Savannah Stopover announces initial 2016 lineup

Ra Ra Riot

MUSIC LOVERS unite: Savannah Stopover has dropped the initial lineup of the sixth annual Savannah Stopover Music Festival, to be held March 10-12, 2016!

It's a diverse mix of returning acts, up-and-comers, and indie staples this year, with offerings for every musical palette.

Heading up the bill is the chamber-pop inflected four-piece Ra Ra Riot. Established while its founding members attended Syracuse University in New York, the band has grown above and beyond the humble house show days of 2006.

With dance-synth rhythms and grooves, fans of Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, and the like will revel in Ra Ra Riot's textural take on indie rock. They'll arrive in Savannah after the release of their latest, Need Your Light, due out February 19 on Barsuk Records (Death Cab for Cutie, The Nada Surf, Phantogram).

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YUCK

Darlings of the blogosphere in the late 2000s, London's Yuck have been enjoying critical success since before some of their members even hit 20. Their lo-fi, dirtied-up pop is a melodic, catchy favorite, easily likened to Pavement and The Cure; their first-ever Savannah show will be an exciting time to hear material from their forthcoming LP.

Other fresh acts to keep an eye out for include Louisville garage-punk trio White Reaper, Mothers (not to be confused with previously booked Stopover acts Mother or Single Mothers, mind you), the early Best Coast-styled and cleverly cutting Diet Cig, queercore band PWR BTTM, Richmond's No BS! Brass Band, and Mystery Skulls, whose show's sure to be a killer dance party.

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Rufus Paisley

PWR BTTM

Longtime followers of the fest may recognize some familiar names, including Hiss Golden Messenger, French Horn Rebellion, Christopher Paul Stelling, Big Ups, and more. Others, like Futurebirds, Great Peacock and Go!zilla, have appeared on Stopover-produced bills outside of the festival, including Revival Fest and the great Stopover in the Yard series at The Grey.

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Diet Cig

It's a familiar venue list this go-round, too: attendees need not venture too far from the nexus of Congress Street to hit spots including Ships Of The Sea North Garden, Trinity United Methodist Church, Club One, The Jinx and Congress Street Social Club.

More venues will be announced in January, along with a full band list.

Snag your early-bird tickets on November 17 at 11 a.m.: a three-day advance pass costs $65, $14 less than a full-price ticket. Those passes are limited, so get 'em while you can at savannahstopover.com.

At $125, VIP pass ensures priority entrance, gets you a rad gift bag with gifts from festival partners and sponsors, access to the Artists' Lounge (read: free booze), access to all private events and after-parties throughout the fest, entrance to the wrap-up party, and more special privileges to be announced. CS

Score passes at savannahstopover.com/tickets