Iggy isn’t the only rockstar that someone would have the nerve to burgle. Someone snatched Peter Buck’s guitar from the stage immediately after a show in Finland on Wednesday. And considering it is the one he would pick if he could only play a single guitar for the rest of his life, it’s no wonder they are offering a reward, no questions asked, for his signature Rickenbacker 360 JetGlo.

R.E.M.’s official website reads:

“Sadly, Peter’s signature Rickenbacker guitar was stolen from the stage immediately following tonight’s performance in Helsinki, Finland. This is Peter’s infamous signature Rick, which has been the staple of Peter’s arsenal both live and in the studio since the band released Chronictown in 1982. Needless to say, this instrument means a great deal to Peter and to R.E.M. It is our sincere hope that whoever is responsible for the loss, or whoever has information which can help recover the guitar, will come forward to receive a generous reward, no questions asked.”

The tenth Voodoo Music Experience will be happening this year, Oct 24-26 at New Orleans City Park. The festival is starting to release an impressive lineup of big name acts.

“Death Cab For Cutie, Erykah Badu, Wyclef Jean, Panic At The Disco, Joss Stone, Lupe Fiasco and Dashboard Confessional are among the top names joining headliners R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails and Stone Temple Pilots.”

“Billboard.com can reveal that the event will also feature performances by DeVotchKa, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Cold War Kids, Ghostland Observatory, Joseph Arthur, Old 97’s, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, the reunited Shudder To Think, the Gutter Twins, Thievery Corporation, Tokyo Police Club and Man Man.”

“Among the dozens of local and/or non-rock acts set to appear are the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Irving Mayfield’s New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, the New Orleans Bingo! Show, Ozomatli with Chali 2na, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Kermit Ruffins, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the Iguanas, Bonerama, Marc Broussard and King Britt, the latter staging a tribute to local legend Sister Gertrude Morgan.”

Weekend passes for the event are priced at $115. Three-day VIP passes will sell for $450 and both go on sale Monday, June 23rd.

Personally, I feel that there really aren’t that many bands I’d like to see but the lineup does boast a small number of unique acts. Besides solid headliners, R.E.M. and Nine Inch Nails, I’d love to see the reunited Shudder To Think and wouldn’t mind seeing Death Cab For Cutie, as I’ve never seen them live before. I think one of the most interesting thing about this festival would be the local talent. Usually, you look at festival lineups and every single one lists the same artists. It’s nice when a festival makes a point to add some local flair to its lineup.

Source.

So I finally found a music festival I’d be interested in attending. The name’s a little stupid…and its got a bunch of corporate sponsors but its also got a pretty good lineup of bands compared to the other festivals. It is the, Sasquatch Music Festival, May 24-26, in Washington State, at the Gorge amphitheater.

The lineup includes…The Cure, REM, The Breeders, The Flaming Lips, Mars Volta, Mike Patton, Steven Malkmus and The Jicks, Modest Mouse, Kinski, Built To Spill and a ton of others.

Sasquatch Festival Website