When The Compound Grill closed in April, 2012, it set the future of the McDowell Mountain Music Festival, which had taken place there since 2010, in uncertain light.
Of course, the festival (winner of our 2012 Best of Phoenix designation) existed for years pre-Compound -- it launched in 2004 -- and thankfully it looks like it will exist post-Compound, too. This year's lineup might be the best yet, featuring The Shins, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Kongos, Ladylike, Balkan Beat Box, Dry River Yacht Club, & Yellow Minute (on March 22); The Roots, Deer Tick, Heartless Bastards, Cousins of the Wize, Iration, Fayuca, The Wiley One, Sara Robinson and the Midnight Special, Mergence, & Banana Gun (on March 23); & Umphrey's McGee, Yonder Mountain String Band, Dr. Dog, JGB Band, Les Claypool's Duo de Twang, Jared and the Mill, Decker, & Future Love Past (on March 24).
See also:
-Heartless Bastards: Songwriter Erika Wennerstorm Aims for "Clint Eastwood-Meets-Nancy Sinatra" Sounds -Questlove of The Roots Is So Much Better at Instagram Than You -Yonder Mountain String Band: Bluegrass for People Who Don't Like Bluegrass -Les Claypool: Eccentric Bassist Would Rather Be Fishing
