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Gnarls Barkley and Queens of the Stone Age have been announced as the first headliners of this year's SoCo Music Experience, a free music festival for people old enough to imbibe the devlish nectar. That's right, we said FREE.

The traveling festival is now in its fourth year, and the lineup for each city just gets better every year. This year, SoCo brings you Queens of the Stone Age, Ghostland Observatory and Ryan Shaw in Atlanta, Gnarls Barkley and Bassnectar in Denver, and the Black Keys in San Diego. FREE! How do you top that? Free concerts will also take place in Tempe, AZ, Madison, WI and Saratoga Springs, NY, though performers have yet to be announced.

With other summer music festivals running at roughly $100 a ticket, the SoCo Music Experience is a breath of fresh air and a dose of good news for your wallet. And with QOTSA, Gnarls Barkley and Black Keys on board, there's no room for debate on whether "free" means boring or second-rate. In addition to bringing the biggest names to you, the SoCo Music Experience showcases favorite local acts in an outdoor festival setting with food, beverage, poster, clothing and music vendors, as well as the SoCo & Lime Dome, whatever the blue hell that is.

Past performers have included Cypress Hill, Cold War Kids, Flaming Lips and The Roots. “This is the fourth year of the SoCo Music Experience and it continues to become more and more popular every year,” said Laura Petry, Southern Comfort, Brand Manager. "With the state of our economy, people have the chance to go to a fun music festival without having to pay $50-$150 for a ticket. It should be a great day with your friends.” Or by yourself, raging drunk and shirtless, rubbing against everybody up front with your sweathog nastiness. Southern Comfort - helping you be the obnoxious drunk guy at the concert since 1874.

Let's call this what it is. I personally think SoCo tastes like sugared gasoline run through a dirty engine, but I'll drink whatever the hell you tell me to if it gets me a free show by a sick band.

For more information and continued updates about the SoCo Music Experience, hit up southerncomfort.com/scmx.

SoCo Music Experience Dates and Cities

• May 17 Atlanta Centennial Park
• June 28 Denver Central Parking Lot, Coors Field
• August 23 San Diego Ace Parking Lot, Petco Park
• September 6 Madison Willow Island at Alliant Energy Center
• September 13 Saratoga Springs, NY Location TBD
• October 18 Tempe Tempe Market Place