Summerfest 2010 preview

Not what you might expect from a summer music “festival,” Summerfest, located in Milwaukee, spans 11 days, 11 stages and 700 different performances, allowing for single-day selectively in this musical extravaganza.

Summerfest runs from June 24 to July 4 and is a surprisingly good deal. Tickets are $15 on weekends and even less during the week for the entire day. The Marcus Amphitheater is the main venue and requires extra costs; however, there are always good enough acts on the ground stages to enjoy if you’re not willing to drop extra coin.

You certainly won’t be meandering around the same kind of drugged-out utopia at a festival like Bonnaroo, but the environment has a lighthearted feel and intimate ground stages (if you get there early enough). The festival is also located right on a lakefront, making for some scenic and pleasant downtime prior to evening acts.

The biggest shows range from country (Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum) to mainstream chart toppers (Usher) to vintage rock (Eric Clapton and Tom Petty). Throw in a few indie-ish acts like Passion Pit, Modest Mouse and The Hold Steady, and Summerfest should have something for everyone at a smaller price than big fests. Each day has at least three solid acts on different stages, so pick a day and enjoy.