Hello, Lansing. Are you ready for the rock? And the blues? And the country? And the mbue?
The seventh Common Ground Music Festival and its diverse lineup kicks off tonight at Louis F. Adado Riverfront Park, 300 N. Grand Ave. in Lansing.
The festival includes performances by Steve Miller Band, Styx, Poison, Bonnie Raitt, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Keb' Mo', spread out among three stages and seven nights.
The Beach Boys, Gavin DeGraw and John Legend are among other acts which brought more than 75,000 people to downtown Lansing for last year's festival, about a 10 percent decrease in attendance from 2004.
Festivalgoers may bring lawn chairs, but a long list of items including backpacks, video equipment, professional cameras, recording devices and Frisbee discs are not allowed on the festival grounds. Outside food and beverages are also prohibited, but vendors will be on hand for those who require a snack with their live music.
Umbrellas are also on the list of verboten objects, which could make for some wet crowds on Tuesday and Wednesday night, since the Web site www.weather.com predicts rain showers for those evenings. Clear skies are predicted for the rest of the festival.
Tickets for the festival come in the form of the $89 seven-day Common Card and $29 single-day pass, and are available online at www.commongroundfest.com, at Star Ticket Plus Outlets, at the festival office at 333 N. Cedar St. in Lansing and the box office on the festival grounds. Admission is free for children 10 and under.
For information, visit the festival Web site or contact the festival office at (517) 267-1502.
Common Ground Festival schedule by stage:
Capital City Airport West Main Stage
Monday, July 10
7:30 p.m. The Huntunes
9:15 p.m. Steve Miller Band
Tuesday, July 11
7:30 p.m. Keb Mo
9:15 p.m. Bonnie Raitt
Wednesday, July 12
7 p.m. Endeverafter
8 p.m. Cinderella
9:30 p.m. Poison
Thursday, July 13
7:30 p.m. Ladysmith Black Mambazo
9:15 p.m. Styx
Friday, July 14
7:30 p.m. Keith Anderson
9 p.m. Cheap Trick
Saturday, July 15
7:30 p.m. Ritmo
9:15 p.m. The Bangles
Sunday, July 16
7 p.m. Hunter Brucks
8:45 p.m. Ted Nugent
Miller Lite East Main Stage
Tuesday, July 11
8 p.m. Bloodletting
9:10 p.m. Tesla
Wednesday, July 12
7:30 p.m. Bomshel
9:15 p.m. Dwight Yoakam
Friday, July 14
6:15 p.m. Halestorm
7 p.m. Evans Blue
8 p.m. Trapt
9:30 p.m. Shinedown
Saturday, July 15
7:30 p.m. Mavis Staples
9:15 p.m. Etta James and The Roots Band
Sand Bar West
Monday, July 10
5:30 p.m. Frog and the Beeftones
Tuesday, July 11
5:30 p.m. Living Soul
Wednesday, July 12
5:30 p.m. Jeremy Sprague
Thursday, July 13
5:30 p.m. Yin and Yang
Friday, July 14
5:30 p.m. Ray Potter
Saturday, July 15
5:30 p.m. Spinnaker
Sunday, July 16
5:30 p.m. Dave & Sean
Sand Bar East
Tuesday, July 11
5:30 p.m. Peter Trappen
Wednesday, July 12
5:30 p.m. Dixie Mafia
Saturday, July 15
5:30 p.m. Groove Makers
