My stomach is growlin’ and I'm getting ready to taste my way through yet another Summerfest, from deep fried mojitos to yard bird nachos.

And while writing about food is my year-long obsession, I'm looking forward to another (equally delicious) aspect of the festival: slurping up some of the Big Gig's musical selections. In fact, my annual musical menu features an eclectic mix of local and national acts, including smatterings of dance-punk, folk-rock and unapologetic pop, such as my can’t-miss Amp headliner, P!nk.

Wednesday, June 28

It’s opening day, so my plan is to stroll the grounds to get the lay of the edible landscape. I’ll be scoping out great food finds, which I’m likely to share with you in an article. But there’s also a possibility I’ll stick around to marinate in a bit of 1990s nostalgia. I’d originally hoped to get on the list for Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I drew the short straw among the OnMilwaukee writers.

My back-up plan? Tesla. Last time I saw Tesla, I was a sophomore (or maybe a junior?) in high school. I’m not sure if I went because I actually loved the band or because my friends persuaded me to go. Either way, it turned out to be a great show, and I’m pretty curious to see if these now much-older rockers can still light up the night 30 years later.

Thursday, June 29

It’s also been a good number of years since I’ve seen Soul Asylum live. But I’ve always been a fan of not only their carefree, melodic rock, but also their seemingly uncanny ability to truly tell candid, emotive stories through their lyrics. A cursory listen to their newest album tells me things may have changed for these chaps over the years. But seeing them in action a couple of decades later would still be an interesting proposition. They perform at 5:30 p.m. at the Miller Lite Oasis.

Friday, June 30

I’m pretty bummed to be missing the chance to see two favorites: Paul Simon and Brandi Carlisle at the Amphitheater on Friday night. But maybe it’s a sign. After all, I now have the time to pay a visit to the Johnson Controls World Stage at 8 p.m. to watch a fellow UW-Green Bay grad, saxophonist Adam Plaman, play with Rockford, IL-based Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts, a band pumping out music with a rootsy vibe not unlike the early incarnations of Wilco.

Saturday, July 1

I’ve got a soft spot for great folk music. And I’m a sucker for strings. Potentially related, I also have a thing for whiskey. So, although I’m not really a fan of country, you can count me in on the occasional shot of bluegrass. Add a hearty dose of Midwestern sensibility and the spirit of a jam band, and you’ve got Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, a local group with which I’ve found myself surprisingly smitten. You’ll find me tapping my toes and nodding along to their soul-filling tunes over at the Johnson Control’s World Stage at 10 p.m.

Sunday, July 2

Anyone who knows me, or who has taken the time to snoop through my album collection, knows I’ve got a thing for raw, emotionally candid female artists. Among them is P!nk, a pop artist whose disarming candor, post-feminist anthems and humanity (including plenty of social justice activism) has won her a place among my favorite rebellious female role models. Pair that with live performances that conjure something between pop-punk burlesque and rock’n’roll rebellion, and there’s good reason why I’m not missing her amp show at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 4

I was largely unaware of the high-energy dance-punk duo Death From Above when they made their inaugural splash over a decade ago (shortly before breaking up and reconoitering in 2014). But that doesn’t make my more recent appreciation for their sweaty shirtless racket any less sincere. They’re a little bit dark and a little bit hardcore, two elements I’ve managed a continued appreciation for, even as I age. Best of all, Death From Above is just plain fun. And if my July 4 festivities haven’t sufficiently sapped my youthful energy, I’ll be making my way to the Uline Warehouse Stage at 10 p.m. to watch them go.

Wednesday, July 5

I’ll be craving something blues-y by this point in the Fest, and there are few who deliver that soulful angsty fulfillment quite as effectively as JJ Grey & Mofro, a jam band not so dissimilar from groups like Widespread Panic and Umphrey’s McGee. They’ll play their hearts out starting at 9:45 p.m. at the Johnson Controls World Stage.

Thursday, July 6

Just listen. That’s what I’ll be thinking as I tune in to Tegan & Sara, a seemingly unstoppable duo de femmes whose brilliant lyrics always seem fitting, despite stylistic tendencies that straddle indie-rock slash girl-pop slash acoustic singer-songwriter vibes. These gals are my jam. And they will be entertaining the masses (and hopefully me) at the Miller Lite Oasis starting at 10 p.m.

Friday, July 7

If I’m totally honest, I have to admit I’m dying to see Huey Lewis & The News at the BMO Harris Stage. And yes it’s because I want to sing along obnoxiously to all the overplayed radio tunes I remember from my formative years. And that is all of them, including "The Power of Love" and "I Want a New Drug." Wanna join me? They play at 9:45 p.m.

Saturday, July 8

On this, the penultimate day of the Big Gig, I’m pulling out my love for all things singer-songwriter-y. Because yes, I’ll be more than happy to spend an hour or two with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, whose genuinely enjoyable punk-pop-yay always strikes me as an ebullient blast of cool fresh air. Location: Uline Warehouse Stage at 10 p.m.

Sunday, July 9

Even years ago, when I should have fallen solidly into the film’s target market, the soundtrack to "Garden State" struck me as 50,000 times better than the movie (apologies Zach Braff …). And that seemed weird to me at the time. After all, I was pretty into deadpan, offbeat romantic dramedies at the time. Who knows? Maybe I wasn’t mopey or self-absorbed enough.

Or maybe I just really loved The Shins, with their anachronistic lyrical references and barbed lyrics. And heck, that’s a good enough reason by itself. Even more than a decade later, I still dig their contagious beats and hauntingly catchy tunes. And that’s enough to get me back to the BMO Harris Pavilion for a 9:45 p.m. show on the very last day of the fest.