Edgefest, sponsored by the radio station The Edge 103.9, is an annual music festival that recently moved to Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, Ariz.Three stages — the Arizona State Fair main stage, the SRP side stage and the Local Frequency stage — were placed in a field of dust and grass. Vendors selling food, T-shirts and stickers filled the space in between the stages, as sweaty people with bad tattoos milled around or moshed to the music.

I attended for the first time last year, and while I was not a fan of any of the bands on the lineup, I discovered some great new artists and just had an overall good time. It was with these memories in mind, as well as the added excitement of being able to see my beloved Flogging Molly, that I bought my tickets again this year.

The music, overall, did not disappoint. I began my day at the side stage with two all-female groups, both from California, but at opposite ends of the musical spectrum. The Millionaires, a hip-hop trio, woke me up with their high pitched squeals, while Civet, a punk four-piece in fishnet stockings, played songs as loud and fast as any of their male colleagues. NOFX was amusing, if only for the silly banter that filled the gaps between their generic punk rock tunes. I couldn’t help but giggle as Mickey Avalon spewed forth his offensive rhymes and made out with a couple members of the audience. Authority Zero effortlessly drew the side stage’s biggest crowd for reasons still unknown to me. Gogol Bordello was fun and energetic, while proving that they can write gypsy punk gems even catchier than their hit, “Start Wearing Purple.” Captain Squeegee, a seven-piece ska fusion outfit from Tempe, put on one of the day’s best and most passionate sets for the small crowd that gathered at the local stage. I finished the day with Flogging Molly. who put on a show that I felt had more energy and spirit than their St. Patrick’s Day shows in Tempe earlier this year.

While the line-up was heavy on the punk rock, it still offered some variety and had a nice set of big-name bands for a lesser-known festival. As far as the music goes, I have no big complaints.

There are three things I know will happen to me in my lifetime: I will pay taxes, I will die and I will pay out the nose at concerts. I am not unaccustomed to being ripped off, but I reached a near-breaking point when I attended Edgefest 2008. It is expected that a plastic cup of frothy wheat will set a concert-goer back $7, but pricing a 16-ounce bottle of water at $4 apiece fits my definition of “ridiculous.” Attendees also had the option of turning in 10 empty bottles for recycling purposes in exchange for one full bottle of water, but I did not get so desperate as to start picking up other people’s trash.

It will be difficult to tempt me to go back to the dusty fields of Schnepf Farms come next September. The Edge is going to have to throw together a pretty amazing lineup if they want me to spend the day rationing water and go home sneezing out dust.