Rites of Spring Music Festival
Rites of Spring is a music festival held at the Vanderbilt University Campus on the Alumni Lawn the third weekend in April. The acts begin performing around 3:30 PM central time and end around 12:00 AM central time on both Friday and Saturday.
History
The history of the festival is defined on the Rites of Spring website1 as
During the late 1960's and early 1970's Vanderbilt students, faculty, and administrators went to great lengths to increase the amount of contact the school had with the Nashville community. One example of this community outreach was the student-formed "Free University" which offered instruction to Nashville residents in topics ranging from short wave radio to the arts. The "open campus" policy also resulted in many Nashville residents taking part in Vanderbilt campus events such as the implementation of the Rites of Spring Music Festival in 1971.
Past Line-ups
2010 Drake, Passion Pit, Phoenix
2009 The Flaming Lips, T.I., N.E.R.D., Q-Tip, Santigold, Grand Ole Party, Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears, Okkervil River, K'NAAN, Sara Watkins, Blueskyreality, Erick Baker, Run With Bulls, Stardeath and White Dwarfs, Pico vs. Island Trees
2008 Lil Jon, Spoon, Feist, Colbie Caillat, Lady Antebellum, Old Crow Medicine Show, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Wild Sweet Orange, Jeremy Lister, The Avett Brothers, Cupid, H-Beam, Alana Grace, Lord T and Eloise, Hill Country Revue, Randy Rogers Band
2007 The Roots, Wolfmother, Drive by Truckers, Mat Kearney, Keller Williams, Amos Lee, Rocco DeLuca and the Burden, The Whigs, Brett Dennen, Naughty By Nature, Bang Bang Bang, The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker, Jyspi, Sons of William, The Old Silver Band
2006 Ben Folds, My Morning Jacket, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Govt Mule, Secret Machines, Blue Merle, Ben Lee, Matt Pondpa, Cary Brothers, B Young, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Old Union, Zac Brown Band, Hot Buttered Rum, Hopsing Project, Kate Voegle, Mr. Blotto
2005 Hootie & the Blowfish, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Cake, Yonder Mountain String Band, Julie Roberts, Gomez, Phoenix, Alexi Murdoch, Ingram Hill, Sean Costello, Jason White, Robbers on High Street, SYD, Matt Woods, Josh Kelley, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Van Hunt, Florez, Dave Barnes, Shawn Camp, Dean Fields, Cunninlynguists
2004 Talib Kweli, The Wailers, North Mississippi All Stars, Robert Earl Keen, Flickerstick, Josh Rouse, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, OK Go, Marc Broussard, Jag Star, Jimmy Hall and the Prisoners of Love, Dan Darrah Band, Jedd Hughes, The Someday Tour, Monte Montgomery, Matt Wertz, The Whigs, Mieka Pauley, The Loft, Christopher Robin
2003 Nappy Roots, Pat Green, Keller Williams, Martin Sexton, Derek Trucks Band, Jason Mraz, Alice Peacock, The Recipe, SR-71, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jump Little Children, Will Hoge, Seven Nations, Kill Hannah, Delicious Blues Stew, Mile 8, Hot Action Cop, Austin & Scrap, Melissa Cartoun, Wisechild
2002 Guster, OAR, Black Eyed PEAS, Phantom Planet, Matt Nathanson, Gabe Dixon Band, Virginia Coalition, Afroman, Liza and the Sould Stars, Dezeray's Hammer, Slyletter, Weekend Excursion, Bluestring, Guy Smiley Blues Exchange, Llama, The Great Twitch, Anthony Orlo, Inside Out, Amanda Pearce, Gillespy Road
2001 Nelly
2000 Cowboy Mouth, G. Love and Special Sauce
1999 Better Than Ezra, The Roots
1998 Run DMC, Third Eye Blind
1997 George Clinton
1996 Violent Femmes
1995 Dave Matthews Band
1994 Smashing Pumpkins, Blues Traveler
1993 311, Crosby and Nash
1992 Bo Deans and Government Cheese.
1991 The Feelies, HR
1990 Bo Diddley, The Nashville Symphony
1989 Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mel and the Party Hats
1988 Stan Lassiter, the Dusters