There is a concert for every music lover happening this summer, and most are within a two-hour drive of Manhattan.
The Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival will return to Lawrence on June 8-11. The festival featured more than 70 bands and several activities including a parade, disc golf course and a drum circle. According to Wakarusa’s Web site, The Flaming Lips are just one of the recent additions to the artist line.
Loco Macheen and The DeWayn Brothers Bluegrass Band won the chance to play in Wakarusa in January. They competed in Battlerusa at Auntie Mae’s Parlor against other locals Audio Spaghetti, Storytyme, 13th Step, and The Mathematics.
Tickets for Wakarusa are still available at www.wakarusa.com.
Another local music event this summer is Country Stampede, which takes place at Tuttle Creek state lake. The four-day country music event, starting June 22-25, will feature several country superstars including Gretchen Wilson, Toby Keith, Sara Evans and Brad Paisley.
Tickets for Country Stampede are available online at www.countrystampede.com and start at $60.
There are also several regional concerts to attend this summer. Dave Matthews Band will be performing at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Kansas City, Kan. Other events happening at the amphitheater this summer include Vans Warped Tour, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ozzfest and Kelly Clarkson.
A full listing of dates, times and event is available at www.sandstonekc.com.
The Cotillion in Wichita will also host several bands this summer. Staind with Three Days Grace will perform at 8 p.m. on June 11.
Tickets will go on sale May 20 for Better Than Ezra and Sister Hazel. They will be making a stop at the Cotillion on July 13.
Music
So far this summer is looking like a great one for music lovers. Here is a list of some albums for which to look while you enjoy your months without school.
Art Brut, “Bang Bang Rock and Roll”
The debut of this rollicking, sarcastic British punk band finally hits U.S. shores on May 23
Sonic Youth, “Rather Ripped”
After nearly 20 years of recording, Sonic Youth are still releasing albums just as essential as their ground-breaking earlier work. June 13
Johnny Cash, “American V: A Hundred Highways”
This is the posthumous release of the fifth in the series of Cash’s excellent American recordings. July 4
Ludacris, “Release Therapy”
This infamous Dirty South rapper returns with another album of dirty double-entendres and crunk club bangers. Summer 2006
MF Doom & Ghostface Killah, “Swift & Changeable”
New York rapper Ghostface Killah pairs with underground rap legend MF Doom for their sure-to-be-brilliant first collaborative effort. Summer 2006
OutKast, “Idlewild”
This is the soundtrack to this Atlanta duo’s first feature-length film about a gifted pianist working at a speakeasy in the Prohibition-era South. July/August 2006
Movies
Summer is the time to relax and take a break from school. Yes, most of us have to work, but take the time to escape for two hours and see a movie. This summer will have some blockbusters soon for your viewing pleasure.
“The Da Vinci Code”
Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is in Paris on business when he’s summoned to The Louvre. A body has been found, setting Langdon off on an adventure as he attempts to unravel an ancient code and uncover the greatest mystery of all time. May 19
“X-Men 3: The Last Stand”
The final chapter in the X-Men motion picture trilogy, a “cure” for mutancy threatens to alter the course of history. May 26
“The Break Up”
After Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) calls it quits with her boyfriend Gary (Vince Vaughn), neither person is willing to move out of the condo they share. Taking the advice of their repsective friends and confidants (and a few total strangers), they both engage in mental warfare designed to force the other person to flee the premises – until they both realize they might be fighting to keep their relationship alive. June 2
“Nacho Libre”
Nacho (Jack Black) is a young man who was raised in a Mexican monastery in Oaxaca and now works there as the cook and takes it upon himself to rescue the holy place from financial ruin by joining a local Lucha Libre tournament and becoming one of the ‘Luchadores’. June 16
“Superman Returns”
Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth in the epic Superman Returns. While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman faces the heartbreaking realization that the woman he loves, Lois Lane, has moved on with her life. June 30
“Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest”
Captain Jack Sparrow’s life is in debt to the legendary Davey Jones, Captain of the Flying Dutchmen, who are supernatural warriors out for blood. Facing possible eternal damnation, Jack must save himself, which only complicates the marriage of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, who must come to Jack’s aid. July 7
“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”
NASCAR stock car racing sensation Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) is a national hero because of his “win at all costs” approach. When flamboyant French Formula One driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) challenges “Shake” and “Bake” for the supremacy of NASCAR, Ricky Bobby must face his own demons and fight Girard for the right to be known as racing’s top driver. August 4
Source: Internet Movie Database
* Release dates are subject to change