The Paid Dues Festival will return to SoCal on March 22, moving from San Dimas to San Bernardino this year. If you’re planning on attending, you can save $5 off the general admission by buying presale tickets today (password is FREESTYLE) or tomorrow (alleged new password tomorrow via myspace). (Ticket price says $40; rest assured, $5 discount shows up on the next page.)

General public onsale begins Saturday, with that additional precious Lincoln bumping the total cost up to $40 if you wait. Yadda, yadda, yadda. So who’s playing?

Rolling into its third year, PAID DUES supports a fan base of a vibrant scene of underground hip-hop artists all on one platform. Its tradition of showcasing the best in independent rap continues with its 2008 line-up of SAGE FRANCIS, LITTLE BROTHER, DILATED PEOPLES, JEDI MIND TRICKS, LIVING LEGENDS, HIEROGLYPHICS, VISIONARIES, BOOT CAMP CLIK with BLACK MOON, KOOL KEITH, POS, A-TEAM, MAC LETHAL, FATLIP & OMNI, YAK BALLZ, B. DOLAN and ISAIAH with MURS to host, plus a special surprise guest appearance.

Lineup looks solid. Concert is at the National Orange Show Fairgrounds. I’ll never forget 2002’s Audiotistic fiasco at the same venue. Great fun (the drive to Inland Empire notwithstanding) but that mad crush at the vendor lines (and, frankly, everywhere towards the end) was truly one-of-a-kind horrific, and something Coachella still has yet to top. As I suspect I’ll still be sleeping off SXSW at the time, I will be very disappointed if at least one person does not get out to San Berdoo to review this show for the rest of us.

FURTHER READING
» Paid Dues (Official Site)
» Myspazz
» Guerilla Union