We have only been waiting since February for these three months of summer and now that they are here you say you have no exciting plans? Well do yourself a favor and get out of the house and check a music festival. All summer long music festivals are playing across the country, so you can be sure that you will find something that you are into playing near you. And if you are really feeling up for an adventure, grab a few friends and take a road trip to a music festival out of state. Trust me, there is nothing like sitting in the summer sun, drinking a beer with friends and listening to awesome live music. So now that I have convinced you to go to a music festival, you are probably thinking, which one should I go to? Well lucky for you I have picked three festivals that you need to check out at least once in your life.

1. Siren Music Festival (July 17). This outdoor music festival, started in 2001, is held at Brooklyn's Coney Island, which in it of itself is pretty cool. BUT the best part, it is FREE. Yep you heard me right, this festival is free of all charge. Run by the newspaper, The Village Voice, Siren Music Festival is known for the experimental and indie rock artists it attracts, which in the past have included such awesome bands as Ra Ra Riot, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Spoon. This year is no exception. If you end up going to this festival, be sure to check out Apache Beat, Night Marchers, and a personal favorite of mine, Surfer Blood.
2. Pitchfork Music Festival (July 16-18). This three day music festival takes place in one of the best cities in the country (behind Boston of course), Chicago and is organized by Pitchfork Media, which is known for focusing on all new independent music on the scene. This is the fifth year this festival will be put on and with this lineup of artists, it will prove to be one of the best. Headlining we have Modest Mouse, LCD Soundsystem, and Pavement. In addition there are some amazing other bands you need to check out, especially Beach House and Wolf Parade.
3. Lollapalooza (August 6-8). Probably one of the most well known summer music festivals besides Bonnaroo also takes place in Chicago. It features bands from all different genres including rock, pop, hip hop, alternative, and punk. Despite being started in 1991 by Perry Farrell, this festival has had a rocky history but as of 2005, it has been going strong and this year seems to be no exception. There are some high profile names performing this year, including Green Day, Gaga, The Strokes, Cyprus Hill, Erykah Badu and more to please all your music desires. So get out of the house and make sure to wear your sunscreen.