From metal to bluegrass, festivals bring music to Wisconsin’s north

Summer is getting closer and with it comes a handful of music festivals being hosted across northern Wisconsin and covering a wide range of musical tastes.

The first one coming up will be Northern Invasion, set May 14-15 at the Somerset Amphitheater in Somerset. The festival features metal music artists from across the nation, including big names such as Disturbed, Rob Zombie, Korn and Babymetal.

For more information, visit the festival’s website, northerninvasion.com.

The Blue Ox Music Festival, from June 9-11 in Eau Claire, features bluegrass, roots and Americana music genres played by artists such as Blitzen Trapper, Tin Can Gin, Sam Bush and Railroad Earth.

Information on tickets and how to get to the festival grounds at 5024 Crescent Ave. in Eau Claire may be found on the official website, blueoxmusicfestival.com.

If roots and bluegrass don’t sound appealing enough, July will bring two more big concerts. Rock Fest, held in Cadott, revolves around rock and heavy metal music, featuring big name artists like Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, Alice in Chains and Marilyn Manson.

Rock Fest runs from July 14-16 at 24447 County Highway S in Cadott. Information about the festival is found on the website rock-fest.com.

Country fans will be able to get in on the festival fun from July 21-23 with Country Jam in Eau Claire. The festival will feature an array of country music artists, among them A Thousand Horses, The Cadillac Three, Jason Aldean and the Eli Young Band.

Further information about Country Jam may be found on the website countryjamwi.com. The festival will take place at 5024 Crescent Ave. in Eau Claire (the same location as the Blue Ox Music Festival).

A spokesperson for Blue Ox and Country Jam said that each concert brings a great experience to people and allows for moments such as musicians playing for extended periods of time with no interruptions.

The last of the big music festivals of the summer is Eaux Claires, scheduled Aug. 11-13 at Foster Farms, 3443 Crescent Ave., Eau Claire. More than 50 musical acts are slated, including Lucius, Har Mar Superstar, and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats.

Details about the festival are available on the website eauxclaires.com.

Throughout the summer, the Chill on the Hill concert series will be a series of events held in River Falls and sponsored by UW-River Falls and the city. Held on Tuesdays from June 14-Aug. 9, the series is intended to bring students staying over the summer and people in town to come together and enjoy some music acts outside at the Melvin Wall Amphitheatre on campus.

Director of Student Involvement Paul Shepherd said Chill on the Hill will feature many acts, with the biggest one being The Kids From Wisconsin, an entertainment group that performs 1980s classics, Motown, country, Broadway and other musical styles.

The concert series has remained quite popular, Shepherd said, adding that it has gotten consistently good attendance and despite recent funding problems still has still enough money and sponsors supporting it to continue.