Some look at Summer as a time to mow the lawn, sip on lemonade, swing gently in a hammock and listen to the play by play of the local nine working their way through a lengthy season. Others look at it as a time to be seductively crushed by sweaty slabs of booty boppin’ funk, rock, hip-hop and more. If you’re of the latter half then you’d probably be down for braving the hot summer sun and the teeming, unwashed crowds to boogie down to the sounds of some the plethora of diverse music festivals popping up around the country this summer. Here’s Hey! Nielsen’s rundown of the biggest and baddest of the summer music festival behemoths.

What? Sonoma Jazz Festival
When? 5/22-5/25
Who? Kool & the Gang, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Bonnie Raitt, and more!
Where? Sonoma, CA
Why? For your funky, jazzy inner NPR soul, the Sonoma Jazz festival has some of the most elegant and revered musicians on hand while boasting the hosting of California wine country’s best chefs and tastiest wines.
How? http://www.sonomajazz.org/

What? Summer Camp
When? 5/23-5/25
Who? moe. (3 days!), Umphrey’s McGee (2 days!), The Flaming Lips, The Roots, OAR, George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, and more!
Where? Chillicothe, IL
Why? Pack your tent, sleeping bag and Frisbee to this most bro-dacious of music festivals, which has a wide range of seasoned festival acts such as moe. and The Flaming Lips as well as intergalactic rump shakers George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic.
How? http://www.summercampfestival.com/2008/

What? Claremont Folk Festival
When? 5/23
Who? Jackson Browne, Bladerunners, Squeakin’ Wheels, and more!
Where? Claremont, CA
Why? Rub elbows with other PBS tote-bag toting cultural cognoscenti at this tasteful folk and rock festival classic that promises to be a family friendly day of gentle, intelligent music with plenty of side projects for the kids.
How? http://www.claremontfolkfestival.org/

What? Sasquatch
When? 5/24-5/26
Who? REM, The Cure, The Flaming Lips, Death Cab for Cutie, and more!
Where? George, WA: The Gorge
Why? Set in a beautiful gorge, this unique festival lets you bask in the glory of nature while taking in some serious entertainment. This two thousand pound ape-man of a festival has its furry opposable thumbs on one of the deepest and most eclectic rosters available this summer.
How? http://www.sasquatchfestival.com/

What? Movement: Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival
When? 5/25-5/26
Who? Diesel Boy, Derrick May, Moby
Where? Detroit, MI
Why? While most of the nation uses Memorial Day Weekend to fire up the grill and char up some burgers with friends and family, a select few will trek to motor city to experience this must-see techno-fest this summer. With big names like Moby along with legends like the innovator himself, Derrick May, Detroit is the destination for techno-heads this summer.
How? http://www.myspace.com/detroitmusicfest

What? Wakarusa
When? 6/5-6/8
Who? The Flaming Lips, Emmylou Harris, STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9), CAKE, and more!
Where? Lawrence, KS: Clinton State Park
Why? Four days of laid back, sun soaked glory in Clinton State Park with the added bonus of a roster full blissed out rock acts willing to jam you from here to eternity.
How? http://www.wakarusa.com/

What? CMA Music Festival
When? 6/5-6/8
Who? Taylor Swift, Josh Turner, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Dwight Yoakam, Jewel, Rodney Atkins, and more!
Where? Nashville, TN
Why? With a lineup that would make any cowboy’s ears perk up; this festival promises to be the biggest southern epic since Gone With the Wind…or at least Joe Dirt. Giddy up.
How? http://www.fanfair.com/2008/

What? Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
When? 6/12-6/15
Who? Pearl Jam, Metallica, Jack Johnson, Kanye West, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and more!
Where? Manchester, TN
Why? While your friends are getting burned to a crisp lying on sandy blankets on some crowded beach, you can get sautéed in the sun while taking in three days of amazing entertainment down south. Featuring an eclectic mix of well-known acts, Bonnaroo once again proves itself to be a constant pillar of awesomeness in the Summer festival scene.
How? http://www.bonnaroo.com/

What? Essence Music Festival
When? 6/4-6/5
Who? Kanye, Rihanna, LL Cool J, Jill Scott, Chris Rock, Mary J. Blige, and more!
Where? New Orleans, LA
Why? The roster alone makes this festival the premier hip hop event of the summer, boasting the best of both the old and new school, the Essence Fest is the place to be for rap and R ‘n’ B fans come July.
How? http://www.essence.com/essence/emf/

What? Pitchfork Music Festival
When? 6/18-6/20
Who? Public Enemy, Animal Collective, Vampire Weekend, Les Savy Fav, Spoon, M. Ward, The Apples in Stereo, and more!
Where? Chicago, IL
Why? Those waiting for Pitchfork to jump the shark will have to wait another year, seeing as the line-up for this year is alt-Rock solid. As a Mecca for hipsters (a.k.a. people who are soooo over the Juno soundtrack now), expect throngs in t-shirts rocking out (which consists of shifting their weight from one foot to the other) to this trendsetting festival.
How? http://www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com/

What? Rock the Bells
When? 6/19-7/23
Who? A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Pharcyde, Mos Def, De La Soul, Spank Rock, Rakim, Method Man, and more!
Where? Chicago, Toronto, Boston, New York, Miami, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Denver see site for details
Why? Rock the Bells is content to bring a large portion of the country some of the most respected names in hip-hop history. This massive rolling festival is for those who like their rap straight, no R ‘n’ B, no silly sunglasses, no collaborations with that guy from Coldplay, just smooth flow and bumpy rhythms.
How? http://www.guerillaunion.com/rockthebells

What? Van’s Warped Tour
When? 6/20-8/18
Who? Bad Religion, Alkaline Trio, Circa Survive, Coheed and Cambria, Cute Is What We Aim For, Hawthorne Heights, k-os, New Found Glory, Paramore, and more!
Where? See website…
Why? This monolithic ball of angst rolls through this nation but once a year, and provides an awkward heaven for fans of pop-punk and emo everywhere. A word of advice: if you can make it out to any one of the many dates provided, be prepared to pogo…
How? http://www.warpedtour.com/

What? Lollapalooza
When? 8/1-8/3
Who? Radiohead, RATM, NIN, Kanye, Wilco, Gnarls Barkley, The Raconteurs, and more!
Where? Chicago, IL
Why? The festival so great there was a Simpson’s episode about it has pulled through again with an amazing line-up of talent that ranges from hip hop to prog rock…and Radiohead.
How? http://www.lollapalooza.com/

What? All Points West Festival
When? 8/8-8/10
Who? Radiohead, Jack Johnson, Underworld, The Roots, Cat Power, and more!
Where? Liberty State Park, NJ
Why? This festival features Radiohead…they’re kind of a big deal.
How? http://www.apwfestival.com/

What? Ozzfest
When? 8/9
Who? Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Serj Tankian, Hellyeah, Jonathan Davis (of KoRn), and more!
Where? Dallas, TX: Pizza Hut Stadium
Why? The mighty, annual Ozzfest has been truncated to a single day this year, but even that is enough to carve out a nice carbon footprint as the world’s heaviest rockers are set to plug in to absurdly huge Marshall stacks and unleash hell on earth in a teenage-friendly manner. Expect to see folks with lots of piercings, tattoos, and awkward facial hair getting their faces melted by the molten hot rock that will be blasting from the center of Pizza Hut Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Breadsticks not included.
How? http://www.ozzfest.com/