Sounds of summer

Summer just wouldn’t be complete unless you’ve had a chance go to at least one outdoor music festival. While many major concert tours and festivals often bypass Reno in favor of the Bay Area, there are some events taking place closer to home. Here are a few you might want to check out.

Lake Tahoe-based Champagne and Bacon Productions, in collaboration with Rebel Bass Collective, presents The Big Bounce, a three-day music and camping festival located along the banks of the Feather River in Belden, Calif., on June 19-21. Steve Emmerich, booking agent and promoter, says that the festival is the culmination of a six-year project to bring together various acts the production company has booked over the years. While electronica/breakbeat acts like Bassnectar, Deekline, Fort Knox Five, Zeph and Azeem, David Starfire and Heavyweight Dub Champion will be a big draw, Emmerich says the festival also showcases a lot of local and regional acts such as DJ Icon, Bohocrush and Black Rock City All-Stars, among others.

“There’s going to be a lot of awesome art done by local people,” he says.

Tickets are range from $60 to $140. Camping is on a first-come, first-served basis.

The 19th annual High Sierra Music Festival takes place July 2-5 at the Plumas Sierra Fairgrounds in Quincy, Calif. This year’s lineup includes John Butler, Umphrey’s McGee, Ani DiFranco, DeVotchKa and many other artists spanning rock, folk, bluegrass and other genres. There will also be parades, fire dancing, a children’s play area and other attractions. General admission tickets range from $30-$165 with festival packages available at a higher price. Visit www.highsierramusic.com.

Squaw Valley USA will be the site of the inaugural Wanderlust Festival, an event that combines music and yoga with the natural beauty of the mountains. There will be live performances, yoga classes and retreats, DJ sets, outdoor activities and other attractions during the three-day event, which takes place July 24-26.

Festival organizer Jeff Krasno says he wanted to create a unique experience for those attending the event. He says that this event is the first of its kind because of its equal attention to music and yoga.

“We’re taking the yoga side of the event as seriously as the music side,” he says.

On the music side, the lineup features a wide variety of musical acts, including Michael Franti & Spearhead, Spoon, Andrew Bird and Gillian Welch, as well as performing art/music troupe the Muytator. World-class yoga instructors include John Friend, Shiva Rea and Annie Carpenter.

“We hope to bring a really positive, progressive event to the area,” he says.

There are different ticket levels offering access to a variety of music and yoga events with prices ranging from $124.50 to $649.50.

If you’re on a tight budget this year, you can still enjoy the ambiance of outdoor festivals without having to leave town. There’s the RN&R’s Rollin’ on the River annual music series, which takes place at Wingfield Park at First Street and Arlington Avenue in downtown Reno. This year’s lineup is Mark Sexton Band and The Stately Gentlemen on July 3; Los Pinguous and Drinking with Clowns on July 10; Krissi Moses and Lisa McCuiston on July 17; Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys with The Trainwrecks on July 24; and Michele Lundeen with Jo Mama on July 31. All the shows start at 5:30 p.m. and won’t cost you a dime to attend.