Summerfest's upstart alternative music festival was finally christened this week following a competition to name the event: It will be called the Verge Music Festival. The festival, which will debut at the Summerfest grounds on June 4 and 5, also announced its preliminary lineup. The performers include:
Weezer
AFI
Three Days Grace
Crash Kings
Eagles of Death Metal
Cold War Kids
The Raveonettes
Rogue Wave
She & Him
Nico Vega
Reni Lane
Geri X
Also announced were a good deal of local acts:
Jaill
The Championship
Figureheads
Pezzettino
1956
Red Knife Lottery
Invade Rome
Revision Text
Juniper Tar
I'm impressed with the lineup. In the past I've expressed concerns that this festival would skew too much toward the hard-alternative end of the spectrum, scaring away casual festivalgoers, but these performers strike an inclusive balance between heaviness (AFI, Three Days Grace, Crash Kings, Eagles of Death Metal) and and indie appeal (The Raveonettes, Rogue Wave, She & Him). The local bands were thoughtfully selected, too, and Weezer is a particularly inspired headliner especially since they're for all the complaints about their new material, they're putting on some of the best live shows of their career, as anybody who saw them last December at the Rave can attest.
Tickets for the event are on sale now at YourMusicFest.com. Advanced tickets are $25 a day, or $40 for both days, and each advanced ticket includes a ticket for free weekday Summerfest admission.
