Catalpa: 10 Must-See Acts

Live Snoop is a special thing. Classic albums performed in full are a whole other kind of special thing. So try wrapping your mind around the idea of seeing Snoop's 1993 debut 'Doggystyle' in its entirety, and then make sure you get your body within eye- and earshot of the stage. You'll find few records that play like greatest hits collections as this one, and every hip-hop head you know will weep when you tell 'em what you got to see.

The Brooklyn group has been scarce since bassist Gerard Way's untimely death from cancer in April 2011, staying almost entirely off the road since late last year, and not seen in the environs of NYC in even longer. It's safe to guess they'll come out swinging for Catalpa as one of Saturday's biggest acts. Add the East River, the night sky and the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop to TV on the Radio's already transcendental live experience and you've got an unmissable show.

What's a festival without a crew of rock legends-to-be capping off one of the days? The Ohioan Zeppelin heirs have booked more festivals and arenas in the last year than some bands do their whole careers, so it's safe to say the Keys are familiar with the art of working huge, inebriated, outdoor crowd. Buckle up.

Fuse was there when Rocky's SXSW performance devolved into a wild brawl, and we've been dying to see the lava-hot 23-year-old MC in his hometown ever since (not to mention Randall's Island is a stone's throw from Rocky's actual stomping grounds of Harlem). Riot or not, every A$AP gig we've seen thus far has been a maximum energy affair full of moshing, crowd surfing and general punk rock ambience.

One of the best outcomes for a concert is for it to feel like a party. Considering throwing Girl Talk on headphones by yourself is already akin to the live-est party you've ever been to, but live, you'll get to join a new singalong every 30 seconds and be part of a stage that tends to be fair game for fans. The eternally headbanded mash-up maestro Gregg Gillis might be the only one having more of a blast than you.

There might not be a better chance to groove during Catalpa. In an era of electronic artists (lookin' at you, whole dubstep genre) hitting the stage and simply pressing play, araabMUZIK's live, frenetic beat creation on an MPC is as much a visual spectacle as it is a sonic one. The DJ from Providence, R.I. has serious cred, too; he's slung beats for Cam'ron, Slaughterhouse, Swizz Beatz and Dipset.

Extremely fresh off his new record 'Spark Seeker' — his first in three years — Matisyahu is an essential live experience. (There's a reason dude's got two concert albums and a live EP.) Until recently, the artist was as known for his traditional Hasidic Jewish look as his music. But now he's shaved his beard chopped his locks and went blond, so the likelihood of seeing a thoroughly rejuvenated Matisyahu seems high. This is your chance to witness a KISS without the warpaint moment.

Every festival needs a tender, slightly off-the-wall singer who grew up in a Wisconsin forest. Zola Jesus, née Nika Roza Danilova, will gloriously fill that spot for Catalpa. She's coming off her recently released album 'Conatus,' so expect fresh passion for that pristine collection of songs as well as Danilova's sultry, watch-your-back-Florence-Welch vocals. It also wouldn't hurt to anticipate an ethereal light show and occasional fits of bonkers dancing.

This celebration disguised as a disco/house/DJ project is one of the fest's biggest guarantees to put a smile on even the most super-serious faces. Herc and co. will bring a slew of tracks from 2011's stunning 'Blue Song,' and they've traveled the world honing the live show. Expect an eclectic performance packed with flailing bodies and moments of operatic gorgeousness.

It's not every young indie act that gets sampled by Nicki Minaj on her debut album. So even if a full set of the group's spacey, sincere, delightfully British-accented electro-rock doesn't get you moving — which, sorry, but it will — the old standby of "Dominos" is guaranteed to start a four-minute fiesta.