Madison: Coordinate Your Watches

Brian Tolle - DIE or JOIN (2006) [More information]

It may be impossible to not see a live band Saturday. Two high-caliber FREE music festivals are running concurrently here in outdoor Madison. And you can't make a bad choice when comparing WSUM's Snake on a Lake Festival vs. Southern Comfort Music Experience! Both feature hot indie rock (The Ponys & 1900s vs. Sick Puppies & The Cold War Kids), the best local bands in town (Pale Young Gents & German Art Students vs. Selfish Gene & Sunspot), regional Chicago representation (Maps & Atlases vs. Goat Motor), and a topping of performance art (Leslie Hall vs. The Flaming Lips). Oversimplifying for the sake of differentiation, WSUM is the place for stronger below-the-radar indie acts, underagers, the day's only hip-hop show WHILE SoCo is the place for heavier rock, more local options, and a larger-name headliner. Either way, this is one of the best days for music on the Madison calendar. See you there!

WSUM's Snake on the Lake Fest
(The Union Terrace)

3:00 - 3:45 German Art Students
4:15 - 5:00 Stink Tank, DLO
5:30 - 6:15 Maps & Atlases
6:45 - 7:30 Pale Young Gentlemen
8:00 - 8:45 The 1900s
9:15 - 10:15 Leslie & The Lys
10:45 - Midnight The Ponys

Southern Comfort Music Experience
(Alliant Energy's Willow Island)

Main Stage
3:00 - 3:30 Goat Motor
4:00 - 5:00 Sick Puppies
5:30 - 6:30 Cowboy Mouth
7:00 - 8:00 Cold War Kids
8:30 - 10:00 The Flaming Lips

Local Stage
2:30 - 3:00 Del Mar
3:30 - 4:00 Selfish Gene
5:00 - 5:30 The Sharp & Harkins Band
6:30 - 7:00 Sunspot
8:00 - 8:30 Shoeless Revolution