Best Indie Music festivals

There's a time and a place for giant meat market music festivals, but I love a mellower summer weekend bender, one with just two or three stages packed with excellent bands. Because of that, Sonoma's annual Huichica festival has become a yearly journey for me and many of my indie, psych, and folk-pop loving friends from the city.

Huichica isn't some corporate deal by a winemaker trying to make a buck. It was started six years ago by a vintner at California's oldest family-run winery and one of his favorite musicians, Eric D. Johnson of the Fruit Bats. Together they've cultivated a gathering on the scenic hills and outdoor amphitheater of the Gundlach Bundschu Winery that collects great national acts, top notch West Coast food trucks, and tasty wine you can buy and drink by the bottle on their lawn. Since 2013, Britt Govea of FolkYeah has helped amp up the bookings (those of you who hit his amazing shows in Big Sur at the Henry Miller Library know what I'm talking about).

The lineup for Huichica 2015 (June 12-13) has just been announced and it looks awesome once again.

Allah-Las

Atlas Sound

Amen Dunes

Jessica Pratt

Shannon & The Clams

Sonny & the Sunsets

Gap Dream

Fresh & Only's

EDJ

Pure Bathing Culture

The Tyde

GospelbeacH

The Donkeys

Trummors

William Tyler

Ryley Walker

Kacey Johansing

Mariee Sioux

One thing to note for 2015: there will be three stages this year, upped from the previous two. Shows will happen at the Hillside Amphitheater, the Cave Stage, and inside the gorgeous Redwood Barn.

All photos by James Fanucchi courtesy of Gundlach Bundschu