Category Archives: Music Festivals

Nelsonville Fest Preview: Those Darlins

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Note: I’ll be trickling out some previews for sets that I’ll be sure to catch at the Nelsonville Music Festival throughout the week.   This is a rough chronological order. 

This year won’t be the first trip to Nelsonville for the Tennessee honky-punk lady trio,  but their visit a couple years ago was cut short, so I’m ready for the full treatment. In the time elapsed, they’ve added a drummer, had a hit in a car commercial, and put out a second album.  While they’ve always hidden (or not hidden) a little snarl behind their drawl, recent material owes as much to the Ramones or the Ravonettes as it does to Loretta, Wanda or Dolly.  It’s sassy and brash and funny (as the booger hook photo on the front would suggest) but has moments of the forlorn among the edginess.  However, expect the live show to favor the latter.

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry at Nelsonville Music Festival

From where I sit, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry is, hands down, the most exciting artist at Nelsonville Music Festival 2012. The 76-year-old Jamaican, whose name is synonymous with the foundation of dub, has produced Bob Marley, won a Grammy, and is listed as Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of all time. The fellow is a living legend.

Perry’s eccentric personality, experimental recording techniques, and love for super reefer have been defining characteristics over the years. Nonetheless, he’s sober these days and, apparently, still weird as shit. Highly recommended: Saturday, May 19th @ 12 AM on the Main Stage. 

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Interview: Nelsonville Music Festival’s Tim Peacock & Brian Koscho

Nelsonville Music Festival heads into its 8th year with another impressive lineup. Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Roky Erickson, M. Ward, Andrew Bird, Iron & Wine, and many more are all slated to play Ohio’s finest fest. Oh, and as Duffy posted, the pride of Dayton, OH — Guided By Voices — was just announced as well (classic lineup).

The obscure surname may have some scratching their heads, however, I can assure you the Nelsonville locale is what makes this event. Seeing artists of this caliber amongst a backdrop of Appalachian foothills rightly gives festival-goers the sense they are witnessing something very special. Plus, any jaded art wangler knows obscurity is vogue, yo, so go! It truly is an experience. Go here to purchase tickets and here to view the full lineup. If you wish to camp, you can purchase camping tickets here.

Below is an interview with Nelsonville Music Festival’s Founder/Stuart’s Opera House Executive Director Tim Peacock and NMF Marketing & Promotions Coordinator Brian Koscho:

NMF takes place in a humble, idyllic area of the country. Do you have any memorable reactions from artists when they first pulled in to play the fest?

TP: The reactions are usually more about their experience than place. When some artists arrive in Nelsonville, they must wonder where the hell they are going. They are almost pleasantly surprised to find we have a killer little festival that is not a hassle for them. Our crew is professional but laid back and they love that. We go out of our way to take good care of them and they see that and comment on it. Every year we get more and more submissions from agents who want their
other bands to play Nelsonville, so that tells us we are getting good feedback on that level as well.

BK: Tim is correct! I think it is mostly how they respond by the end of the weekend, that’s when you realize how special the event really is. Aside from that I remember a couple reactions in particular… Sean Lennon (who played last year with Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger) seemed very surprised at all of the nature, asking us quite a bit about what kind of bird we had. And Glen from Swell Season (in 2010) was very, very happy that we had a big jar of “American Peanut Butter” as part of their hospitality. He took it with him on the road when they left. Continue reading

MP3: Black Bananas – “Rad Times”

MP3: Black Bananas – Rad Times

The Nelsonville Music Festival kicks off two weeks from Friday, and one of the bands playing that opening night is Drag City‘s Black Bananas. If that name isn’t familiar to you, you’ll likely recognize singer Jennifer Herrema’s former bands, Royal Trux and RTX. Black Bananas is actually the same lineup as RTX, but on the band’s new album, Rad Times Express IV, Herrema and her crew take the sound not so much in a new direction as much as they widen its scope. The metal, funk, psychedelia, electronic blurps and classic-rock nods (track 4 = Heart’s “Magic Man” in space) swirl together in a pleasantly noxious brew.

I’m also gonna argue that out of all the women who’ll be performing at Nelsonville, Herrema is by far the toughest. Just look at that video.

Bunbury Festival adds 20+ acts including Neon Trees, UME, Alberta Cross

The Bunbury Festival – taking place July 13-15 in Cincinnati and featuring headliners Jane’s Addiction, Weezer, Death Cab for Cutie – announced another wave of performers on Friday afternoon. Quite a few highlights despite not a ton of well-known names. And for those wondering, The Flaming Lips, The National, and The Afghan Whigs will NOT be performing.

Friday: Crash King, Henry Clay People, Capital Cities, Kids These Days, G Miles & the Hitmen, Find Vienna, Humble Home, Emily & the Complexes

Saturday: Imagine Dragons, Alberta Cross, The 4 On The Floor, The Sundresses, Sphynx, Black Taxi, Old Lights, Doop and the Inside Outlaws

Sunday: Neon Trees, The Deep Dark Woods, UME, Nikki Lane, Pomegranates, Black Owls, Belle Histoire, Child Bite, Arlo McKinley and the Lonesome Sound, Rachel Ann Figley, The Black Tape, Archer’s Paradox

Exact times haven’t been announced but here’s the most current day-by-day lineup.

Bunbury Music Festival (July 13-15 in Cincinnati) announces lineup

Here’s the lineup for the inaugural Bunbury Music Festival to be held in Cincinnati July 13-15.

Friday, July 13
Janes Addiction
Airborne Toxic Event – Minus the Bear – O.A.R
Foxy Shazam – Ra Ra Riot
LP – Matt Pryor – Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band – Ponderosa – All Get Out
The Minor Leagues – Lauren Mann – She Does Is Magic – Bo & the Locomotive Tristen – Pet Clinic

Saturday, July 14
Weezer
Gym Class Heroes – Manchester Orchestra
GroupLove – RJD2 – Dan Deacon
Jukebox the Ghost – The Bright Light Social Hour – Kevin Devine
The Silent Comedy – Graffiti 6 – 1,2,3 – Secret Music
Messerly & Ewing – 500 Miles To Memphis – Lions Rampant – Jeremy Pinnell & the 55’s – Wheels on Fire – Hotfox

Sunday, July 15
Death Cab for Cutie
City and Colour – Motion City Soundtrack – Guided By Voices
Margot & The Nuclear So & So’s – Good Old War – Lights – Will Hoge
Maps & Atlases – YAWN – Now, Now
Wussy – Seedy Seeds – The Tillers

More bands and the DJ stage to be announced! Please check back!

SXSW 2012 Wednesday Pt. 1: Unholy Two, Museum of the Weird + DJ Rare Groove

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Louisville’s Forecastle includes MMJ, Wilco, Flying Lotus, Sleigh Bells, Dean Wareham, Girl Talk, JT Earle, lots more

Mess With Texas Returns to Austin With Built To Spill, A$AP Rocky + More

FYF Fest & Fun Fun Fest announce the line-up for the 6th Annual Mess With Texas which takes place March 15th, 16th, and 17th in Austin, TX over the three days at the 1100 Warehouse – located at 1100 E 5th Street. There will be one indoor stage and one outdoor stage and all shows are free with RSVP.
For more info hit up http://www.mwtxparty.com/

line-up after the jump

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Initial Artist Announcement: All Good Festival


As we mentioned here previously, the All Good Festival is relocating this year from West Virginia to Legend Valley (formerly Buckeye Lake) in Thornville, OH. Today they made their initial artist announcement for the July 19-22 festival. If you’re a jam fan, this looks like a solid lineup so far. I’m most excited about Lettuce and Galactic, but there are plenty of acts worth checking out. According to organizers, there are 20+ acts still to be announced, so hopefully the lineup will end up a little more musically diverse.

The 2012 All Good Festival lineup includes:

The Allman Brothers Band
Phil Lesh and Friends
The Flaming Lips
Bob Weir & Bruce Hornsby featuring special guest Branford Marsalis
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Lotus
G. Love & Special Sauce
Galactic
Shpongle presents The Masquerade
Mickey Hart Band
Trampled by Turtles
SOJA
Railroad Earth
Papadosio
The Werks
The Wood Brothers
Lettuce
The Lumineers
Everyone Orchestra
The Rex Jam

Also:

“Tickets to the 16th annual All Good Music Festival & Campout go on sale Friday, February 24 at 12 PM EST at www.allgoodfestival.com/tickets and include all 4 days and nights of camping, parking, plus all entertainment. Early Bird tickets will be available for a limited time for $159.00 starting this Friday, and are $70 off the gate price.”