Langerado Music Festival
Words: Christian Cider

Appearing: March 6-9, 2008
Big Cypress Indian Reservation

The 6th Annual Langerado Music Festival will take over the Big Cypress Indian Reservation in the Everglades of Southern Florida from March 6th-9th. With over eighty bands attending, including The Beastie Boys and R.E.M., the 600 acres of the reserve will become home to the most concentrated musical force on this green Earth. And speaking of green, the promoters of Langerado are doing their best to keep this event environmentally friendly with a full complement of eco-healthy accoutrements, including bio-diesel generators, which I’m sure the alligators will appreciate. Single day passes and weekend passes are available, as well as camping. So load up your van, bike, or camper and head down for a musical feast in the swamp.

Here are a few of the acts that we're especially looking forward to:

The Roots
The Roots are one of the most progressive hip-hop outfits still running the board. With intelligent rhymes and a live band, these veterans of the hip-hop scene are a shining example of what the genre can be when it’s not bogged down with violence, sexism and materialistic diatribes. Their tenth album, tentatively titled Rising Down, will hit the shelves in late April, so expect to hear new material when they take the stage.

Ozomatli
Ozomatli is a nine-piece band from Los Angeles whose tunes are a meaty soup of cultural influences from hip-hop/dub to jazz to salsa. Their funky style combines these sounds in a head-bobbing, populist flow that reaches across multiple genres, capturing the hearts of a widely diverse audience. With lyrics in both Spanish and English, these multi-faceted musicians garner multi-cultural appeal, while remaining steadfast activists dedicated to political and social change.

!!!
These indie rockers from New York bring a big heap of funk to their tunes. Highly influential in the short-lived dance-punk boom of the early 2000s, !!! (pronounced chik chik chik) has been crucial in warming up my dancin’ shoes since their self-titled  debut. Throbbing bass and syncopated beats take their music in directions often associated with disco, yet !!! is something much more than a superficial dance group.

Pelican
Pelican is one of those audacious post-rock bands whose influences are more metal than the lulling shoegaze so often associated with the genre. Their music lacks vocals, so it’s often difficult to pinpoint with any precision what sub-sect of metal they’re influence stems from – something in which the band takes a great deal of pride. After all, how can one lead a crusade against a metal band if there’s no way to tell how Satanic they are? I kid.

Blind Melon
That’s right. Blind Melon. They’re back. After the death of their singer, Shannon Hoon, Blind Melon fell into the depths of obscurity. From 1995 until 2006, Blind Melon was little more than a radio replay memory. Now they’ve come back with a new lead singer, and a renewed passion for music. They are currently touring America in anticipation of their upcoming studio album, due in late April.

Ani DiFranco
Ani is one of the strongest voices of our generation. This prolific singer-songwriter needs no introduction, but in case you’ve missed her plethora of studio and live albums, you have a lot of catching up to do. Her strong work in the women’s rights movement, awesome musical talent, and excellent poetry makes Ani DiFranco an artist to be reckoned with.

Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood
These guys are one of the best jazz bands around. Their solid improvisational skills are backed by their strong grasp of the musical language that is jazz. With an excellent live show to back up their lengthy studio work, a performance by Medeski, Martin & Wood would be rewarding enough, but with the addition of legendary jazz guitarist John Scofield these veterans of groove will jazz your socks off.

Dr. Dog
There’s something surprisingly old-fashioned about Dr. Dog. Their sound is eclectic to say the least – from their psychedelic guitars to parlor piano, right down to the lo-fi vocals. They’ve drawn comparisons to The Beatles, which is not surprising considering their sound is heavily influenced by the ‘50s and ‘60s. Keep an eye out for these vintage rockers when they hit the stage in March.

Les Claypool
Les Claypool is the quirky bassist for the ‘90s alt-rock band Primus, whose creative usage of the bass guitar secured his legendary status in the world of rock. Also known for his timeless theme-songs on the television shows South Park and Robot Chicken, and his infinite solo work, Claypool has his fingers in almost every region of the current rock landscape.

Blitzen Trapper
A creative psychedelic-country-folk-rock group from Portland, Blitzen Trapper conjures a resurgent sound, joining the ranks of Akron/Family and bands of that ilk. With such a broad range of influences, Blitzen Trapper managed to duct-tape these sounds together into their 2007 album, Wild Mountain Nation.

Minus the Bear
These post-punk prog-rockers know how to wring out every drop of badass from their instruments. Their newest album, Planet of Ice, hit us in the face last year like a giant prog-snowball. Expect a dynamic performance from these Seattle noodlers.