The spring and summer festival season has arrived, bringing with it those surreal and inexplicable lineups you can only get when middle-aged civic boosters are tasked with arranging a concert bill.
But these events also give local-music heroes the opportunity to boast that they've shared a stage with major national stars, even if those stars long ago faded into irrelevancy. One wonders if, after this year's Mayfest, Doug Burr or 100 Damned Guns will mention opening for the Grammy-nominated Gin Blossoms in their press kits and one-sheets.
But all is not lost on Mayfest. Performances of note include The Gourds' headlining set Thursday, as well as The Derailers' and Kelly Willis' performances on Friday. Saturday's Main Stage lineup, however, offers the best choices: Burr performs his country-tinged melancholy folk songs at 3 p.m., and will be immediately followed by the raucous country rock of 100 Damned Guns; they're then followed at 5 p.m. by Celt-rockers The Kildares; and from 6 p.m. on the lineup offers accessible bar rock with The Drams, Ian Moore and the chance to hear "Hey Jealousy" for the millionth time.
