First Festival announces 2017 headliners

Like many Saturday night at Old Ironsides, Jayson Angove called for a round of applause for Danielle Vincent.

“You work your ass off to make this happen, so we appreciate you,” he said during Humble Wolf’s set at the official launch party for the third annual First Festival, which takes place May 6 and 7 next year.

After a successful debut, founder Vincent expanded her all-local fest to two days and 40 bands this summer. Unfortunately, hardly anyone showed up.

It left Vincent stunned and heartbroken—not to mention the financial bind—but she’s coming back even stronger for next year’s festival. It’s returning to the original fest’s month and location in River Walk Park, and the lineup promises to be its strongest yet.

At the launch party, Vincent announced six headliners, building up to the ultimate: Oleander, a national-level booking that still aligns with First Festival’s local focus. The post-grunge band started in Sacramento in the ’90s and, three years ago, put out its first record in a decade.

Fellow headliners Some Fear None and Arden Park Roots have proven they can deliver crowds at Concerts in the Park. While the hip-hop community complained about a lack of representation in last year’s lineup, DLRN’s headlining slot means this year will probably be very different. City of Vain and the Moans round it out with more punk.

Tickets are on sale for a special, extra-early price through Tuesday, December 13: $10 single day, $20 weekend pass, $30 VIP ticket and $75 VIP package.

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