Lollapalooza is in Chicago, Illinois. Bonnaroo is in Manchester, Tennessee. Coachella is in Indio, California. These festivals may be fun, but they come complete with a lengthy drive and steep prices. A free alternative is here; Ohio Univesity students, prepare yourself for Lobsterfest 2009.

ACRN's Lobsterfest will start at 12 p.m. Saturday with headliner Jay Reatard. Provided graphic by Ryan Ford.

Beginning at 12 p.m. on June 6 at South Beach (on South Green), students will have the opportunity to experience Lobsterfest. Sponsored by the student-run All Campus Radio Network right here in Athens, the annual fest has been getting better and better with every year. This year, the fest offers 15 live bands – some local, some national – playing all day long, conveniently located right on campus.

Headlining the fest this year is Jay Reatard who has a home at Matador Records. While he may be relatively unknown to the more mainstream audiences, he comes from a nest of talent: Matador Records also boasts having signed Lou Reed, Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo and The New Pornographers.

Not to be outdone by Reatard are Athens bands that can undoubtedly hold their own. Among others, attendees will enjoy the sounds of Russenorsk, She Bears, Five Deadly Venoms and the final show of one of Athens’ favorites, Kaslo. Genres for the fest range from new wave punk to hip hop to folk to noise.

Alisha Bicknell, ACRN’s Public Relations Director, has a feeling that Ohio University students will enjoy the event.

“It has the word ‘fest’ in it, of course OU students like it. Oh, and it’s free too. College kids love free things,” Bicknell said.

In addition to the all-day music, there will be a craft bazaar running from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. In its second year, the bazaar will be featuring 19 vendors, with an emphasis on Do-It-Yourself crafts. Carousing the craft tables is the perfect way to pass time while waiting for a band to set up and start playing, and it also gives small and local vendors the opportunity to sell their products.

So what else is there to do at Lobsterfest? Right up there with the dancing, the music and the craft-shopping is one of students’ favorite past times: relaxing!

“[Students] can take part in anything but starting a near-riot around a huge fire. Also, public nudity probably won’t fly. Bring a blanket to sit on between bands and chat it up with those around you,” said Bicknell.

Bicknell also offered a few tips to ensure that students get the ultimate Lobsterfest experience.

“Dress appropriately. Let’s be honest, five inch heels aren’t going to allow you to have fun…bring sunscreen, sunglasses and wear light colored clothing that you don’t mind getting plastered with sweat.”

While Lobstefest is not bursting with quite as many bands as Lollapalooza, some careful scheduling will be in order if students want to ensure that they have the opportunity to see each band. Make sure to check out the schedule and plan accordingly – food and bathroom breaks are necessities and are unfortunate reasons to miss a great band.

There is no need to wait for Saturday to get started with the festivities. There will be a pre-party at 9 p.m. Friday at The Union for those who just cannot wait. In case Friday night and Saturday afternoon are just not enough, an after-party will be happening immediately following Lobsterfest at The Union.

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