Vampire Weekend Headlines Music To Know Festival

Chris Jones and Bill Collage said the bands they've got lined up for the Music To Know festival in August rivals that of far more established festivals.

Headlining the two-day festival on Saturday night will be Vampire Weekend, an indie-rock band from New York City. Both organizers said the festival is meant to showcase new and emerging rock and pop music.

Vampire Weekend is "one of the brightest and best new bands emerging for one of their only US gigs," Jones said, adding the group turned down Glastonbury, among others.

"It's a testament, not just to us or something, they really want to be in this market," Collage said. "They specifically wanted to work here. They wanted to work with us. They wanted to be apart of the Hamptons in the summer because of the people that were here and we couldn't be more thrilled and we see them as a perfect fit for what we think is "Music To Know" right now."

Under 10,000 tickets will be sold for entrance to see 20 bands over Aug. 13 and 14. Tickets go on sale online at midnight. General admission is $195 and $645 for VIP access, which include free parking, air conditioned bathrooms, access to the VIP food tents.

Discounted tickets will be sold locally for $175 until May 23. They are available at Sylvester & Co. in Sag Harbor, in Amagansett, in East Hampton Village, and 668 Gig Shack in Montauk.

The bands will play on two stages amidst an East End culinary and microbreweries showcase. There will also be pop-up shops featuring apparel and accessories.

The exact location is still being worked out. MTK has approval from East Hampton Town for in Amagansett and the , but it is awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration before officially moving it to the airport.

Dawes, a California-based roots rock band that was the a few weeks ago, will also be on the stage.

Also playing on Saturday is Matt & Kim, a two-piece band of keys and drums. Collage said they play very bright, upbeat music. "They recently sold out Terminal 5 and they will be playing there in June," he said. "If you're not sure who they are and what they play, check them out right away. This is one of the coolest bands going."

While many bands are emerging or fairly new to mainstream music, Tom Tom Club brings "some heritage-hipness to the MTK stage," according to the promoters. Once a side project by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Talking Heads members, the husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, Tom Tom Club is a wave band named for a dancehall in the Bahamas. 

"We wanted to have one band that gave a top of the hat to what was going on 30 years ago, Jones said.

Fitz & The Tantrums, led by songwriter Michael Fitzpatrick, is a septet founded on neo-soul. Their hit single Money Grabber is off their sophomore album Pickin' Up the Pieces. "This is a single all over the radio right now," Collage said. "It's a very large sound. It's a big band, it's a soulful sound - -couldn't be more fun. They give a great live show.

Also slated to play is Nicos Gun, a band that took formation when drummer Harry Zelnick and singer-guitarist Barney Cortez and keyboardist and guitarist Nick Bockrath got together to produce a track they said Lil' Wayne would want to use. The foursome is said to want to be "the punk-rock Michael Jackson."

Bright Eyes, which has a two page spread in Spin and is opening for Coldplay at Lollapalooza, will also perform.

Here's what other bands are also on the list:

• Ra Ra Riot
• The Limousines, an electro-pop sensation
• Tame Impala
• Chromeo
• Cold War Kids
• Suddyn
• Francis and The Lights
• M. Ward
• The Naked And Famous, a New Zealand electronic ensemble
• We Are Scientists
• Young Empires