Spring 2013 Music Festival Guide

It’s still winter. And you’ve been cooped up with a quartet of Ben, Jerry, Mike, and Ike. Drop the boy band for one of the season’s finest festivals, starting this weekend.

Go: Savannah Stopover
Plan: Thursday-Saturday in Savannah.
Don’t Miss: Kopecky Family Band, Chelsea Light Moving (featuring Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth), The Whigs, Atlanta’s Ponderosa, Empress Of, Bronze Radio Return.
Take: Solo cups (you can walk the streets with beverages) and your stamina (more than 100 performances in three days).
Buy: Three-day passes ($75-$120) at savannahstopover.com.

Go: Magnetic Music Festival
Plan: April 20 at KSU Sports and Recreation Park in Kennesaw.
Don’t Miss: Flux Pavilion, Adventure Club, Flosstradamus, Zeds Dead, and Darth & Vader.
Take: Glow sticks/jewelry, energy drinks, your best EDM (electronic dance moves).
Buy: Tickets ($61-$155) at magneticmusicfestival.com.

Go: Athens Americana Music Fest
Plan: April 25-28 in Athens.
Don’t Miss: Deer Tick, Atlanta’s Whiskey Gentry, Lera Lynn, The Corduroy Road, Caroline Herring.
Take: Your peasant skirt, cowboy boots, and a ten-speed to ride in the annual Twilight Criterium.
Buy: All-inclusive tickets ($50-$125) at georgiatheatre.com.

Go: Shaky Knees Festival
Plan: May 4 & 5 at Atlanta’s Historic Fourth Ward Park and The Masquerade Music Park.
Don’t Miss: The Lumineers, Jim James (pictured), Gary Clark Jr., The Joy Formidable, J. Roddy Walston and The Business, The Antlers.
Take: Blankets, sunscreen, your air guitar, and a sombrero (hello, it’s Cinco de Mayo).
Buy: Single-day tickets ($61-$155) at shakykneesfestival.com.

Go: Hangout Music Festival
Plan: May 17-19 on the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Don’t Miss: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Kings of Leon, The Shins, Kendrick Lamar, Ellie Goulding, Ryan Bingham, Lissie, The Weeks.
Take: Your bikini, beach blanket, and appreciation for the finer things in life (there’s no roughing it at this sandy paradise of a festival).
Buy: Three-day passes ($229-$1,500) at hangoutmusicfest.com.