McDowell Mountain Music Festival 2010: The Less-Impressive Follow-Up

Fearless prediction: McDowell Mountain Music Festival 2010 will not be on par with MMMF 2009.The 2009 festival, which took place at Scottsdale's WestWorld and featured The Flaming Lips and Matisyahu, impressed the hell out of me. In fact, we named it Best Music Festival in our annual "Best of Phoenix"...

By Martin Cizmar

February 24, 2010

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Fearless prediction: McDowell Mountain Music Festival 2010 will not be on par with MMMF 2009.

The 2009 festival, which took place at Scottsdale's WestWorld and featured The Flaming Lips and Matisyahu, impressed the hell out of me. In fact, we named it Best Music Festival in our annual "Best of Phoenix" issue.

This year, it's been moved to The Compound Grill (at the northeast corner of 68th Street and Mayo Boulevard). The three-day festival is getting back to its jam-band roots by booking headliners Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Assembly of Dust and Steve Kimock. Full lineup on the jump.

One thought: Perhaps knowing they'd have to field a soft lineup so far below their regular standards is what drove Tempe Music Festival's organizers to pull the plug on this year's event. MMMF is for charity -- and is put on by wonderful people -- so it's nice to see the festival continue (though it's much, much weaker than last year).

Friday

Assembly of Dust

John Brown's Body

Toubab Krewe

Ruthie Foster

Saturday

Steve Kimock Crazy Engine

Robert Randolph and the Family Band

Ryan Shaw

Sunday

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews

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