LAist loves free shows, spring time festivals, good music and Trojans so we nearly shit a brick when we heard about the USC SpringFest 2008 this Saturday, which will have one bad ass line-up including Lupe Fiasco, De La Soul, Saosin, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, The Aquabats, just to name a few....

If we could split ourselves in two we'd be at both Spaceland AND the Troubadour tonight but one Gossip does not equal three awesome bands. Yet. Year Long Disaster, The Binges, Shapes of Race Cars @ Spaceland The Gossip @ The Troubadour De La Soul, KRS-One @ Key Club Mew @ Henry Fonda Theater Nikka Costa @ Largo The Dan Band @ Avalon Ringside, Whitestarr, Grand Marquee @ Roxy Dean Wareham & Britta Phillips......

Nurse With Wound @ Amoeba (7pm, free) De La Soul @ Galaxy Theatre Les Sans Culottes, Donita Sparks, Cheem @ Spaceland Man Man, Simon Dawes, The Ventriloquists @ Roxy Malik Pointer, The Darkside Crooks, Wreckloose @ On the Rox The Watkins Family Hour @ Largo Fantan Mojah @ Dragonfly Ken Andrews, First Wave Hello @ The Troubadour Big F*ckin Deal, The Cheat, Buffalo Roam @ Safari Sam's......

The Yardbirds circa 1967 Steve Vai and Jerry Cantrell are the only official guitarists listed for this Yardbirds "reunion", but don't be surprised if other legends decide to sit in with original drummer, Jim McCarty, and rhythm guitarist, Chris Dreja. The Yardbirds, The Flash Express, Rolling Blackouts @ The Knitting Factory The Little Ones, Sea Wolf, The Temporary Thing @ The Troubadour De La Soul, KRS One @ The Canyon The Motels, Berlin @......

Alabama - Songs of Inspiration (RCA) Amy Annelle - Songs for Creeps (High Plains Sigh) George Benson & Al Jarreau - Givin' It Up (Concord) Jello Biafra - In the Grip of Official Treason (Alternative Tentacles) The Blow - Paper Television (K) Bright Light Fever - Bright Light Fever Presents the Evening Owl (Stolen Transmission) Children of Bodom - Chaos Ridden Years: Stockholm Knockout Live (Spinefarm) Converge - No Heroes (Epitaph) Cowboy Junkies -......

FRIDAY • The Earlies, The Idaho Falls, Great Northern and No North bring on the pop tonight at The Echo. Doors open at 8:30 PM and tickets are $10. [18+] • Very Be Careful and El Manifesto play Dante's birthday party at Little Pedro's. The party gets going at 9 PM. Tickets are $7. • UCLA Live features a performance by the one and only De La Soul at 8 PM. Tickets are $22-38......

It's nice to know that, this weekend, people won't be complaining about the "Air" in Los Angeles, but embracing them at The Hollywood Bowl instead. Although some might be from the camp that can't wait for Saturday's performance by Seal, Zap Mama, De La Soul and Van Hunt, we here at LAist are salivating at the idea of Sunday's performance of French band AIR with Roger Neill conducting the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and Stereolab......