With the exception of the Matthew Knight Arena’s mega-shows, live music hasn’t hit the University of Oregon campus much this year. Luckily, the 44th Willamette Valley Music Festival will grace the University of Oregon campus this Saturday, May 10th, bringing more than a dozen live bands to campus.

Hosted by the UO Cultural Forum, the event is free. It will feature three stages: a main stage by Lillis Hall, the KWVA Stage at the EMU Amphitheater and a small stage at the Buzz Coffeehouse. In addition, there will be a drum circle, a screen printing workshop, a salsa dance workshop at the EMU Fishbowl, a petting zoo on Collier Lawn and an open mic at the Buzz hosted by Ethos Magazine. Closing off the night is the Northwest leg of the Campus DJ competition, which was cancelled in February due to snow.

The event started in 1970 as the Willamette Valley Folk Festival: a showcase of folk acts from the Eugene area and beyond. Yet this year, the festival is all about rock n’ roll. The three major headliners this year are Wampire, Night Beats and Black Pistol Fire. The groups all rely on distorted guitars and deep reverence for rock’s “classic” years.

The name Wampire may sound familiar to Eugene music fans, and if so, it’s likely thanks to their near-legendary WOW show with fellow Portland psych rockers Unknown Mortal Orchestra last year. If Wampire’s WVMF set is anywhere near as good as their WOW set, they’ll likely find a few new fans in Eugene. But for those with the memory of that last concert fresh in their heads, Wampire will have a reputation to maintain. They play at 6 p.m. at the KWVA stage.

Seattle’s Night Beats represents a strain of West Coast psychedelia similar to Wampire. But while Wampire’s synth-heavy sound leans more toward pop, Night Beats are a rock band to the bone. Their gritty style, driven by tough guitars and howled vocals, has scored them gigs touring with psych-rock legends like The Zombies and Roky Erickson. They play at 10 p.m. at the main stage.

For those interested in louder and faster fare, Canadian duo Black Pistol Fire plays the sort of sweaty guitar rock that conjures images of motorcycles, leather, sunglasses and roadside bars. They play at 8:30 p.m. at the KWVA stage.

If loud guitars and leather jackets aren’t your thing, no worries. Bend bluegrass ensemble Burnin’ Moonlight, who play The Buzz at 3 p.m., bring the festival back to its folk roots. Goldfoot (KWVA stage at 4 p.m.) plays infectious, soul-inflected pop. And campus a cappella groups Mind The Gap (KWVA stage at 1 p.m.) and On The Rocks (KWVA stage at 1:30 p.m.) represent the university alongside elite UO Athletics band The Green Garter Band (main stage, 12 p.m.).

With music and activities reaching across such a wide spectrum, it’s a safe bet there’s something for everyone at this festival. Students in the dorms should appreciate the convenience of having a major music festival just within the confines of campus. But off-campus residents will be greeted with an interesting reversal of the norm: going on campus for the party.

Here are a few choice cuts from some of this year’s featured performers:

UPDATE: Black Pistol Fire will no longer be performing.  In their place is Martian Manhunter, a Eugene band led by KVWA’s Thor Slaughter.