Rites of Spring Music Festival - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Rites of Spring is an annual music festival held at Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...

in Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

in late April.

History

The history of the festival is defined on the Rites of Spring website:

Lineups

2011
Kid Cudi

Kid Cudi

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...

, The National

The National (band)

The National is an indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999 and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The band's lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger, a baritone...

, Matt and Kim

Matt and Kim

Matt & Kim are a dance punk duo residing in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. The group was formed in 2005 and is composed of Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino...

, Sara Bareilles

Sara Bareilles

Sara Beth Bareilles is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She achieved mainstream success in 2007 with the hit single "Love Song", which brought her into the number one spot on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. She has sold over 1 million records in the United States alone and has been...

, Public Enemy, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is an American band led by Alex Ebert, vocalist of the power pop group Ima Robot. Their first full-length recording, Up from Below, was released July 7, 2009, digitally and July 14, 2009, physically on Community Records...

, Jerrod Niemann

Jerrod Niemann

Jerrod Lee Niemann is an American country music artist. Active since 2001, he has recorded two independent albums. In 2006, he signed to Category 5 Records and charted with the single "I Love Women "...

, The Features

The Features

The Features are an American indie rock band from Tennessee. Though they have had limited success in the United States, they have been very well received in the United Kingdom and have a very loyal following in the Southeastern United States.-Early years:...

, The Pimps of Joytime, Madi Diaz

Madi Diaz

Madi Diaz is an American singer and songwriter.- History :Though based in Nashville, Diaz grew up in Lancaster, PA, where she was home schooled by her Peruvian mother, Nancy, a proponent of early childhood development and the visual arts, and her Danish father, Eric, a woodworker and musician...

, David Mayfield Parade, Futurebirds

Futurebirds

Futurebirds are an indie rock band formed in 2008 from Athens, Georgia. Their first album Hampton's Lullaby, was released on Autumn Tone Records on July 27, 2010. Their self titled EP was re-released in February 2011 and their second EP, Via Flamina, was released in April 2011.- Overview...

, Young Jesus

2010
Drake

Drake (entertainer)

Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....

, Passion Pit

Passion Pit

Passion Pit is an American electropop band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The group, which formed in 2007, consists of Michael Angelakos , Ian Hultquist , Ayad Al Adhamy , Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer...

, Phoenix

Phoenix (band)

Phoenix is a Grammy Award winning French indie rock band from Versailles, founded by Thomas Mars, Deck d'Arcy, Christian Mazzalai and Laurent Brancowitz.-Formation and early years:...

, Ben Harper

Ben Harper

Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...

and Relentless7

Relentless7

Relentless7 is an American rock band formed in 2008 by singer/guitarist Ben Harper. The current members are Harper , Jason Mozersky , Jesse Ingalls , and Jordan Richardson .-History:...

, Cold War Kids

Cold War Kids

Cold War Kids are an American indie rock band from Long Beach, California. Band members are Nathan Willett , Jonnie Russell , Matt Maust , and Matt Aveiro .-History:...

, Melanie Fiona

Melanie Fiona

Melanie Fiona Hallim is a Canadian R&B and Grammy-nominated recording artist from Toronto, Ontario. She was born to Guyanese immigrant parents of African, Indian, and Portuguese descent and grew up in the inner city of Toronto. Living in a music filled household, Fiona says she always knew music...

, Doug E. Fresh

Doug E. Fresh

Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...

, Chris Hennessee, The New Mastersounds

The New Mastersounds

The New Mastersounds are a four-piece funk band based in Leeds, England.In the late 1990s, guitarist and producer Eddie Roberts was running a club night in Leeds called "The Cooker." When The Cooker moved into a new venue with a second floor in 1999, there was space and the opportunity to put a...

2009
The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...

, T.I.

T.I.

Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....

, N.E.R.D., Q-Tip, Santigold, Grand Ole Party

Grand Ole Party

Grand Ole Party was a three-piece band from San Diego, California consisting of singer-drummer Kristin Gundred, guitarist John Paul Labno and bassist Michael Krechnyak. They started playing in San Diego in mid-2006, having moved from the San Francisco area...

, Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears, Okkervil River

Okkervil River

Okkervil River is an indie rock band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 1998, the band takes its name from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya. They self-released their first album, Stars Too Small to Use, which led them to the South by Southwest music festival. After recording their first...

, K'NAAN

K'naan

K'naan , born Keinan Abdi Warsame in 1978, is a Somali Canadian poet, rapper, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.-Biography:Born in Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most...

, Sara Watkins

Sara Watkins

Sara Ullrika Watkins is an American singer-songwriter and fiddler. Watkins debuted in 1989 as the fiddler of the progressive bluegrass group Nickel Creek, which consisted of herself, her elder brother Sean, and mandolinist Chris Thile. As a band, they are notable for three wide-released albums:...

, Blueskyreality, Erick Baker, Run With Bulls, Stardeath and White Dwarfs

Stardeath and White Dwarfs

Stardeath and White Dwarfs is an experimental rock band from Norman, Oklahoma, formed in late 2004. The band has released one album, one single and an EP, as well as contributing to The Flaming Lips' 2009 remake of The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.The band consists of Dennis Coyne, Casey...

, Pico vs. Island Trees

2008
Lil Jon

Lil Jon

Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...

, Spoon

Spoon (band)

Spoon is an American rock band formed in Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Britt Daniel ; Jim Eno ; Rob Pope and Eric Harvey .-History:...

, Feist, Colbie Caillat

Colbie Caillat

Colbie Marie Caillat is an American pop singer-songwriter and guitarist from Malibu, California. She debuted in 2007 with Coco, which included hit singles "Bubbly", "Realize", and "The Little Things". In 2008, she recorded a duet with Jason Mraz, "Lucky", which won a Grammy. Caillat released her...

, Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...

, Old Crow Medicine Show

Old Crow Medicine Show

Old Crow Medicine Show is an old-time string band based in Nashville, Tennessee. Their music has been called bluegrass, Americana, and alt-country, in addition to old-time. Along with original songs, the band performs many pre-World War II blues and folk songs...

, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals is an American rock band from Waitsfield, Vermont.-Career:Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' lead vocalist is multi-instrumentalist Grace Potter, who attended St. Lawrence University for two years before pursuing music professionally...

, Wild Sweet Orange

Wild Sweet Orange

Wild Sweet Orange was an American indie rock band from Homewood, Alabama. In early 2008 their song "Land of No Return" was featured on Grey's Anatomy. The band performed the song "Ten Dead Dogs" live on the Late Night with David Letterman on June 23, 2008. Their first full LP, We Have Cause to Be...

, Jeremy Lister

Jeremy Lister

Ensign Jeremy Lister was a British officer in the 10th Regiment of Foot during the early days of the American Revolution. His journal was later published as Concord fight: Being so much of the narrative of Ensign Jeremy Lister of the 10th Regiment of Foot as pertains to his services on the 19th of...

, The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers is a folk rock band from Mount Pleasant, North Carolina. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett and Seth Avett, who play the banjo and guitar respectively, and Bob Crawford who plays the stand-up bass. Joe Kwon, cello, and Jacob Edwards, drums, are touring members of...

, Cupid

Cupid

In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...

, H-Beam, Alana Grace

Alana Grace

Alana Grace is an American actress and singer-songwriter who is best known for her song "Black Roses Red" featured on the soundtrack of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants...

, Lord T and Eloise, Hill Country Revue, Randy Rogers Band

Randy Rogers Band

The Randy Rogers Band is an American Texas Country group from the state of Texas. The band is composed of Randy Rogers , Geoffrey Hill , Jon Richardson , Brady Black , and Les Lawless . They have recorded four studio albums and two live albums, and have charted six singles on the Billboard Hot...

2007
The Roots

The Roots

The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...

, Wolfmother

Wolfmother

Wolfmother is an Australian rock band from Erskineville, Sydney. Formed in 2000, the group was originally a trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, bassist and keyboardist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett. Wolfmother released their self-titled debut album in October 2005,...

, Drive by Truckers, Mat Kearney

Mat Kearney

Mathew William "Mat" Kearney is an American musician born in Eugene, Oregon, now based in Nashville, Tennessee. Kearney has received critical acclaim and widespread recognition for his Columbia Records debut, Nothing Left to Lose. So far, he has a total of four top 20 hits on the Adult Top 40...

, Keller Williams

Keller Williams

Keller Williams is an American musician from Fredericksburg, Virginia, who began performing in the early 1990s. He is also known by the names K-Dub or just Keller, when performing. Williams' music combines elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica/dance, jazz, funk, and...

, Amos Lee

Amos Lee

Amos Lee is an American singer-songwriter whose musical style encompasses folk, rock and soul. Lee has four albums on Blue Note Records and has toured as an opening act for Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Van Morrison, John Prine, Dave Matthews Band and Adele. In...

, Rocco DeLuca and the Burden

Rocco DeLuca and the Burden

The California-based Rocco DeLuca and the Burden was originally formed as a four-piece American indie rock band in late 2005. The band no longer plays together, though DeLuca remains a solo artist and sometimes plays with close friends in concert....

, The Whigs

The Whigs

The Whigs are an American garage rock band from Athens, Georgia, consisting of lead singer and guitarist Parker Gispert, drummer Julian Dorio and bassist Timothy Deaux.-Biography:...

, Brett Dennen

Brett Dennen

Brett Dennen is a folk/pop singer and songwriter from Northern California.-Biography:Brett Dennen attended UC Santa Cruz from 2000–2004, where he was a student at Kresge College....

, Naughty by Nature

Naughty by Nature

Naughty by Nature are a Grammy Award-winning American hip hop trio from East Orange, New Jersey that at the time of its formation in 1989 consisted of Treach, Vin Rock, and the DJ Kay Gee...

, Bang Bang Bang, The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker, Jyspi, Sons of William, The Old Silver Band

2006
Ben Folds

Ben Folds

Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...

, My Morning Jacket

My Morning Jacket

My Morning Jacket is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky.The band consists of Jim James , Tom 'Two-Tone Tommy' Blankenship , Patrick Hallahan , Carl Broemel , and Bo Koster .-History:My Morning Jacket was...

, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Govt Mule, Secret Machines, Blue Merle, Ben Lee, Matt Pondpa, Cary Brothers, B Young, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...

, Old Union, Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band is an American country music, southern rock, and folk band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown , Jimmy De Martini , John Driskell Hopkins , Coy Bowles , Chris Fryar and Clay Cook...

, Hot Buttered Rum, Hopsing Project, Kate Voegle, Mr. Blotto

2005
Hootie & the Blowfish

Hootie & the Blowfish

Hootie & the Blowfish is an American rock band that enjoyed popularity in the second half of the 1990s. They were originally formed in 1986 at the University of South Carolina by Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Jim Sonefeld, and Mark Bryan. The band has recorded five studio albums to date, and has...

, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Cake

Cake

Cake is a form of bread or bread-like food. In its modern forms, it is typically a sweet and enriched baked dessert. In its oldest forms, cakes were normally fried breads or cheesecakes, and normally had a disk shape...

, Yonder Mountain String Band, Julie Roberts, Gomez, Phoenix

Phoenix (band)

Phoenix is a Grammy Award winning French indie rock band from Versailles, founded by Thomas Mars, Deck d'Arcy, Christian Mazzalai and Laurent Brancowitz.-Formation and early years:...

, Alexi Murdoch, Ingram Hill, Sean Costello, Jason White, Robbers on High Street, SYD, Matt Woods, Josh Kelley, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Van Hunt, Florez, Dave Barnes, Shawn Camp, Dean Fields, Cunninlynguists

2004
Talib Kweli

Talib Kweli

Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...

, The Wailers, North Mississippi All Stars, Robert Earl Keen, Flickerstick, Josh Rouse, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, OK Go

OK Go

OK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...

, Marc Broussard, Jag Star

Jag Star

Jag Star is an alternative rock/pop band from Knoxville, Tennessee. Originally formed in late 1998, the band has released four independent records, and have a number of singles on a compilation album. The band has seen several line up changes and has toured extensivley since 2000...

, Jimmy Hall and the Prisoners of Love, Dan Darrah Band, Jedd Hughes, The Someday Tour, Monte Montgomery, Matt Wertz, The Whigs, Mieka Pauley, The Loft, Christopher Robin

2003
Nappy Roots

Nappy Roots

Nappy Roots is an American alternative Southern rap quintet that originated in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1995 and is best known for its hit single "Awnaw."...

, Pat Green

Pat Green

Patrick Craven "Pat" Green is an American Texas Country artist. Active since 1995, he has recorded a total of ten studio albums, including several independent works, three for Republic Records and two for BNA...

, Keller Williams, Martin Sexton, Derek Trucks Band, Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz

Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...

, Alice Peacock, The Recipe, SR-71, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jump Little Children, Will Hoge, Seven Nations, Kill Hannah, Delicious Blues Stew, Mile 8, Hot Action Cop, Austin & Scrap, Melissa Cartoun, Wisechild

2002
Guster

Guster

Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...

, O.A.R.

O.A.R.

O.A.R. is an American rock band composed of Marc Roberge , Chris Culos , Richard On , Benj Gershman , and Jerry DePizzo...

, The Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...

, Phantom Planet, Matt Nathanson

Matt Nathanson

Matt Nathanson is an American singer-songwriter whose work is a blend of folk and rock music. In addition to singing, he plays acoustic and electric guitar, and has played both solo and with a full band. His work includes the platinum-selling song "Come On Get Higher".-Early life and college...

, Gabe Dixon Band, Virginia Coalition, Afroman

Afroman

Joseph Edgar Foreman , better known by his stage name Afroman, is an American rapper who came to prominence with his singles "Because I Got High" and "Crazy Rap". "Because I Got High" circulated around the Internet before becoming a hit worldwide...

, Liza and the Sould Stars, Dezeray's Hammer, Slyletter, Weekend Excursion, Bluestring, Guy Smiley Blues Exchange, Llama, The Great Twitch, Anthony Orlo, Inside Out, Amanda Pearce, Gillespy Road

2001
Nelly

Nelly

Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...

2000
Cowboy Mouth

Cowboy Mouth

Cowboy Mouth is a rock band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Their name usually means "One with a loud and raucous voice". The nucleus of the band formed in the 1990s, and they have become a powerhouse live act whose performances have been likened to "a religious experience."Some of their most...

, G. Love and Special Sauce

1999
Better Than Ezra

Better Than Ezra

Better Than Ezra is an American alternative rock trio based in New Orleans, Louisiana.-Formation and early success:Better Than Ezra was formed in 1988 by its four original members - vocalist and guitarist Kevin Griffin; Joel Rundell, the lead guitarist; bassist Tom Drummond; and drummer, Cary...

, The Roots

The Roots

1998
Run DMC, Third Eye Blind

Third Eye Blind

Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...

1997
George Clinton

George Clinton (musician)

George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...

1996
Violent Femmes

Violent Femmes

Violent Femmes were an American alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, initially active between 1980 and 1987 and again from 1988 to 2009...

1995
Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...

1994
Smashing Pumpkins, Blues Traveler

1993
311

311 (band)

311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...

, Crosby and Nash

1992
Bo Deans and Government Cheese.

1991
The Feelies, HR

1990
Bo Diddley, The Nashville Symphony

1989
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...

, Mel and the Party Hats

1988
Stan Lassiter, the Dusters

1987
New Grass Revival, Cabo Frio, Stan Lassiter Group, Twenty-First Century Steel Band, Pinkard & Bowden

1986
Manikenz, Jason & The Scorchers, Swimming Pool Q's

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.