Oslo, Norway's Øyafestival may be one of the smartest summer bashes ever. Every festival I've attended in the great outdoors has the exact same ending: drunk people stumbling around in a sea of discarded plastic cups and other concert paraphernalia. Not so in Oslo. Øyafestival actually pays its patrons for the trash they pick up, as well as promotes a 100% eco-friendly mindset, extending even to the food served during the show. Sure, you can say your fest's earth-friendly, but how many festivals actually receive government certification backing that up? Øyafestival's got it. Here's the proverbial cherry on top: before the festival even starts, 30 different venues in the Oslo city center will put on shows featuring over 100 acts, and they're all free for festival ticket-holders. Lolla-what? Pitchfork who?
Oh, right. The lineup. It SUCKS! It's awful. That's what you sacrifice for such idyllic surroundings. I mean, who wants to see My Bloody Valentine anymore? We get it! You reunited! Bo-ring. Sonic Youth are always a total snooze; Girl Talk just has a secret boner for Britney Spears; N.E.R.D. are soooo 2004; and Sigur Rós are just totally out of place. At least there are four open-air stages, so you won't have to do all of your yawning in one place.
Here's the Big Lebowski:
My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, N.E.R.D., Sigur Rós, Clipse, Girl Talk, Jose Gonzales, Grinderman, Turbonegro (performing Apocalypse Dudes), Mayhem, Dirty Pretty Things, Health, Holy Fuck, Iron & Wine, Isis, Cut Copy, Mogwai, Lars Horntvedt w/KORK, Kid Sister & A-Trak, Notwist, Konono No 1, The Field, Jamie Lidell, Lightspeed Champion, Lykke Li, Diplo, Ida Maria, Yeasayer, The Mae Shi, The Sonics, Kaizers Orchestra, Mayhem, Buraka Som Sistema, The National, No Age, Okkervil River, The Sword, Sunn O))), Dark Meat, The Dodos, Fleet Foxes, Ane Brun, Silje Nes, Supersilent w/ Molvaer, Janelle Monáe, The Night Marchers, Dengue Fever, Booka Shade, The Presets, Kitsune Label Night, Boys Noize Label Night, Pilooski, Coliseum, The Urges, Strip Steve, Les Petit Pilous, A Place To Bury Strangers, Håkan Hellström, El Guincho, The Disciplines, Original Silence, Grand Archives, Whitest Boy Alive, Mental Overdrive, Don Juan Dracula, Nissenmondai, The Death Set, Claude VonStroke, Andrew Weatherall, LA Riots, and Best Fwends
Plus some acts from the Norwegian motherland: Raga Rockers / / Animal Alpha / Casiokids / diskJokke Band / We / Grand Island / El Cuero / Elephant9 / Gerilja / Roger Græsberg & The Anti-Music Bonanza / Thom Hell / Howl / Ingrid Olava / Kung Fu Girls / Lama / Master Piece Of Cake / Moddi / Pirate Love / Sigh & Explode / Tommy Tokyo & Starving For My Gravy / Truls & The Trees + just announced: Lukestar / Haust / Stella Mwangi / Rumble In Rhodos / Ingeborg Selnes / Bjørn Torske / Bonk / Bungalow Ranchstyle / Caddy / Le Corbeau / Like Rats From A Sinking Ship / Magnus Hænglse / Mattias Tellez / Now We've Got Members / Ost & Kjex / Rockettothesky / Shining / Nils Bech / Maribel / Nomber 5s / Hiawata! / Pow Pow
More info on Øyafestival here.
