Les Claypool

Les Claypool promises to bring the freak show back to the Rothbury Festival when he returns this summer. Appearing at last year's first-ever Rothbury with his most famous band, avant-garde alt-rock pioneers Primus, Claypool played one of the most memorable late-night performances of the festival.

The String Cheese Incident

One night only. In the digital age, when so much disposable music becomes easily replicable, the billing has lost some of its significance to certain music fans. Not those who have ever experienced one of the shows, or self-described "Incidents" by Colorado jam-band icons The String Cheese Incident.

Candye Kane

Powerful people can wear powerful disguises. Sometimes they wear sharp sport jackets over mock turtlenecks and have unnaturally full smiles. Sometimes they show enough cleavage to make a modest man blush.

Juleus

Grand Rapids metal band Juleus is like the New York Yankees of local metal bands. They've got a roster of big names, but have yet to really prove they can keep out of each other's way long enough to be successful.

Kaline

Like their namesake, legendary Detroit Tigers outfielder Al Kaline, the four guys in the Grand Rapids pop-punk band Kaline live for warmer days, sunshine, and baseball.

Mucca Pazza

Marching bands... a great American tradition. John Philip Sousa and Friday nights on the high school gridiron. Powerful fight songs and drum cadences that wake up the neighborhood. The finest bands show military precision with their standard eight-to-five step.

The Macpodz

For a band focused on losing themselves in the groove, Ann Arbor's The Macpodz have crafted a pretty strong mission statement. Of course, when that statement is to just have a good time and celebrate, as instructed in the intro to their song "Followaduby," featured on their new CD, Live at The Ark, it's easy to understand how not taking life so seriously can be the band's serious business.

The Veloras

"Weve been together for two years now," said Veronica Velora, co-founder and drummer of west Michigan's most visible – if not only – hardworking, all-girl garage-rock trio.