Great lineup, messy scheduling. This year’s version of B.O.M.B. Fest, happening Saturday and Sunday at the Comcast Theatre in Hartford, brings a broad selection of buzz-worthy acts to Connecticut, some for the first time, and then pits them against each other in an indie-rock cage match of overlapping set times.
The headliners, Weezer on Saturday and Snoop Dogg on Sunday, have 90 minutes each to themselves, but the rest of the festival means making some potentially tough choices, even when you weed out filler like EOTO and George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic.
PHOTOS: 2011 B.O.M.B. Fest Lineup
With that in mind, here are a few suggestions for acts not to miss:
Saturday
Midi and the Modern Dance One of Connecticut’s most promising acts, this Westport collective makes lush, dreamy pop music intercut with jarring, noisy breaks full of jagged guitar. The band released a very good album, “Make It Easy on Yourself,” last summer. 11:40 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. on the B.O.M.B. Pavilion Stage.
Titus Andronicus Yeah, these New Jersey rockers are here a lot including a gig June 4 opening for Okkervil River in New Haven but their frenzied, energetic live shows are just too good to pass up. 3:05 to 3:50 p.m. on the B.O.M.B. Pavilion Stage.
Heirlooms Hartford’s best band just keeps getting better, and the rootsy group’s 3:45 time slot is the best one all day: You can catch Heirlooms’ whole set and still see half an hour’s worth of Dan Deacon afterward. 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. on the Viva La B.O.M.B. Stage.
Best Coast Apart from a students-only show last fall at Smith College, this California garage-pop band hasn’t played in the area. Singer Bethany Cosentino swaths her full, powerful voice in reverb while guitarist Bobb Bruno churns out surfy riffs behind her. 7:40 to 8:35 p.m. on the B.O.M.B. Pavilion Stage.
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros In contrast to singer Alex Ebert’s eclectic other band, the electro-pop act Ima Robot, Edward Sharpe makes rustic pop loosely based on the Bowie-esque concept of an alien who would be saving humanity if he weren’t distracted by girls. Weird? Yes, but catchy. 8:50 to 9:50 p.m. on the B.O.M.B. Pavilion Stage.
Sunday
The Files & Fires This Danbury band performs majestic post-rock instruments full of sweeping guitar currents and deep instrumental textures. 3:10 to 3:40 p.m. on the Budweiser Stage.
River City Extension Worth noting (via their publicist): River City Extension is the only act playing the Newport Folk Festival and the Warped mall-punk tour this summer. No wonder: the New Jersey folk-punk band has made a name for itself with relentless touring and riotous live performances in support of a pair of CDs, including last year’s “River City Extension and the Unmistakable Man.” 12:25 to 1:10 p.m. on the Budweiser Stage.
Man Man Think experimental vaudevillean carnival music from this Philadelphia band, which just released a new album, “Life Fantastic.” 6:05 to 6:55 p.m. on the Budweiser Stage.
The New Pornographers The Canadian power-pop act makes its first visit to Connecticut. The group has released five albums of incessantly catchy music that has progressed from a reliance on abrasive keyboards to more organic sounds. 5:10 to 6:05 p.m. on the B.O.M.B. Pavilion Stage.
Wiz Khalifa Although Pittsburgh is hardly known for its music scene, this burgeoning rap star got a boost last year when his song “Black and Yellow” accompanied the Pittsburgh Steelers on their way to the Super Bowl. 8:50 to 9:50 p.m. on the B.O.M.B. Pavilion Stage.
B.O.M.B. Fest takes place Saturday and Sunday at Comcast Theatre, 61 Savitt Way, Hartford. Gates open at 10 a.m., music starts at 11 a.m. Two-day passes are $99 for the pavilion, $89 for the lawn. Single-day passes are $70 for the pavilion and $60 for the lawn. Information and complete schedule: or 860-548-7370.
Similar Posts:
- Gov’t Mule at Comcast Sunday
- Texas Flood Blues Band Heads To Bridge Street
- Swedish House Mafia Make Fireworks At Ultra Music Fest Kickoff
- Hub City Stompers At Webster In TNT Weekend
- Swift wins big at Teen Choice Awards
