Spring music fests to host top headliners

It’s music festival time again. With the recent release of the 2013 Bonnaroo lineup, you’re sure to have caught the festival bug and are itching to cram into a crowd singing along to the hits of your favorite artist. While Bonnaroo has a phenomenal lineup this year, boasting the talent of Paul McCartney, Mumford & Sons, Passion Pit, Wilco and Local Natives, the six-hour travel time might be a little too stout for some, but don’t freak out; there are lots of great music opportunities closer to home.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast will host the third annual Gulfport Music Festival May 10 and 11.  This year, the festival’s acts have a combined 75 million records sold, 60 top ten singles and multiple Grammy awards. Friday has a range of genres, from punk (The Offspring) to alternative rock (Shinedown). Saturday the festival will play host to popular acts such as the Smashing Pumpkins, OneRepublic and Wiz Khalifa. Local favorites Rosco Bandana will also take the stage at the festival in their hometown.

The increasingly popular Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala. boasts sand, surf and good music. This year, the festival will be May 17-19 all right on the sandy shore. One of the most anticipated artists for this festival is rock band Kings of Leon, as well as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The festival will also feature the music of Best Coast, Dirty Projectors, Ellie Goulding, The Shins and Bassnectar. 

The two weekends of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in April 26 to May 5 have been jam packed with incredible headliners. The festival has a variety of genres represented that will appeal to every music fan of every age. The festival kicks off with John Mayer and Band of Horses the Friday night of the first weekend. Billy Joel, Dave Mathews Band and B.B. King all appear on the roster for the first weekend. The fun doesn’t stop there, though. The next weekend, Maroon 5, Willie Nelson, Phoenix, Little Big Town, Mutemath, Frank Ocean and The Black Keys will take the stage. Along with the bigger acts, the festival will host many of the local brass bands and local artists that the city is so famous for.

If festivals just aren’t your scene or ticket prices are a little too steep for your pocketbook, make sure to check out local venues around Hattiesburg. The music scene here is definitely worth checking out and always provides a fun night out with friends. In fact, bands such as Local Natives, Moon Taxi and Rosco Bandana that will be taking the stage at these big festivals have actually made stops in some of the bars in Hattiesburg.