Fun Fun Fun Fest: Judas Priest, Nas, Neutral Milk Hotel to Headline
Heavy-metal trailblazers Judas Priest will headline Fun Fun Fun Fest this fall as their first announced date of an U.S. tour in support of their upcoming record, Redeemer of Souls. It’s their first concert since they completed their Epitaph Tour, their final full-on world tour and also stands as the group’s first performance in Austin in 25 years. The group will issue what frontman Rob Halford told Rolling Stone was a “very heavy record,” their 17th, on July 15th.
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Other headliners slated for the three-day Austin festival include Neutral Milk Hotel, Death Cab for Cutie, Nas (celebrating the 20th anniversary of Illmatic), Wiz Khalifa and metal shrieker King Diamond for his first announced U.S. date since 2005. The fest will take place from November 7th to November 9th at Auditorium Shores and Butler Park in Austin.
As with previous years, the rest of the festival boasts a typically diverse music lineup, spanning rock, R&B and dance. The Orange Stage will feature Yo La Tengo, Alt-J, The New Pornographers, Dinosaur Jr., First Aid Kit, Guided By Voices, City and Colour, Failure, Dum Dum Girls and Foxygen, among others.
The Blue Stage will exhibit Girl Talk, 2 Chainz, Atmosphere, Flying Lotus, Sky Ferreira, The Presets, Gary Numan, Cashmere Cat, Ginuwine, Z-Trip, Run The Jewels (El-P/Killer Mike) and more.
The Black Stage will showcase Death From Above 1979, Rocket From The Crypt, Death Grips, Gorilla Biscuits, Black Lips, Hot Water Music, Iceage, Sick of It All, Deafheaven and Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, among others.
The fest still has yet to announce the lineup for its comedy stage, to come out July 1st, and its actions sports component, which includes skate and ride athletes and an “Aqua Olympics,” to be announced in August.
Three-day passes go on sale at 10 a.m. CST on May 20th. Visit the festival’s website for tickets and more info.