I have to admit that I wanted to add so many more bands to the list I made two weeks ago about ‘can’t miss acts’ at this year’s Firefly Music Festival. For those not in the know, Firefly Music Festival is a three-day outdoor music event beginning Friday, June 21, next to Dover Downs in Dover, Del. Many of the performances will be by indie rock and jam bands, but there is also some alternative rock, classic rock, electronic and hip-hop music thrown in for good measure.
    This year will be the second annual event and I’m stoked to see pretty much every band there, but there simply wasn’t enough room two weeks ago to include every band I wanted to see. Thanks to a response from reader James P. about a certain band he wanted to see on the list, I’ve decided to revisit my list and add in a few acts that will surely put on amazing performances this year at Firefly. So here are seven more acts you cannot miss during this year’s Firefly Music Festival:

 

Grizzly Bear
Day: Friday
Stage:  The Backyard
Time:  9:15 p.m.
    An indie rock group with psychedelic and folk roots, Grizzly Bear provides a chill, yet mesmerizing experience. Much of their music is trippy, but not too much in the sense that it would seem you’re taking a psychedelic drug just by listening to the music. There are some upbeat songs, but most of them have a relaxed tempo with soothing harmonized lyrics. Grizzly Bear will be the best way to wind down after a hot and crazy first day out on the lawn.

Alabama Shakes
Day: Saturday
Stage: Main Stage
Time:  5:00 p.m.
    Here you go, James! This southern and blues rock fusion blew up (in the good way) last year with the release of their single “Hold On” from the band’s debut album Boys & Girls. Fronted by the amazing Brittany Howard, her lively and soulful lyrics are backed by a bluesy four-piece band on stage. While many of their songs tend to have a slow tempo, the songs are anything but boring and are actually pretty upbeat, as some songs become more dynamic as time moves on.
 
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Day: Saturday
Stage: The lawn
Time:  6:00 p.m.
    If you’re a weekly reader, you know I’m really excited for the third album releasing this year by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Now that we’ve covered the blues, here’s a folk-influenced indie band that will dazzle on stage not only by their music, but also by how many people they put up on stage at one time. There are 10 members in this band! 10! But unlike some metal bands who put out four guitarists on stage at one time, only to drown out the sound, each member has a unique role such as pianist, trumpet player and even accordion player. Their music is soulful and uplifting at the same time, which equates to a surreal experience.  

MGMT
Day: Saturday
Stage: The Lawn
Time: 8:45 p.m.
    While Grizzly Bear incorporates some psychedelic sounds into folk music, MGMT turned to a purely psychedelic rock sound. For those who haven’t heard me explain this wild band in this column before, MGMT provides a dreamy sound that seems to get trippier each album they put out. There are some great synthpop hits in their debut album, Oracular Spectacular, that are fun and easy to listen to, but the band has since tried to divert from that image. The music is still loads of fun, just….stranger.

Matt & Kim
Day: Sunday
Stage: The Lawn
Time: 3:00 p.m.
    Matt & Kim are literally a duo of singer and keyboardist Matt Johnson and drummer Kim Schifino. Yep, that’s it! But don’t let the lack of band members fool you; they make up for it with their high-energy synthesizer-heavy music. I love all four of their albums, and I honestly cannot think of a song that didn’t want to make me jump up and dance…and I don’t dance. The songs are simple but fun, and both Matt and Kim sometimes make you forget you’re only listening to two people.

Toro y Moi
Day: Sunday
Stage: The Porch
Time: 5:45 p.m.
    Although he will be playing on the festival’s smallest stage, Toro y Moi (the stage name of musician Chaz Bundick) writes interesting electronic music with a hint of funk. Influential in the rise of chillwave, a genre consisting of a low-fi synthesizer sound where looping is commonplace, Toro y Moi can tend to sound very trippy, but the songs have more of a recognizable structure than bands such as MGMT. This will be a great way to segue into the final big acts of the festival.

Foster the People
Day: Sunday
Stage: Main Stage
Time: 9:30 p.m.
    Alright, by this time of the festival, we will have survived likely scorching hot heat, lack of shower availability and several hippies looking for their dog Molly, so we’re rewarding with the closing act of…Foster the People? Don’t take that comment the wrong way, I love the band and can’t wait to see them at Firefly, but a lot of us festival-goers wish we ended with Red Hot Chili Peppers or Tom Petty. Anyway, Foster the People is an indie rock band known for their hit single “Pumped Up Kicks.” They have a heavily influenced pop sound, but the music is very upbeat and fun, while singer and frontman Mark Foster provides a unique touch with his eccentric vocals.