Unplugging: Remembering CBGB’s

The very first CBGB Festival will take place at venues all over NYC from July 5th to 8th.

The festival will offer not only concerts, but film screenings, conferences and workshops. The music portion of the festival is slated to span July 5-6, and will feature great rock acts like Guided By Voices, Pains Of Being Pure at Heart, Cloud Nothings and War on Drugs.

The acts will perform at huge venues like the Central Park Summerstage, while others will rock out in much smaller, club venues. The film festival will show classic rock films and documentaries, as well as new films, like The Rise and Fall of The Clash.

The conferences and workshops will address industry concerns as well as a CBGB “Tales from the Club” panel. If the festival is a success, organizers plan to resurrect the classic CBGB punk-rock club somewhere in NYC.

Come June 19-24, Intel and Vice’s global arts and technology projects will grace Paris, France to showcase director Chris Milk’s work. Taking place at the Centquatre, the showcase is titled “The Treachery of Sanctuary,” a huge interactive triptych powered by viewers through motion-sensing technology.

Along with a custom light show by 1024 Architecture, there will be music featured by Jamie xx, Four Tet and Caribou. Milk’s work was featured at the 2011 Coachella Festival as a part of Arcade Fire’s performance of “Wake Up,” creating an interactive and magical concert-going experience. Milk has also worked alongside Kanye West, U2 and the Chemical Brothers. Featured acts aside, the Creators Project will also feature many workshops, including a sneak peek of 1024 Architecture’s new studio installation.

Other local artists, filmmakers and engineers will be in attendance. Also hitting Paris will be the Pitchfork Music Festival. Now expanded to a 3-day event, the festival is slated to take place November 1-3 of this year. Also newly added is a second stage, so fans can expect more music and a heftier lineup. The festival will take place at Grand halle de la Villette, and thus far the lineup includes M83, Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Robyn and Sébastien Tellier.

If you’re looking for a festival that features heavier metal acts, don’t forget about this summer’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, surely coming to a town near you! The festival kicks off a nationwide tour in late June, and will go until early August. This year’s lineup features Slipknot, Slayer, Motorhead, Anthrax, The Devil Wears Prada, Asking Alexandria, As I Lay Dying and many more.

And if the weather isn’t inclination enough that summer has arrived, then maybe the steady stream of upcoming music festivals is a good tip-off. There are some pretty unique festivals coming our way, including a festival upon the high seas, an interactive, motion- sensing light show festival and more.

Combining Electronica music with the vastness of the ocean makes for a unique festival experience that you literally cannot escape once you hop on board. The Holy Ship! Music Cruise Festival doesn’t take off until January of 2013, but tickets have just about sold out. The cruise ship, the MSC Poesia, will set sail from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and head out to Nassau, Bahamas for a private island beach party. This year’s lineup features big names like Justice, Boys Noize, Knife Party, Major Lazer, Diplo, A-Trak and Skream & Benga.

Unplugging in Brief:

Holy Ship! Music Cruise Festival Announces 2012 Lineup Featuring Justice – The 2nd annual Electronica-based music festival will set sail in January of 2013.

First CBGB Festival Announces 2012 Lineup – The 1st ever CBGB Festival will feature great rock acts as well as a film and conference portion.

The Creators Project Paris 2012 Arts and Technology Festival Announced – The Creators Project will boast the work of Chris Milk as well as other projects from architecture and technological organizations.

Pitchfork Music Festival Paris Announces 2012 Lineup Featuring M83, Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Robyn, Sébastien Tellier And More – Now a 3-day festival, The Pitchfork Music Festival will have 2 stages and a bigger lineup.

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival Announces 2012 Lineup Featuring Slipknot, Slayer, Anthrax and More – For heavier acts like Slayer, Slipknot, Motorhead and more, check to see if the Rockstar Energy Drink Festival is coming to a town near you.

* Lily Angele, MXDWN