ALO
When & where: Sunday, noon, Snake Eyes Stage.
School of rock: Jam.
Catch them if: You want to get Day 2 of Vegoose off to a body-moving start.
What's in a name: ALO might stand for Animal Liberation Orchestra, but the band has nothing to do with PETA or animal rights. In fact, guitarist Dan Lebowitz is the only vegetarian in the quartet.
They know Jack: Vegoose billmate Jack Johnson sings on a track on ALO's latest album, Fly Between Falls, and ALO has supported Johnson on tour this year.
TREY ANASTASIO
When & where: Friday night, Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts; Sunday, 5 p.m., Double Down Stage.
School of rock: Jam.
Catch him if: You're still mourning Trey's decision to fold Phish after the 2004 summer tour.
Don't bother if: You're expecting a set full of Phish tunes. He might mix in a few, but solo material and covers are generally his top priorities.
What friends are for: Anastasio is slated to be among the "Friends" in Dave Matthews' Vegoose band on Saturday. Don't be surprised if they also hook up at the Aladdin on Friday, with Trey's band scheduled to follow Matthews and Tim Reynolds on that stage.
THE ARCADE FIRE
When & where: Sunday, 7:15 p.m., Snake Eyes Stage.
School of rock: Indie.
Catch them if: You want to see why debut full-length Funeral was (deservedly) on so many 2004 album of the year lists.
A-list fan club: Rock luminaries David Bowie and David Byrne have guested during Arcade Fire sets in 2005.
All in the family: Band leaders Win Butler and Regine Chassagne are married. Win's younger brother, Will, plays in the band. The Butlers' grandfather, Alvino Rey, was a well-known swing-era bandleader, and legendary pedal-steel guitar player.
ATMOSPHERE
When & where: Saturday, 4:30 p.m., Clubs Tent.
School of rock: Hip-hop.
Catch them if: You're eager to see reclusive DJ Ant emerge from his decade-long stage hibernation to join MC Slug onstage.
Indie cred: Atmosphere turned down major-label offers from the likes of Sony and Warner Bros. to remain on in-house label Rhymsesayers (supplemented by a brief distribution deal with punk label Epitaph Records).
The buzz: "You can get off on Atmosphere's records even if you don't identify with the lyricist— the music is always full of life, and Slug's white-boy flow is brassy, deft, and one-of-a-kind" (Village Voice).
DEVENDRA BANHART
When & where: Saturday, 1:45 p.m., Snake Eyes Stage.
School of rock: Indie folk.
Catch him if: You're excited to hear Banhart and his four-piece band, Hairy Fairy, transform his lo-fi song sketches into living, breathing pieces.
Travelin' man: Though born in the U.S., Banhart was raised in Caracas, Venezuela (English is his second language). He hasn't lived anywhere for more than a few months at a time since dropping out of the San Francisco Art Institute in 2000.
Now that's D.I.Y.: Banhart's first album, 2002's "Oh Me Oh My ..." is a collection of field recordings, which were preserved either on four-track or on his friends' answering machines.
BEANS featuring HOLY FUCK
When & where: Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Clubs Tent.
School of rock: Hip-hop + electronic rock.
Catch them if: An underground rapper backed by an electronic quintet sounds as intriguing to you as it does to us.
Who Beans is: A onetime member of Manhattan rap-meets-electronic outfit Antipop Consortium, who has been releasing quality solo work since 2000.
Who Holy Fuck are: A Toronto electronic collective that eschews computers and pre-recorded tracks in favor of live instrumentation.
BECK
When & where: Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Snake Eyes Stage.
School of rock: Indie.
Catch him if: You couldn't get anywhere near the tent for Beck's "surprise" 2004 Coachella Festival acoustic set. This time he's expected to go electric.
Vegastory: Fellow Vegoose act the Flaming Lips backed Beck during a November 2002 performance at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.
Dusty grooves: Beck's latest album, March's Guero, was his first produced by the Dust Brothers since 1996's Odelay. "We have our urban craftsman back, to stir the dust in sampled record grooves and unearth for us, again and again, the new in the old and vice versa" (stylusmagazine.com).
BLACKALICIOUS
When & where: Saturday, 3 p.m., Clubs Tent.
School of rock: Hip-hop.
Catch them if: You've been waiting for the new album (last month's The Craft) since its predecessor, Blazing Arrow dropped in 2002.
Class notes: Blackalicious' members, Gift of Gab and Chief Xcel, met at Sacramento's John F. Kennedy High School.
Sides show: Xcel once worked alongside DJ Shadow and Vegoose bill-mate Lyrics Born in Northern California rap crew SoleSides.
THE CODETALKERS featuring COL. BRUCE HAMPTON
When & where: Saturday, 1 p.m., Jokers Wild Stage.
School of rock: Southern rock.
Catch them if: You dug Hampton's 1990s jam vehicle, the Aquarium Rescue Unit.
Horde mentality: Hampton helped found the H.O.R.D.E. tour, a precursor to Bonnaroo and Vegoose.
All that jazz: Codetalkers co-founder Bobby Lee Rodgers taught jazz at the Berklee College of Music right out of college.
THE DECEMBERISTS
When & where: Saturday, 3:15 p.m., Snake Eyes Stage.
School of rock: Indie pop.
Catch them if: You never saw Neutral Milk Hotel live, and are desperately in search of bands that channel a similar muse.
Charming man: Last year frontman Colin Meloy recorded Sings Morrissey, an EP comprised of covers of six of the ex-Smiths singer's solo tunes.
New addition: Petra Haden, daughter of jazz bassist Charlie Haden, joined the Decemberists' lineup in early 2005. She also released a vocals-only rendition of the Who's 1967 LP, The Who Sell Out, this year.
DIGABLE PLANETS
When & where: Sunday, 6 p.m., Clubs Tent.
School of rock: Hip-hop.
Catch them if: You're cool like dat.
Ten years gone: Members Butterfly, Doodlebug and Ladybug. Mecca reunited last year after a decade apart. They are reported to be finishing up the follow-up to 1994's sophomore album, Blowout Comb.
Award tour: Digable's smash "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" picked up the 1993 Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
THE FLAMING LIPS
When & where: Sunday, 5:15 p.m., Snake Eyes Stage.
School of rock: Indie.
Catch them if: You like a visual buffet including furry animal costumes, sock puppets and flood lamps to go with your music.
Bubble boy: Frontman Wayne Coyne rolled out over the Coachella crowd in a giant, clear-plastic bubble in 2004. What will he do for an encore at Vegoose?
Now that's quadraphonic: Not convinced the Lips are truly weird? Their 1997 album, Zaireeka, consists of four discs intended to be played simultaneously. Now where did I put my fourth CD player again?
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD
When & where: Sunday, 1 p.m., Double Down Stage.
School of rock: Reggae/hip-hop.
Catch them if: You're keen to hear some of the most politically conscious lyrics Vegoose will have to offer.
Vegastory: Franti and Spearhead opened for Vegoose stagemate Trey Anastasio at the Thomas & Mack on May 31, 2002, and Franti later joined Anastasio's band to perform "Small Axe" and "I Want to Take You Higher."
Super hero: Franti was one half of famed, politically-charged rap duo the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy during the early 1990s.
GALACTIC
When & where: Sunday, midnight, House of Blues at Mandalay Bay (not on festival bill).
School of rock: Jazz-funk.
Catch them if: You still have energy to burn as the Vegoose weekend moves into overtime.
Anniversary party: The New Orleans quintet just kicked off its "Ten Year Invasion" tour, celebrating a decade together. Vegoose billmates ALO and Lyrics Born are the support acts.
Threesomes are more fun: Galactic drummer Stanton Moore is also a member of jazz trio Garage a Trois, along with guitarist Charlie Hunter and saxophonist Skerik.
GOV'T MULE
When & where: Friday, 10 p.m., the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel; Saturday, 3:45 p.m., Jokers Wild Stage.
School of rock: Southern jam.
Catch them if: You're one of the many folks who believe Warren Haynes is the world's best living rock guitarist.
Empire struck down: Gov't Mule's two scheduled after-shows at the Empire Ballroom have been scrapped, in favor of a Friday engagement at the Joint.
Joint ventures: Speaking of the Hard Rock, Haynes played there twice in 2003, in July with Black Crowes' frontman Chris Robinson (opening for Elvis Costello) and in December with his "other" full-time outfit, the Allman Brothers Band.
JACK JOHNSON
When & where: Sunday, 6:45 p.m., Snake Eyes Stage.
School of rock: Singer-songwriter.
Catch him if: You'd like to pretend you're chilling on the sandy beaches of Mexico instead of on a grassy field outside Sam Boyd Stadium.
Surfin' Safari: The Hawaiian native surfed Oahu's feared Banzai Pipeline before he'd turned 12. A teeth-shattering reef crash derailed his sports career at age 17.
Do it: Actor Ben Stiller starred in the 2004 video for Jack Johnson's song, "Taylor."
KING BRITT presents SISTER GERTRUDE MORGAN
When & where: Sunday, 4:30 p.m., Clubs Tent.
School of rock: Electronic gospel.
Catch him if: You're curious to witness an experimental, multi-media production in which King Britt and a backing band breathe new life into 35-year-old gospel recordings.
Who King Britt is: A Philadelphia-born house DJ who once served as a touring member of Vegoose billmates Digable Planets, and has been releasing solo discs since 1998.
Who Sister Gertrude Morgan was: A New Orleans-based visual artist, who recorded a single album of improvised gospel vocals, 1970's Let's Make a Record. King Britt used those tracks as the backbone for last month's release, King Britt Presents Sister Gertrude Morgan.
TALIB KWELI
When & where: Saturday, 6 p.m., Clubs Tent.
School of rock: Hip-hop.
Catch him if: You missed out on Kweli's ridiculously good June 2004 tour stop at the House of Blues.
Name game: According to Kweli, his name means "seeker or student of truth and knowledge" in Arabic.
Back mos definitely soon: Kweli will share a bill with Black Star compadre Mos Def on November 6 at the House of Blues.
PHIL LESH & FRIENDS
When & where: Saturday, 5:15 p.m., Double Down Stage; Sunday, midnight, The Joint.
School of rock: Jam.
Catch them if: You've got a hankering to see the elder statesman of the Vegoose bill, without whom the rest of the Double Down acts might not even exist.
Vegastory: Lesh and the Grateful Dead played Las Vegas 18 times, beginning with the Ice Palace on March 29, 1969. They returned for three shows at the Aladdin in 1981, '83 and '84, and performed 14 times at Vegoose site Sam Boyd Stadium (a.k.a. the Silver Bowl).
Cuts like a knife: Ryan Adams, originally scheduled to perform with Lesh & Friends, dropped off the bill late last week for unspecified "personal reasons." Joan Osborne will take Adams' spot in the band.
LYRICS BORN
When & where: Sunday, 3 p.m., Clubs Tent.
School of rock: Hip-hop.
Catch him if: You like your rhymes best when they're backed by a five-piece funk band.
Rest in peace: Lyrics Born's song "I Changed My Mind" was featured in the last episode of HBO's funeral-home drama Six Feet Under in August.
Family affair: Lyrics Born's wife, Joyo Velarde, is a classically trained vocalist who sings backup in his touring group.
THE MAGIC NUMBERS
When & where: Sunday, 12:30 p.m., Jokers Wild Stage.
School of rock: Indie pop.
Catch them if: You want to see what the loud buzz emanating from across the Atlantic Ocean is about.
Wherefore art thou: Magic Numbers frontman Romeo Stodart was born and raised in Trinidad. His family relocated to London seven years ago.
Sibling equation: The UK band consists of two brother-sister combos: Romeo (guitar/lead vocals) and Michelle (bass) Stodart, and Sean (drums) and Angela (percussion) Gannon.
DAVE MATTHEWS & FRIENDS
When & where: Friday, 8 p.m., Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts (Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds); Saturday, 8 p.m., Double Down Stage.
Style: Jam.
Catch them if: You'll feel cheated if you plunk down $150 and don't see the band at the top of the bill.
Gin and tonic: Matthews was joined by Trey Anastasio for a rendition of Phish's "Bathtub Gin" at last month's "From the Big Apple to the Big Easy" New Orleans benefit in New York City.
Vegastory: The Dave Matthews Band opened the Grateful Dead's final three Sam Boyd Stadium shows in May 1995, and headlined the venue themselves on May 25 and 26, 2001.
THE METERS
When & where: Sunday, 4:45 p.m., Jokers Wild Stage.
School of rock: Funk and R&B.
Catch them if: You've been chomping at the bit for a rare chance to see the original Meters lineup of Zigaboo Modeliste, Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli and George Porter, Jr.
Limited engagement: The quartet reunited for one show in 2001 and another this past April, and have just five dates scheduled after Vegoose, two in New York City, two in San Francisco and one in Chicago (all for November).
Home sweet home: Neville's New Orleans home has been reported to be in surprisingly good shape after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Neville and his brother, Aaron, have been living in Nashville since the storm hit.
moe.
When & where: Saturday, midnight, Aladdin; Sunday, 2:45 p.m., Double Down Stage.
School of rock: Jam.
Catch them if: You never miss an opportunity to see one of the jam scene's most consistently solid acts.
Testing ... testing: moe. headlined both nights of the Las Vegas Jam Band Society's Area 51 Soundtest at Indian Springs Casino in April 2003.
Guest potential: Ex-Allmans guitarist Dickey Betts and then-Phish bassist Mike Gordon joined moe. during a February 2003 House of Blues stopover.
NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS
When & where: Saturday, 2:45 p.m., Jokers Wild Stage.
School of rock: Southern blues-rock.
Catch them if: You haven't stopped spinning the band's 2004 Bonnaroo live set, Hill Country Revue, since it was officially released last year.
Punk Attitude: Before forming the Allstars, brothers Cody and Luther Dickinson played in punk- rock outfit DDT, whose style the All Music Guide refers to as "funk-thrash."
Blues heritage: Former member Duwayne Burnside, who played in the band from 2001 to 2004, is the son of Mississippi blues legend R.L. Burnside, who died last month at age 78.
PRIMUS
When & where: Saturday, 6:15 p.m., Jokers Wild Stage.
School of rock: Prog-funk.
Catch them if: You've never experienced the band's original lineup: bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Tim Alexander.
Paint it blue: Alexander spent time in Las Vegas' Blue Man Group production company, and continues to perform with local band Uberschall, a regular at the Double Down Saloon.
The Trey connection: Claypool played with Vegoose billmate Trey Anastasio in Oysterhead, along with former Police drummer Stewart Copeland.
ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND
When & where: Saturday, midnight, the Joint (not on festival bill).
School of rock: Boogie rock.
Catch them if: You're ready to dance the wee hours of the morning away to Randolph's genre-blending mix of funk, blues, soul and gospel.
Pedal to the metal: In 2000 Randolph's pedal-steel prowess caught the attention of Vegoose billmates the North Mississippi Allstars, who offered the guitarist an opening slot at their New York City stopover.
Family ties: The Family Band includes two of Randolph's cousins, bassist Danyel Morgan and drummer Marcus Randolph.
THE SHINS
When & where: Saturday, 5:15 p.m., Snake Eyes Stage.
School of rock: Indie pop.
Catch them if: The Garden State soundtrack has occupied a permanent spot in your CD changer for the past year.
Sounds familiar: Signature song "New Slang" has appeared in episodes of The Sopranos and Scrubs. The band also performed on an episode of The Gilmore Girls.
Humble origins: The Shins began as a side project to frontman James Mercer's full-time band, Flake.
SLEATER-KINNEY
When & where: Sunday, 1:45 p.m., Jokers Wild Stage.
School of rock: Indie.
Catch them if: You recognize the Portland-based trio as one of rock's great underappreciated treasures.
Three's company: Sleater-Kinney's current lineup of Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss has been together since 1996, when Weiss replaced drummer Lora McFarlane.
Pacific allies: S-K spent most of September and early October touring with alterna-rock mainstay Pearl Jam, a band that was heavily rumored for a Vegoose slot during the summer.
SLIGHTLY STOOPID
When & where: Saturday, 1 p.m., Double Down Stage.
School of rock: Reggae-punk.
Catch them if: You really miss Sublime.
Just doob it: The San Diego band's love of the high life is well-documented, both in its music and on its official website, which boasts the motto, "It is better to smoke that shit in the morning time."
Skunky start: Slightly Stoopid founders Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald released their first two albums for Skunk Records, a label owned by late Sublime frontman Brad Nowell.
SOUND TRIBE SECTOR 9
When & where: Saturday, midnight, House of Blues (not on festival bill).
School of rock: Electro-jam.
Catch them if: You manage to score tickets to the weekend's ultimate dance party, and one of its most coveted gigs.
Vegastory: Sound Tribe Sector 9 headlined both nights of last October's Area 51 Soundtest at Indian Springs Casino.
Evolution No. 9: According to guitarist Hunter Brown, Sector 9 refers to the years 435 to 830 A.D. in Mayan history, when the ancient civilization thrived culturally and artistically.
SPOON
When & where: Sunday, 3:15 p.m., Jokers Wild Stage.
School of rock: Indie.
Catch them if: You've never made it to one of their hometown South by Southwest showcases in Austin, Texas.
Killer instinct: Spoon will be featured on the November 5 episode of PBS' Austin City Limits, along with Southern Nevada's own locals-made-good the Killers.
Spinning spoon: Members of Spoon, Hot Hot Heat and ... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the Dead are slated to contribute DJ sets at an afterparty at Beauty Bar on Sunday night.
STEEL TRAIN
When & where: Saturday, 12:30 p.m., Snake Eyes Stage.
School of rock: Roots rock.
Catch them if: You're looking for musical descendents of Crosby, Stills & Nash, who aren't afraid to stretch out and jam.
Mandolin rain: Frequent Jerry Garcia collaborator David Grisman contributed mandolin work to Steel Train's April album, Twilight Tales From the Prairies of the Sun.
Man out of time: In his online bio, 21-year-old lead singer Jack Antonoff lists Santana's 1969 Woodstock set as one of two live performances that changed his life.
THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT
When & where: Saturday, 2:45 p.m., Double Down Stage; Saturday, midnight, Orleans Arena.
School of rock: Jam.
Catch them if: You're a fan of bluegrass-flavored improvisation, or just think mandolin player Michael Kang is kind of cute.
Happy Halloween: SCI's 2003 Cox Pavilion stopover featured a middle set comprised of such covers as Black Sabbath's "War Pigs," Pink Floyd's "Money" and Nelly's "Hot in Herre."
King for a day: Guitarist Billy Nershi sang "Viva Las Vegas" at the band's first Las Vegas stopover (July 2001, Aladdin), dressed in full Elvis Presley attire.
WEEN
When & where: Sunday, 2:45 p.m., Snake Eyes Stage; Monday, 9 p.m., the Joint.
School of rock: Comedic rock.
Catch them if: You couldn't snag tickets to their sold-out "Ween on Ween" show at the Joint.
The Ramone effect: Ween members Dean and Gene Ween are not related, and are actually named Mickey Melchiondo and Aaron Freeman, respectively.
Trick or treat: Monday will mark the fifth straight Halloween on which Ween has performed, with Vegas following in the tradition of Boulder, Colorado (2004); Burlington, Vermont (2003, 2001); and Winston Salem, North Carolina (2002).
WIDESPREAD PANIC
When & where: Sunday, 7:30 p.m., Double Down Stage; Monday, 5:30 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center.
School of rock: Southern jam.
Catch them if: You couldn't stick around until Halloween, when Panic strikes the T&M.
Vegastory: The band first played Las Vegas way back on April, 20, 1992, at the now-defunct Shark Club.
Method to the madness: Las Vegas natives the Crystal Method are slated to open Monday's show with a DJ set. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is scheduled to join in for Widespread Panic's performance that night.
UMPHREY'S MCGEE
When & where: Friday, midnight, House of Blues; Sunday, 1:15 p.m., Snake Eyes Stage.
School of rock: Jam.
Catch them if: Psychedelic, jazzy, prog-influenced jams a la Frank Zappa are your bag.
Luck of the Irish: Three of Umphrey's current members—Joel Cummins, Brendan Bayliss and Ryan Stasik—met while they were enrolled at the University of Notre Dame in 1997.
Vegastory: Umphrey's McGee played its first Las Vegas show at now-defunct Legends Lounge, on July 11, 2001. The band has also played the Rio and the House of Blues.