The Roots Host Picnic With Gnarls, Deerhoof, Diplo
And Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Santogold, J*Davey, Esperanza

Toss that Frisbee this-a-way, Cee-Lo! Pass the potato salad, Satomi! Oh wow, Diplo, those burgers you're grilling sure smell good!

One can expect exhortations such as these-- plus, as your main course, jams aplenty-- to waft like the sweet smell of freshly-lit charcoal all over Philadelphia's Festival Pier June 7 when the city's favorite sons the Roots host their Roots Picnic. Joining the Roots on the big stage will be Gnarls Barkley, Deerhoof (here's hoping for a Saunier/Questlove drum-off!), Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Santogold, Diplo, J*Davey and Esperanza, and more to bee announced

The Roots' tenth LP-- the similarly well-RSVP'd Rising Down-- is due April 29 from Def Jam, and the Roots have a bunch of U.S. tour dates over the next few months.

Thanks to Sam Fanburg for the picnic tip.

The Roots:

03-29 Decatur, IL - Millikin University
03-30 Toronto, Ontario - Kool Haus
04-05 Austin, TX - University of Texas
04-07 Bloomington, IN - Indiana University
04-09 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
04-11 Killington, VT - Pickle Barrel
04-12 Boston, MA - Northeastern University
04-16 West Lafayette, IN - Purdue University
04-17 Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Mellon University
04-18 St. Louis, MO - Webster University
04-20 Washington, DC - Green Apple Festival
04-23 Durham, NC - Duke University
04-24 Charleston, SC - The Music Farm
04-25 Charlotte, NC - Amos' South End
04-26 Towson, MD - Tigerfest (Towson University)
05-03 New Orleans, LA - Jazz & Heritage Festival
05-04 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
06-07 Philadelphia, PA - Festival Pier (The Roots Picnic)
08-08 Jersey City, NJ - All Points West Festival

Video: The Roots ft. Dice Raw, Peedi Crakk & DJ Jazzy Jeff: Get Busy [from the forthcoming Rising Down LP]