Michael Harrison Berg of Silver Wrapper, co-founding partner & co-talent buyer of North Coast Music Fest and Van Ghost frontman, has revealed his 10 can’t-miss acts for this year’s NCMF. With a huge and diverse roster of musicians to choose from, Berg will help you sort it all out with recommendations straight from the source!

**NCMF takes place over labor day, September 4-6, at Union Park in Chicago. Check out the full lineup and daily schedules HERE // get tickets HERE**

In no particular order…

D’Angelo & The Vanguard

Aside from this being D’Angelo’s come back year with 2014’s Black Messiah being a major hit, he is actually an act we have been targeting for several years due to the Prince-esque funk party that is brought forth every time he plays. Now he has a new backing band, The Vanguard, and all you have to do is watch his set from Bonnaroo this year to see why this is going to be the closing/headlining set to the funkiest day in North Coast history!

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead

In case you live under a rock, it’s the 50th anniversary & summer of the Grateful Dead, especially here in Chicago! With the epic GD50 festivities from Soldier Field to the Music Never Stopped Series, Chicago has an insatiable thirst for the community and song book of the Grateful Dead right now. There are many people out there who will say that no one, including the band with Trey Anastasio on lead guitar, are killing this material harder than JRAD. Breathing a new life into these tunes with the definition of an all star band is a righteous way to go into Panic to close out the opening night of the fest if you ask me!

Chemical Brothers

Since the inaugural NCMF in 2010, The Chems have been likely the most requested act ever to return to Union Park. With the band’s critically acclaimed new album Born In The Echos dropping this year, the timing is perfect to give the Coasties what they wanted. The Chems are redefining what they stand for in an ever-changing landscape of electronic music online and at festivals. NCMF is redefining ourselves musically this year so this is a match made in festy heaven!

The Roots

Ever since “Do You Want More” by The Roots came out they have been on my radar as a forward thinking act that blends hip hop with funk, jazz, and R&B. Since then, the band has flowered and even landed themselves a gig on late night TV with Jimmy Fallon 5 nights a week. That said, their live shows are a force to be reckoned with and span most of my favorite genres (and vibes) the whole time. This will throw down hard and flow right into D’Angelo like a hot knife through funk butter to close out the night!

Portugal. The Man

The band’s live show features psychedelic indie rock w/ the ability to lyrically make you question your own reality while simultaneously groove as hard as any live act on the scene. PTM will bring an ideal vibe to their early evening set on the final day of the fest this year! Never miss a Sunday show!

Widespread Panic

For the first time in North Coast history, a band will do a full show of 2.5 hours, and that band is Widespread Panic! Panic is a legendary jamband and festival headliner who I’ve personally been seeing as a fan since 1997 at the Madison Theater in Peoria & The NIU gymnasium in Dekalb, IL to various rooms in Chicago (1000-9000 capacity) to the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater just outside of Denver, Colorado. Quite frankly, this is full circle for me as a music fan and more importantly, it’s gonna get dirty, and it’s definitely gonna rock! WSMFP y’all!

Tycho

Tycho as a live band was one of the first acts to ever play Concord Music Hall and they were great when they did it. Since then their 2014 album Awake has propelled them to another level where they find themselves friends of the indie electronic world and jam band fans alike. It makes sense to me since their songs are melodic and intelligently composed to feel good to a limitless fan base.

The Main Squeeze

What started as a funk band has evolved into something unique and special with The Main Squeeze. They are about to drop their new record produced by Randy Jackson over NCMF weekend which makes their set celebratory as well as musically fulfilling. Singer Corey Frye is unparalleled in his covers and Squeeze originals and the band is no joke either. They keep getting better ever single time I see them, literally.

Nahko & Medicine For The People

Every few years an artist comes along that is not only socially conscious with their music and life, but encourages their fan base to engage in those efforts to be as well. A simple ethos, to leave the world a better place than how you found it, and enjoying the ride along the way is general plan. Nahko & his fans known as the Medicine Tribe do just this. A super high energy band that sounds tribal at times, groovy at others, and on top of all of that, Nahko has a set of pipes on him as well!

The Heard

The Future of funk is what we call them around the FiyaWrapper fam (Fiyawerx + Silver Wrapper), and for good reason. There is not a band on the scene working harder to pay homage to their heroes and wear those influences on their sleeve but with a fresh take on songwriting and direction. They work as a hip-hop backing band to Lyrics Born as easily as they can host a funk royalty sit in party like they did at Bear Creek Fest with members of Lettuce, Dumpstaphunk, The Nth Power, The New Mastersounds, Trey Anastasio Band and others. If you can get down to the funk, this band needs to be on your radar now.

An Interview With Chicago’s Newest Funk Sensation, The Heard

To limit this to 10 acts was nearly impossible… so for honorable mention I have to throw shout outs to The Disco Biscuits, Manic Focus, Future Rock, Atmosphere, Snails and Galactic with Macy Gray! I hope to see you guys over Labor Day in Chicago for Summer’s Last Stand at North Coast Music Fest. [get tickets HERE]