Northside Festival 2014

Most exciting five acts: Sharon Van Etten; Courtney Barnett; Titus Andronicus; Omar Souleyman; Beach Fossils In the five years since it began, The L Magazine's hip summer fest has gone from a small showcase for up-and-coming acts to a Brooklyn version of SXSW, with concerts, a film festival and an "innovation" component for techies. But we're still most excited about the music: Building off past successes (in 2013, headliners included the Walkmen, Solange and Black Flag), this year will feature performances from Brooklyn troubadour Sharon Van Etten, Jersey punk-rockers Titus Andronicus, prolific Syrian singer Omar Souleyman, and many more. (And we mean many: Approximately 400 acts will play during the music portion's four-day run.)