North Coast Festival 2012 [Preview]

I remember when I first heard about North Coast. I was at Summer Camp in 2010 watching Umphrey’s McGee when their front man Brendan Bayless announced that they were playing this new festival in Chicago called North Coast Labor Day weekend. I was pumped at the prospect of a major festival with this kind of music in the city, and it has lived up to the hype to say the least. It has turned into an end of summer staple in Chicago and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. The first two North Coast Music festivals featured incredible line ups and were great but I think it’s safe to say that this year’s line up is one for the ages. A majority of the acts are electro style DJs but they made sure to squeeze in a little room for bands and hip hop artists too.  Friday is being headlined by STS9 which is the best of the best when it comes to the fusion of electronic music and jam. Saturday night will be one where Umphrey’s McGee will take the stage to show some of the new school electro fans that some old school bands that don’t use computers can still bring the party hard. Sunday’s headliner however is the showstopper. If there’s one way to guarantee a sell out its to bring Derek Vincent Smith aka Pretty Lights to the stage. Don’t get me wrong I love all three of those acts, especially STS9, but it’s hard to find a show with as much energy as Pretty Lights. As far as the hip hop acts go, Atmosphere will be there and so will Big Boi. I can’t think of many people I’d rather see than Big Boi, I just wish Andre was gonna be there too. If you’re looking to buy a single day pass and try to pick which day you’ll like the best, don’t bother, just buy all three because it’s going to be a weekend to remember. There’s something for everyone this time around at North coast and if you go, you will have fun. I know Chicago’s big daddy of festivals, Lollapalooza, is coming up this weekend and it’ll be hard for Chicagoans to think of North Coast quite yet but keep this thing in the back of your minds Chi City, you won’t regret it. Check the video above of STS9 from last year’s North Coast after party at Congress Theater to get an idea of what it might be like this time around.

- JPoos