Vegoose 2006 Proves Halloween Still Rocks :: Music News :: Articles

This weekend (October 28 and 29), a pulsing mass of costume-clad music lovers will once again engulf the Nevada desert when Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium plays host to the second annual Vegoose Music Festival.

Sporting a killer lineup and complete with all the festive diversions you’d expect from the Halloween-themed, wild west cousin of Manchester, Tenn.’s Bonnaroo, Vegoose aims to combine the spooky kitsch of Hallowens past with the communal vibe of a music festival. The festival will feature, amongst other diversions, an on-site costume shop and hair salon (rendering void any excuses made for not arriving in costume).

And then, of course, there’s the music.

Among those that will be taking the stage are G. Love & Special Sauce, Dr. Octagon, Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins, and Cat Power and the Memphis Rhythm Blues Band.

“You can always maybe come to see one specific thing, but end up accidentally seeing three other bands you like,” Jack White, who will be playing with The Raconteurs on Saturday, tells Paste. “I think that’s probably the one good thing about festivals, is the exposure you have to bands you might not normally see or hear, even in a time that we live in now where there’s so much exposure through every kind of medium – Internet, television, radio, and whatever else you can make up on your cell phone.”

The festival will also feature a number of charitable efforts, including a food drive in partnership with the Conscious Alliance, and an open Black Jack tournament (the winnings from which will be donated to the Nevada Cancer Institute).

The complete artist roster for the event includes:

Saturday, October 28th:
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
The Killers
The Mars Volta
The Keller Williams Incident
The Black Crowes
The Raconteurs
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley
Medeski Martin & Wood with special guest Maceo Parker
Cat Power and the Memphis Rhythm Band
Jurassic 5
Praxis
Yonder Mountain String Band
Gomez
Dr. Octagon aka Kool Keith
Money Mark
Toubab Krewe
The Coup
Yard Dogs Road Show

Sunday, October 29th
Widespread Panic
Phil & Trey...
Fiona Apple
Ben Folds
The Roots
Rhythm Devils Featuring Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Mike Gordon, Steve Kimock, & Sikiru Adepoju Plus Special Guest Jen Durkin
G. Love & Special Sauce
Galactic
Built To Spill
Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins
Guster
Jim James of My Morning Jacket
Band of Horses
Jamie Lidell
Matt Costa
Yard Dogs Road Show