Where to Take Her

The best summer music fests. For you. For her.

By Reuben Brody / May 6, 2015 9:00 am

Because every man needs a plan, and some of us need that plan with a flowchart, we present Where to Take Her: a series that answers a gentleman’s most pressing lifestyle questions. Today: the summer music festival. Remember: always go for the VIP tickets, and make good use of StubHub (or worldly equivalent). Want something more global? Try our National bureau.

For a preview of the tunes on tap, check out our Summer Festivals 2015 playlist on Spotify.

Key

BottleRock (May 29-31) Napa Valley, CA
Wine. Hills. Balloons. And a diverse lineup that includes up-and-comers like Courtney Barnett alongside elder statesmen like Robert Plant. BottleRock is a solid alternative to Outside Lands. Because standing all day will require a spa visit, stay at the Milliken Creek Inn.

Capitol Hill Block Party (July 24-26) Seattle, WA
An urban festival with a strong lineup built on some of the best underground electronic in the game: Ratatat, Toro y Moi and Jamie xx. Seattle’s summers defy the city’s rainy reputation. The modish Hotel Andra sits between the venue and great restaurants.

Echo Park Rising (August 15-17) Echo Park, CA
Echo Park Rising hosts mostly local indie acts like the Allah-Las. It’s all walkable so plan to Uber to the venue, then wait out the after-show traffic with dinner at Ostrich Farm followed by drinks at Short Stop. Stay tuned for the 2015 lineup.

High Sierra Music Festival (July 2-5) Quincy, CA
Like guitar noodling? Look no further than the High Sierra Festival. String Cheese headlines along with a reunion of The Word, John Medeski’s side-project with the North Mississippi Allstars and steel-guitar virtuoso Robert Randolph.

KCRW World Music Festival (June-September) Hollywood, CA
Setting up shop at the Hollywood Bowl all summer long and including everyone from the funk of Bootsy Collins to the synth-pop of Future Islands, KCRW’s lineup for their World Music Festival offers quite a lot. And because it’s got so many dates, you have many chances to catch it. Before heading to the Bowl, grab a basket from GC Marketplace to take in.

Lightning in a Bottle (May 21-25) Bradley, CA
Lightning in a Bottle is a cross between Coachella and Burning Man, only it’s set in the pleasant mountains above Santa Barbara next to a lake. Expect lots of EDM, yoga and serious, Dr. Seuss-ian art installations. Maybe throw in a little soul searching to boot.

Splash House (June 13-14; August 8-9) Palm Springs, CA
Forty-eight hours of nu disco and beachy house surrounded by hot women in small bikinis in the hot hot desert heat: that’s Splash House. The parties are poolside at the Saguro or the Palm Springs Hilton, and your ticket includes a stay at one of those places, where we suggest catch a disco nap before the sun sets.