Kanye, Pumpkins, and mystery at Bang! Festival

[Above: Kanye West]

Gotta love it when a major music festival plays coy with its lineup. Tickets for the Bang! Music Festival in Miami are already on sale, sponsors are in place, the stage is probably half-erected, and yet, most of the lineup still remains a point of conjecture.

The two-day event, which kicks off Nov. 10 at the Bayfront Park Amphitheater, does have its headliners in place: Kanye West (performing on the 10th) and the Smashing Pumpkins (the 11th). Clearly, the promoters have mad love for Chi-Town, as these two artists represent both the new and the old guard of the Windy City.

After that, things get a bit sketchy. The festival promises 30 acts total. Also confirmed at this point are the Bravery, Kevens, the Riverboat Gamblers, and Automatic Loveletter. The festival website, meanwhile, seems to suggest that Bang! will also come packin' a double-barreled blast of Austin, Texas indie rock. Rhthm and soulsters Spoon and instrumental avengers Explosions in the Sky have their band logos on the main page, so it should be safe to count them in. Finally, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports (halfway down the page) that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are aboard as well.

Even if all of those leads pan out, that still leaves 21 slots up in the air. Who do those crafty Bang! masters have stashed away? When the word breaks, you'll read it here. If you really like what you see so far, tickets are available at Ticketmaster starting at $75 for a one-day pass and $145 for a two-day pass.

UPDATE (3:58 p.m. EST):
A festival publicist got back to us this afternoon, confirming that Spoon and Explosions in the Sky are on the bill. Also confirmed to play: hip-hop superheroes the Roots and electro-pop purveyors Chromeo. Just remember, you (probably) read it here first.

Unfortunately, it appears that the Red Hot Chili Peppers aren't on the bill, and never were. Which makes us wonder - just how does the South Florida Sun-Sentinel get Anthony Kiedis mixed up with Billy Corgan?

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