10 FESTIVALS TO CATCH IN 2021

7) Firefly | Dover, DE (September 23-26)

Owl City once sang about 10,000 Fireflies. How about just one Firefly that we could give you 10,000 reasons not to miss?

Often times, due to work schedules or other obligations, fans miss Day One of festivals. Yeah, not gonna happen at Firefly 2021. The world’s hottest act, Ms. Billie Eilish, takes the top spot on Thursday. Nobody (and, we mean nobody!) is going to miss that. (Quit your job if you have to! YOLO!) Did we mention Phoebe Bridges is right behind Billie as the second-highest billed act?

Brandon Flowers & Co. will headline Friday night, supported by the likes of Cage the Elephant along with CleveRock favorites Band of Horses and Judah & The Lion!

Perhaps you’re more of a tampe impala, Roddy Rich, Blackbear kind of person? Well, Saturday is your night!

And, Got Damn! The festival ends with a huge bang on Sunday with LIZZO, along with recent-Grammy winner Megan Thee Stallion and Cleveland’s #1 Son, Machine Gun Kelly! (Don’t forget to check out CleveRock favorites Mt. Joy and LOVELYTHEBAND!) Ain’t nobody leaving this festival early!

The Firefly Experience is super unique and like none other festival you will ever find! Don’t miss The Treehouse sessions (if you know…you know!) The Silent Disco, DJ’s performing high up in the trees at The Nest, the North Beach Club (featuring a tiki bar and beach volleyball), along with Yoga and an awesome culinary experience!

8) Governors Ball | New York, NY (September 24 – 26)

New York City is returning to its old self (so we’ve heard) post-COVID. Our own T. Patrick Fenner recently visited The Big Apple and confirmed that is once again showing great signs of life.

Governors Ball will be a great, three-day celebration! Move from its former home on Governors Island, this year’s edition will take place at Citi Field, home of former Cleveland Indian Francisco Lindor and his New York Mets.

Fans won’t want to miss Friday night, featuring headliner Billie. F***in’. Eilish. She is the hottest performer in the world right now (DUH!) Her tour is NOT stopping in Northeast Ohio, and NYC is about as close any location she’ll be taking the stage.

Want to see Billie live? Might as well make a weekend out of it, visit the greatest city in the world, and catch some of the other hottest acts on the planet.

Friday will include sets from Portugal. The Man + the incomparable Leon Bridges, along with a mix of veteran performers and up-and-comers.

Saturday? How do co-headliners A$AP Rocky and J Balvin sound? Still not sold? How about a ‘hell yeah’ for Phoebe Bridgers and recent multi-Grammy winner, Megan Thee Stallion!

Crowd pleaser Post Malone headlines the final day of the festival. Ellie Goulding, Young Thug, and “Call Me Maybe” Canadian sensation Carly Rae Jepsen all make the second line of the bill.

If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere! It’s up to you! New York, New York!

9) Pilgrimage Music Festival | Franklin, TN (September 25-26)

This preview writer’s all-time favorite band, Dave Matthews Band, and Northeast Ohio’s pride and joy, The Black Keys will headline Pilgrimage Music Festival in Franklin, Tennessee (a hop/skip/jump from Nashville)!

While DMB is on the road doing an extensive tour and can be found throughout the country, this is a rare 2021 appearance for The Black Keys. And, for the those unfamiliar with this duo (what rock do you live under?), they are known to kick it up a notch at festivals.

Also just a few notches down on the bill are Black Pumas, Amos Lee, and Maren Morris. All three are worthy of a headlining spot if not on the same festival as Pilgrimage’s two stars!

Don’t sleep on Tanya Tucker, Valerie June, or alt-rock veterans Better Than Ezra, either!

The festival also features the American Music Triangle Experience, described on the festival website as:

At the Americana Music Triangle Experience we’ve invited the South’s most historic music cities to gather under the big top to tell amazing stories of their formative music heritage. Under a backdrop created by American Pickers and Antique Archaeology there are relics, church pews, a historic photo wall, exhibits, farm tables and more depicting the living history of American Music and one-of-a-kind stops along the Gold Record Road. We hope to inspire fans to plan road trips of their own to visit each of our partner cities.

The festival also boasts a “Makers Village,” Craft Beer Hall, and Art Barn.

Pack up the car, kids. We’re going to Franklin!

10) Shaky Knees | Atlanta, GA (October 22-24)

So long sweet Summer! The last festival of 2021 is the other major festival in the A-T-L, Shaky Knees. One’s knees might actually shake when seeing music royalty like Stevie Nicks and Alice Cooper on the lineup.

In addition to Nicks (headlining the festival’s opening night), Run The Jewels and The Strokes are Shaky Knees’ other headliners.

Other top-billed acts include Modest Mouse, Phoebe Bridgers, Mac Demarco, and Portgual. The Man.

Don’t sleep on CleveRock picks including Ty Seagull, Living Colour, Delta Spirit, and Tennis!

O.A.R. will appear on Sunday. But, hey, not every festival can be perfect!