Bring on the heat, the crowds, the bugs, the mud. Stock up on beer and wet naps. Roll out the RV. Leave your Crackberry at home. Langerado is here.

This year's three day live music extravaganza has switched locales from it's original Markham Park location, to the Big Cypress Indian Reservation. The only way to access the Big Cypress Reservation is via Alligator Alley. Which means this - we will be in Butt Fucking Nowhere. Now, as far as I'm concerned, Butt Fucking Nowhere is an awesome a place as any to have a live music fest. Where I come from in Southern California, any music fest where you're not placed in mortal danger of dehydration or snake bites, is not a music fest worth it's salt. For this fact alone, I am eagerly anticipating the hair-raising, awe-inspiring, sensory overloading audio orgasm that is Langerado 2008.

Of course, I cannot speak of this exciting sojourn, without making mention of my fellow travelers. There will be 4 other people vigorously shedding their 9-5 corporate face masks along with me. They are: my husband, The Marmot; my ad exec friend, The Fiery Redhead; her boyfriend, Guitar Hero, and fellow blogger, The Sneaker Pimp. Their musical tastes run the gamut from indie rock, to 80's cheese glam, to hip hop, emo and world music. Fortunately, this year's Langerado lineup promises something for everybody. That's right - even if all you listen to are Billboard chart toppers and "best of" mixes, the Beastie Boys and REM will still get you moving.

Thievery Corporation will also be there, and I am dying, waiting, SALIVATING for them to play tracks off their latest album, "The Cosmic Game." Ever since wunderkinds Rob Garza and Eric Hilton teamed up, my life has become a Brazilian bossa-nova soundtrack, infused with moody female songstresses. Well, not really, but that's how good their newest tracks are. I caught a performance featuring Thievery Corporation, playing in conjunction with the Miami-based New World Symphony, and the effect was nothing short of astounding. Over the years, Thievery Corp has gotten progressively more experimental with adding orchestral textures to their songs. Their massive following attests to how accessible and moving this format is.

Matisyahu, another fusion artiste, will be performing his signature medley of reggae and Hasidic Judaism. No newcomer to the spirit of Langerado, Matisyahu's performance at last year's show ended on a particularly high note. Against the backdrop of a setting sun, Matisyahu hurled out "King Without a Crown" with searing veracity, then went straight into a spirited, 10 minute horah with some audience members. That was the moment when my friends and I looked at each other and nodded silently, eyes slitty through a haze of a weed. Every young person who feels music in his soul, yearns to share this connection with others. Matisyahu is that person, so seeing him perform makes you want to, well, horah it out with a complete stranger. His latest album 'Youth" is a little more dancehall reggae oriented.The rousing exhalations to God have not disappeared. Rather, they are subsumed beneath a salute to the revolutionary spirit of young people. "What I'm Fighting For" is the perfect encapsulation of this rallying cry.

 I saved the best for last: Matt Pond P.A.

"Several Arrows Later" was released in October 2005, but I was blissfully unaware of their existence until The Marmot and I first started dating. He would plug in his iPod, crank up the speakers, and launch into Just How Cool This Fucking Band Is. It took a while for the songs to grow on me. Some of the orchestral instruments were overbearing, such as the violins in "It Is Safe" and the cellos in "From Debris". Pond's signature classic, "The Moviegoer," was synthetic and whiny, I felt. But one morning, over eggs and the New York Times, "Halloween" rang in from the living room. And that was when I caught on to the raw, emotionally charged wonder of Pond's voice. His scathing criticism of pop culture ("If you don't know or care you'll be alright/I heard it's modern to be stupid/You don't need to talk to look good.") is laid out over gentle hooks and tender melodic swells. There is no magic formula to this band's success - just a very raw, organic indie sound with lyrics that tug at your heart strings. Think Weezer, minus the power chords and nerd glasses. Two years later, I wound up marrying The Marmot. I wonder if he knows that Matt Pond P.A. probably had something to do with it. They are easily my most anticipated band of Langerado 2008.

Will Ani di Franco freak out, as she always does? Will Les Claypool indulge in our love for all things retro, and play classic Primus? Will Ozomatli go heavy on the cumbia, and lighter on the dub? Who the *** knows. You'll just have to keep reading this blog.