Music Festival Wizard is escaping the cold clutches of unrelenting winter storms for the sunny skies of the McDowell Mountain Music Festival (M3F), taking place from March 1-3 in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. This non-profit festival features an eclectic lineup of electronic, rock, and jam artists. See our picks for the weekend below!
If You Like To Rock…
Kevin Morby (Saturday)
8-9 p.m. Coyote Stage
The former bassist of Woods channels the spirit of Lou Reed and Patti Smith with his latest album. According to Morby, City Music “is a mix-tape, a fever dream, a love letter dedicated to those cities that I cannot get rid of, to those cities that are all inside of me.”
Kurt Vile and the Violators (Saturday)
6-7 p.m. Rattlesnake Stage
Whether opening for Neil Young, recording a duets album with Courtney Barnett, or playing the Stagecoach Country Music Festival, Kurt Vile and the Violators pop up everywhere on the fest scene.
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (Friday)
8-9 p.m. Coyote Stage
Country rock comes to Phoenix when Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real hit the stage Friday night. The son of Willie Nelson along with the backing band of Neil Young have been together for nearly a decade and are always a treat to see live.
Allah-Las (Friday)
7-8 p.m. Saguaro Stage
Formed in the anvils of the Los Angeles garage rock scene, most of Allah-Las met while working at Ameoba, a legendary record store on Sunset Boulevard. Since that fateful meeting, the group has been dishing out a steady stream of throwback indie rock.
If You Like To Dance…
ODESZA (Friday)
9:45-11 p.m. Rattlesnake Stage
There are few artists in America that bring out the diehards to a music festival like an Odesza headlining set. This is not your typical electronic music performance, and even if you don’t think you would be into to, I’m telling you try them out.
Empire of the Sun (Saturday)
10-11 p.m. Rattlesnake Stage
It’s been ten years since Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore brought their trippy synth pop music to the masses with classics like “Walking on a Dream” and “We Are the People.” A lot has changed in the past decade and we’re curious to see what the latest incarnation of Empire of the Sun looks like in 2019.
Big Wild (Saturday)
9-10 p.m. Saguaro Stage
The atmospheric and surreal sound of Big Wild has been on heavy rotation for the past few weeks in the MFW offices. With a new album, Superdream, released this month, we’re ready to see this artist live.
EVAN GIAA (Friday)
4-5 p.m. Rattlesnake Stage
This alt-pop artist also is also a classically trained opera singer who puts out infectiously fun tunes. I’ve been singing “I Don’t Like UR Friends” on a non-stop loop in my head for the past three days.
If You Like To Jam…
The Hip Abduction (Sunday)
5-6 p.m. Saguaro Stage
Formed from informal jam sessions in St. Petersburg, the collective that became The Hip Abduction mixes with the jam with reggae/dub sound. They’re also kicking off a steady stream of jam, funk, and rock as we roll into Sunday.
Twiddle (Sunday)
7-8 p.m. Saguaro Stage
Like Twiddle, we’re also a Vermont brand (with 95% less funk), so it’s always inspiring to your hometown heroes playing a national stage.
Lettuce (Sunday)
6-7 p.m. Rattlesnake Stage
Not content with playing Saturday night, Sunday sees Lettuce back on stage to help close out a very jammy Sunday. The eight piece band will bring the funk from Boston to Phoenix.
Umphrey’s McGee (Sunday)
8-9:30 p.m. Rattlesnake Stage
One of the hardest working bands on the modern-day festival circuit, Umphrey’s McGee never seems to take a break. There’s a reason these veterans are headlining and you’ll want to see it for yourself.