The second weekend of August 2015 is one of the most music-saturated moments of the entire summer. There’s the Northwest dance music mecca, Shambhala, and if you’re more into pop-punk and post-hardcore, Vans Warped Tour has you covered (Diplo’s bizarre Mad Decent protégé, Riff Raff, will be performing at Warped Tour as well — which should be entertaining, at the very least). But Shambhala’s all the way in Canada, and let’s face it; while pop punk is on the way back into the mainstream, it’s not the early 2000s anymore.
In essence, something a little more modern, but still local is the ideal solution for the Northwest music fan. Fortunately, Summer Meltdown is there to fill that role for those of us unable to attend Shambhala this August. It’s a four-day festival from August 6 through August 9, and features Tycho, STS9, Phutureprimitive, Slow Magic, and many more.
However, while the lineup is a unique and excellent one, a great deal of Summer Meltdown’s appeal lies in its location and relatively unique festival culture. Situated in the Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheater an hour-and-a-half northeast of Seattle, it’s an often overlooked local gem. Furthermore, it’s a festival with truly grassroots origins, and thereby developed organically, free of much of the overbearing corporate influence that permeates many events these days.
Summer Meltdown’s not exactly cheap, with weekend passes running at $202.50 (fees included), but considering that it’s a four-day event, it’s not obscene. Single-day tickets are available as well for those interested in just making a day of it. Regardless of what event you choose to attend this August, it’s sure to be a good time — and we want to hear about it! Let us know your plans in the comments, Facebook, and Twitter.
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