Summer Set vs. Eaux Claires: Western Wisconsin music fests go head-to-head

Except for when the Vikings play at Lambeau or New Glarus introduces a beer, there might never be a bigger exodus of Minnesotans wanting to get into Wisconsin than there will be next weekend.

Somehow, western Wisconsin farmland has become home to two of the Upper Midwest's biggest and most innovative rock fests, Summer Set and Eaux Claires. Just as surprising, both events happen to fall on the same weekend this summer, a result of Eaux Claires' team moving its dates from late July for its second year. Summer Set, meanwhile, is tooling along into its fifth outing.

The two festivals have a lot more in common. Both take their names from their respective host towns. Both are about 90 minutes or less from the Twin Cities. Both are staged near rivers in green fields that would otherwise play host to cows and corn instead of hipsters and ravers. Both offer four music stages, ample room for camping and arty side attractions with a psychedelic bend.

Best of all, both blend music genres in unique, eclectic ways. They both have strong lineups this year, too, each with one cultishly adored headliner (Skrillex for Summer Set, Bon Iver for Eaux Claires), and one hot newcomer who put on impressive sets in June at Rock the Garden (Chance the Rapper and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, respectively).

Here's a rundown highlighting their differences.

When: All day Fri.-next Sun.

Where: Somerset Amphitheater in Somerset, Wis., about 40 miles northeast of Minneapolis.

Who puts it on: Summer Set debuted in 2012 as a collaboration between longtime Twin Cities dance music promoter SIM Shows, the amphitheater's owner, Madison's Majestic Theatre and Chicago's React Presents, which also puts on the similarly flavored North Coast Music Festival in its hometown.

Whom it's for: Young EDM (electronic dance music) fans and other millennials simply looking for a wild party, older ravers still looking to groove, jam-band and hip-hop fans who can stomach EDM, and indie-rock fans who can't make it to Eaux Claires.

Who the big names are this year: In the EDM world, it doesn't get much bigger than Skrillex, the raven-haired Los Angeles DJ/producer of dubstep-igniting fame, who will finish off the festival Sunday night. The real-life Sonny Moore, 28, hasn't performed in our area since an overpacked, sensory-overloading First Avenue set on a rare club tour in 2013, and he's never played a festival anywhere near us.

Friday night's headliner, Chance the Rapper, earned a warm reception at Rock the Garden with his funkified live band and the hopeful songs from his new album "Coloring Book." Saturday night will be topped out by Minneapolis' own indie-rap stalwarts Atmosphere, releasing the new album "Fishing Blues" the day before. Also Saturday, EDM mainstay Bassnectar is back for his third Summer Set in a row.

Whom else to look for: Friday's other big draw, electro-house wiz and video-game favorite Steve Aoki, would have been an eligible headliner. There are more hip-hop names of note all weekend, including Drake rival Tory Lanez on Friday, "Trap Queen" hitmaker Fetty Wap and wild-eyed Brooklyn trio Flatbush Zombies on Saturday, and Sinatra-loving Maryland indie-rapper Logic on Sunday. Two innovative electro-pop singers will appear: R&B-influenced synth-pop innovator St. Lucia on Friday, and Canadian visionary Grimes (fresh off her tour with Florence + the Machine) on Saturday.

For the glowstick-twirling psychedelica seekers, STS9 returns Friday, Infected Mushroom performs Saturday and Deadmau5-copping costumed DJ Marshmello debuts Sunday.

Tickets: $205 three-day pass, $85 daily, summersetfestival.com.

When: All day Fri.-Sat.

Where: Foster Farms, 3443 Chippewa Av., Eau Claire, just a mile off Interstate Hwy. 94 and 90 miles from Minneapolis.

Who puts it on: Eau Claire's homegrown music hero Justin Vernon of Grammy-winning Bon Iver fame lovingly put the fest together last year with help from fellow indie-rock vet Aaron Dessner (guitarist in the National), creative director Michael Brown and Boston's Crashline Productions, which puts on the Boston Calling Festival.

Whom it's for: NPR Music and 89.3 the Current devotees of all ages, Gen X-ers and Y-ers looking for a mild party, folk and Americana music fans who can stomach electro-pop and indie-rap, and Justin Vernon's family, friends, neighbors, teachers, etc.

Who the big names are this year: After a four-show stint in Australia last month, Vernon once again returns with his reassembled Bon Iver lineup Friday, promising new songs that will bring his band back from its extended hiatus. Vernon's bud from London, electro-whir crooner James Blake, will also make a rare-of-late trip to Middle America on Friday.

On Saturday, Dessner heads up an all-star tribute to the Grateful Dead with guest singers and some of his National bandmates to tout the new four-LP charity tribute "Day of the Dead." (Read an interview with Dessner in Friday's Star Tribune.) Two other marquee acts that day are Baltimore's somber pop darlings Beach House and Dallas' legendary soul/R&B guru Erykah Badu, giving her first area performance in a decade.

Whom else to look for: Friday's adventurous mix includes indie singer/songwriter Bonnie "Prince" Billy (with Bryce Dessner of the National), L.A. area rapper Vince Staples, Arcade Fire members Sarah Neufeld and Richard Reed Parry, Japanese instrumentalist Cornelius, classical/rock innovators My Brightest Diamond and Y Music (the latter with the Staves) and — from your dad's old cassette stash — piano tunesmith Bruce Hornsby, performing his 1986 album "The Way It Is" in its entirety.

Just the fact that Chicago gospel/soul legend Mavis Staples and freakish grunge-punk pioneers the Melvins will both perform Saturday makes it a day to remember. Also that day: Rateliff's great retro-soul crew, indie-rock hero Jenny Lewis, harmonious groovers Lucius, experimental rockers Unknown Mortal Orchestra, soul balladeer Moses Sumney and Twin Cities scenemakers Har Mar Superstar, Fog and Alpha Consumer.

Tickets: $169 two-day, $90 daily, eauxclaires.com.

Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658

@ChrisRstrib