival season is winding down. But while there are noticeably fewer events this month, there are some of our favorites, so best to get in one last weekend of music while you still can.
Culture Collide Festival, Los Angeles, October 4–7
Presented by Filer Magazine, whose motto is “good music will prevail,” this four-day event is spread out amongst seven venues. So while the LA terrain may make it difficult to hit more than a couple clubs each night, with an all-access wristband being only $20, it’s still a lot of bang for your buck, especially with this year’s line-up including Of Montreal, Zola Jesus, Niki and The Dove, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Bonde do Rolê, and Dean Wareham playing Galaxie 500 songs. Get more information at the Culture Collide website.
Austin City Limits Music Festival, Austin, October 12–14
With more festivals than you can shake a stick at (SXSW, Chaos in Tejas, etc.), Austin truly has come to live up to its nickname as music capital of the world. The Austin City Limits Festival is probably second to only SXSW in size, and you can tell by the big names headlining this year: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, The Black Keys, Jack White, and Iggy & The Stooges. Unfortunately, all but the VIP tickets are sold out. To get all the details on the ACL Fest, head to their website.
Treasure Island Music Festival, San Francisco, October 13–14
Taking place on a manmade island in the San Francisco Bay, the Treasure Island Music Festival is a thoughtfully curated two-day line-up. This year’s schedule barely has a weak spot so your biggest difficulty may just be finding a minute to relax. A $130 two-day pass will get you in to see Girl Talk, The Gossip, Divine Fits, Public Enemy, Ty Segall, Toro y Moi, Wild Belle, and more. To view the complete line-up and find out more about the festival, check out the Treasure Island website.
City Arts Festival, Seattle, October 17–20
Sponsored by Heineken and taking place at venues throughout Seattle, this-four day festival looks to bring art into the equation. The event includes what it is calling “topographies,” which will encourage patrons to experience other art besides music. However, music is still very much the focus, and this year’s line-up includes David Byrne and St. Vincent, Mos Def, Neil Halstead, and Friends. To find out about the various wristbands available and the complete schedule, visit the City Arts website.
Moogfest, Asheville, October 26–27
Celebrating the work of synthesizer pioneer Robert Moog, Moogfest is one of our favorites, both for the wide array of artists it brings together and for its picturesque locale in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Now in its third year of being in Ashville (the fest was held in New York from 2004 to 2008), this year’s festival includes Nas, Explosions in the Sky, Orbital, Santigold, Magnetic Fields, Cold Cave and Harold Budd. General admission passes are still available via the Moogfest website, where you can find all the other pertinent details.