Summer's Biggest Music Festivals and the Best Acts to See

Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN), June 13-16

Tennessee's dirtiest yet most prolific festival is back with another killer lineup, consisting of Sir Paul McCartney of Beatles Mania fame and the lively skeletons of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The transcendent sounds of Björk and busy beats of Wu Tang Clan will also be in attendance. Staple festival performer Warren Hayes and Gov't Mule will then come around to rock the boat once again, and it never gets old.

Some strange curveballs to look for while you're there include ZZ Top, Billy Idol, and "Weird Al" Yankovic emceeing. It's unclear exactly how they made it into such a relevant gig, but they'll be there, although Billy Idol may just be a hologram of his former self. And everyone's favorite office manager will be present in Ed Helms' Bluegrass Situation, a banjo-loving group of geektastic fiddlers. Plus, Wilco, Animal Collective and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes will be coming back around for some eclectic musical offerings, with possibly a lot of new tunes from the latter. Finally, Bob Saget and Daniel Tosh, two of comedy's filthiest mouths, booked a spot at the honky tonk of festivals as there will be a fun comedy presence throughout.

Summerfest (Milwaukee, WI),  June 26-30 and July 2-7

This year, the Midwest is going to be a little more rock 'n' roll for its older listeners with the returns of The Eagles and Rush, two bands no one in their early twenties has ever heard of. However, girls and weird pop trolls alike will appreciate the fantastic return of New Kids on the Block, but it's not yet certain if it'll be the original members or their grandchildren taking the stage.

Alice Cooper and 311 will be big attractions of the festival, along with popular acts like Grouplove, MGMT, Fun. and Cold War Kids. Finally, O.A.R. is on the bill, but their stage is reserved for college frat boys and people who can't find the Dave Matthews Band playing anywhere.

Warped Tour (All Over, All Summer)

This year's Warped Tour has a few old faces on the bill, but the traveling festival going from town to town is also loaded with the soft skin of a younger generation of pop punk and hardcore punkers. Of the familiar names, people will be excited to see the return of Goldfinger, along with The Used and a softcore performance from Relient K.

Kids can also expect to see last of the semi-prehistoric punk phase, Motion Picture Soundtrack and Story of the Year, before getting thrown into a horde of  angry high-top sneaker wearing, ear-lobe drooping, tattoo-covered establishment haters and their hip, new music.

Newport Folk Festival (Newport, RI), July 26-28

Rhode Island might seem small, but they're big on festivals, and this year's Newport Folk Fest is bringing the veterans of eclectic folk music to its stage -- with Beck and Old Crow Medicine Show. On top of that, the festival, which is really only for two days, is hosting a few of the newest in folky trends, The Avett Brothers and Father John Misty, whose debut record is a taste of the good things to come. This festival is built around a short but sweet dip into the live music pool, with great music for the Twitter-loving hip cats all the way up to their folks.

Lollapalooza (Chicago, IL) August 2-4

Easily the most notorious of urban festivals, Lollapalooza's lineup generally sets the tone for all music festivals each summer. No stranger to reuniting godlike rock bands and pulling tricks out of its hat, this year's festival once again baffles us by bringing together a mix of hard-to-get bands, including The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, The Postal Service and Queens of the Stone Age.

If that isn't enough, they have a steady stream of big bands today like Mumford & Sons, The National, The Killers and Matt & Kim, all of which will be bouncing new tunes off their audiences, along with sweat and tears of the humid Windy City.

New acts to keep an eye out for include The Lumineers, Imagine Dragons and an underground band ready to surface - The Mowgli's.

Outside Lands (San Francisco, CA), August 9-11

It's recently been announced that Outside Lands lineup this year will feature a lot of feel-good groups, especially now that Hall & Oates are at the top of the bill. In addition, Nine Inch Nails is saddling up in San Francisco for one of just four live American appearances this year.

Alongside headliners Paul McCartney and Phoenix, The Red Hot Chili Peppers will continue the end of their extensive touring. And Grizzly Bear, Band of Horses and Yeah Yeah Yeahs will pull their weight in support of new albums. If you're betting on a good festival with good weather this summer, it's recommended this one be at the top of your list.

Made in America (Philadelphia, PA), August 31 - September 1

The Jay-Z curated festival brings a heavy lineup each year, and this one is no exception. Nine Inch Nails, Deadmau5 and Phoenix are the headliners along with the obvious Beyonce appearance, and Queens of the Stone Age and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will also be main attractions.

Should Jay-Z make an appearance, it'll probably be alongside his baby mama, so expect some on-stage dry humping and a possible solo from baby Blue Ivy. It's a hard knock life, isn't it?

Bumbershoot (Seattle, WA), August 31 - September 2

Due to its late summer scheduling, Bumbershoot's lineup won't be announced until May 2 this year, but keep an eye out for groovy acts like Allen Stone, along with a lot of the common threads of the other festivals.