Dust off your student ID: American Eagle Outfitters, the official clothier of West Sixth, and Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, have teamed up for an August festival with a pretty solid line-up: The Black Keys, Raconteurs, Bob Dylan, Gnarls Barkley, the Roots, Spoon, plus “the nation’s best college bands,” which apparently include Kent State’s favorite twee-poppers, Bears.
It’s an odd pairing, since American Eagle makes shirts, and Kiedis, who curated the fest, hasn’t worn a shirt since 1994. But considering that a two-day pass for the Thursday-Friday “New American Music Union is just $50 — or $25 with a student ID — it just might be worth braving Steeler country. — Joe P. Tone
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2008.