When I first heard about this year's Summerfest lineup, I knew I'd be spending quite a bit of time on the grounds. There was a perfect balance of older classic rock groups that I spent most of the last decade listening to and a newer batch of bands that I've really grown to like thanks partly due to my writing.

When it was all said and done I made it to 10 of the 11 days and saw an incredible number of bands. There was certainly an amount of exhaustion going that many days and hundreds of hours getting drenched in the music of bands ranging local to international. But overall, there was plenty to keep me interested and many great memories. Below are just a few of these things:

Good overal lineup: There was a great selection of bands (i.e. John the Savage, .357 String Band, the Danglers, etc.) at the festival that turn the tables on their genres and sound good doing it.

For instance, Milwaukee's Danglers prove that you don't need a guitar to rock out. All they need is a violin, upright bass and drums.

When you hear the band's recordings it might not be entirely noticeable that an instrument (ie. violin) rarely seen in rock bands shows up but the Danglers show that it can be a suitable replacement.

Singer Jason Loveall's lightning fast guitar-like assault on the violin are in the forefront of the Danglers (with similarly paced bass and drums) with his aptly hard-rock vocals/lyrics adding to the dangerous rising energy the band can create live. For this show Loveall got to try out a new violin and made quick use of it, using his bow to strike madly at the instrument's strings.

"We like chaos," Loveall told the crowd.

The .357 String Band also takes a rather old genre and updates it to today, with a punk-like ferocity that certainly makes the "streetgrass" term appropriate. The band played a number of songs from their recent release and while the music sometimes didn't change too much from song to song, the lyrics kept the songs interesting enough. Regardless of that, the band brought a fun time to the crowd that came to see them at the Miller Lite stage. The band mentioned that the last time Umphrey's McGee was playing Summerfest they were in a bar across the street and were definitely glad that they made the jump to the Big Gig. At one point Rick Ness stood atop his upright bass strumming and would be symbolic of the band's rise both to Summerfest and their unique and fresh take on a rustic genre.

Pick your legend: There were plenty of legendary musicians and bands to choose from this year. I've already mentioned my thoughts about Jeff Beck and Tom Petty, both of which were incredible shows, but there were also acts like B.B. King, War, Levon Helm Band, and the Moody Blues that provided fun and entertaining sets.

B.B. King brought his knock-out punch of blues guitar and several jokes that made it feel like old friends getting together. That kind of feeling was also felt at Levon Helm, the former drummer/singer of The Band. Helm has spent the past few years continuing his legendary career with two well-received albums, following a battle with throat cancer that damaged his vocal cords. His voice isn't at the height it once was but his drumming hasn't lost a step. When it comes to Levon Helm and the music of The Band, it's like sitting on a back porch sipping your favorite frosty beverage and watching as the sun rises, only to be joined by a bunch of your close buddies and turning into a celebratory party.

While the dozen or so members of the Levon Helm Band wouldn't be mistaken as Helm's legendary band, the same kind of fluid playing (and switching up of singers) and warm feeling the music provides was there. Songs like "Ophelia" made the crowd go home happy and glad to see one of the greats choosing to have fun playing instead of calling it quits.

Catching songs form my favorite albums: There were a number of bands I saw who released critically acclaimed albums this year, some that rank in my favorites of the year.

None of them I like more than Avi Buffalo's self titled debut. While the Miller Lite stage may have been too big for their intimate sound and intelligent lyrics about the joys and pains of nearing the threshold of adulthood, the band offered an inspiring and compelling set of songs. They certainty had fun on stage with Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg making roar noises and telling the Slayer hecklers in the crowd that they were proud of their "wussy music." There were plenty of chances to hear the band's beautifully crafted jazz-like guitars that are a bit similar to Wilco's Nels Cline's style (who I read is one of their inspirations).

Their Summerfest show likely was the band's largest shows to date and Zahner-Isenberg mentioned that they don't get long slots like their Summerfest one. "It's weird watching the band on the big screen," Zahner-Isenberg told the crowd part-way through their set. "But it's Milwaukee so it's alright." The band returns in a few weeks to support Blitzen Trapper so I highly suggest you seem them if you haven't already.

Also on my list of favorite albums are UK group the 22-20s and California's own Henry Clay People, and both bands provided pure rock and roll electricity full of catchy riffs and the like. With songs like "Latest Heartbreak," the 22-20s provided a great opener for the Hold Steady (more on them in a bit). The Henry Clay People played a set of half originals (including a excellent version of their song "Slow Burn") and about half covers for some reason but all the covers were good - Jackson Browne's "Runnin' on Empty," Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run," Tom Petty's "Listen to Her Heart," and Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World." Hopefully next time they'll play more of their own excellent material. While the Hold Steady's latest album isn't high on my list of albums this year, they put on a crowd pleasing show and overall I'm glad I decided to see them.

Strong local and regional lineup: I spent a good chunk of my time at Summerfest checking out bands coming from around the Midwest (notably Milwaukee's own). I really like the atmosphere that the Cascio stage especially provides for those that played there and can produce a special energy between crowd and band (see my review of John the Savage for an example). There were the all out rock and rollers, beautiful Americana melodies, a bit of country and pretty much everything in between. There were many memorable performances including the Trusty Knife, Surgeons in Heat, Union Pulse, Blueheels, and Longacre. There sure was something for everyone and the best part is that it's home-grown.

Dreams do come true: Like Andy mentions in his review, I never expect I would get to see Devo live. For a time they were one of my favorite bands (and no I'm not ashamed to say that). But that kind of faded in the years after until I heard that they were coming back with a new album and headlining Summerfest. There was a big question of would they live up to my ideal Devo show experience. But there was no need to worry as the band provided a wildly entertaining set of new and old songs. It certainly was one of the most unique 4th of July experiences so far for me.

Pleasant surprises: There were several but if I had to choose one it was Katzenjammer. I went initially to score a seat close to the stage for Devo and didn't know a whole lot on the band. However, the Norwegian band certainly got all my attention as they put on a joyfully entertaining show with their upbeat music and between-song banter. The Norwegian all-female band provided a fascinating set of music that blended folk, pop, rock, country and Balkan music and had a traditional feel of their homeland with a modern touch. They had their pick of instruments to play from (their biography says they play more than 29 different instruments) and at one point one of them tried playing three at once.

What was your favorite part, moment or band of Summerfest? Who'd you like to see next year? Use the Talkback feature below to share your comments.