Tag Archive for 'music festival'

PUNK ON THE ROCKS: FALL PUNK FESTIVALS

Published by BethanyLeavey on September 11, 2009 in Rock. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

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As the excitement of back to school shopping wears off (and a month of homework headaches pile up), you’ll remember why you looked forward to summer in the first place.  It won’t be long before you feel like you need of a vacation. But where should you go? Forget beaches and amusement parks; plan a trip to one of these fall, punk-oriented festivals.

Get ready for The Fest!

Get ready for The Fest!

The Fest— Since it’s inception in 2002, thousands of punks from around the country and the world have descended on Gainsville, Florida for a weekend of beer, bands and mayhem. But how much mayhem can really be caused in one weekend? Plenty. In 2006, The Holy Mountain threw pizzas into the pit. In 2007, attendees trashed an entire hotel. The next year, Atom & His Package returned to the stage after a long hiatus. Sponsored by No Idea Records, Alternative Press, Punknews.org, reax music magazine and PBR, this year’s fest might top them all. Less Than Jake, 7 Seconds, Youth Brigade, Strike Anywhere, Dillinger Four and nearly 200 other bands will take the stage at 8 official venues and countless house parties this Halloween weekend. There will even be a flea market where attendees can peruse goods from record labels, non-profits and DIYers. Costumes are encouraged, just make sure it’s something you don’t mind getting beer spilled on. Click here for ticket information.

Riot Fest—To celebrate it’s fifth birthday, Riot Fest will be taking over Chicago’s Congress Theater, Metro, Beat Kitchen, Subterranean and Cobra Lounge from October 7th to October 11th. Chicago is well-represented in the lineup by Naked Raygun, Alkaline Trio, Deals Gone Bad and Shot Baker. Headliners include Screeching Weasel, The Dead Milkmen, NOFX, Butthole Surfers and Cock Sparrer. This year was supposed to be the first year of a California Riot Fest counterpart, Riot Fest West, but the event has been postponed until spring 2010 due to the promoter’s unspecified health concerns. Click here for ticket information.

Fun Fun Fun Fest —Austin, Texas’ Fun Fun Fun Fest showcases the best up-and-comers in punk/hardcore, indie rock, hip hop and comedy. This year’s fourth annual fest will take place November 7th and 8th in Austin’s Waterloo Park. Performers include 7 Seconds, Coalesce, Fucked Up, Face To Face, Danzig, Mika Miko, Cool Kids, GZA/Genious, Shonen Knife and OurStage artists Alaska In Winter and Crystal Antlers. Along with live music, there will be a poster show, booths for local retailers and a skate ramp. Click here for tickets.

WHERE DO YOU NAUKABOUT?

Published by jayschneider on August 13, 2009 in Festivals. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

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If you’ve ever experienced the disappointment of not being able to afford a prominent festival or your favorite artist’s headlining tour dates,  you definitely aren’t alone. Looking for a high profile, entertaining show that is still affordable is difficult as it is, but finding one  suitable for anyone from children to adults is nearly impossible. That is, unless you went to the Naukabout Music Festival on Cape Cod, MA this past Saturday.

0157554-r3-012-4aFounded in Massachusetts, Naukabout is a clothing company with goals for providing apparel with an outdoorsy feel. It is no surprise then, that for the past couple years, they have invited earthy, folk bands like Rusted Root to play at a traditionally-oriented fairgrounds on Cape Cod. In addition to Rusted Root, the festival draws acts like Pete Francis, The Barefoot Trut and Ryan Montbleau Band.

At the Naukabout Festival this past Saturday, I was not surprised—nor was I disappointed— to find a wide array of people listening to the music, enjoying the fresh air and making new friends. Several lucky OurStage fans received free tickets for participating in the Naukabout fan contest this past month. The paying public, however, could rest assured in the knowledge that a portion of their ticket sales benefited the Fresh Air Fund—a charity partnered with Naukabout to help send underprivileged children to summer camps. The bottom line is that Naukabout tries to create an experience more than a show, which is one of the best reasons to attend an affordable festival instead of a headlining concert at a music venue.

0157554-r1-036-16aOurStage artist Emily Elbert played the smaller stage which wasn’t much more than a glorified soap box. After playing everything from her soulful, universally-themed originals to a fresh acoustic jazz cover of “Thriller,” she was overwhelmed by the intimate setting of this smaller stage partnered with the enthusiasm from the crowd. The vibe from the fans was such a personal one that it just felt natural for the artists to interact with the crowd after the set.

0157554-r1-014-5aAfter grabbing some free food from one of the tents, festival goers could head over to the main stage and check out OurStage act Ryan Montbleau Band. Similar to Emily Elbert, this folk/bluegrass ensemble performed deep, catchy hooks interchangeably with their hospitable “between-songs” banter. Their impressive bluegrass chops, driving instrumentation and poppy, melodic vocals were more than enough to get the crowd moving and singing along, no matter if they were 5 or 50 years old (and yes, both groups were in attendance). Catching up with Montbleau backstage was a clear indicator of the accessibility of this festival, because I had to fight through the line of people he was eager to thank for coming out to the show.

Be sure to check out the Naukabout Music Festival in the coming years if you want to enjoy a satisfying, affordable festival with good music, relentless dancing and impeccable atmosphere.

Photography by Keith Nelson

WANT TO SHOW NYC WHAT YOU’VE GOT?

Published by admin on June 24, 2009 in Festivals and OurStage Partners. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

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CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival is set to take New York City by storm on October 20 – 24 2009, but you need to act fast if you want to see your name on the bill. Applications to play the festival will be considered only through July 15th, so apply now if you think you have what it takes.

Those selected will join the ranks of over 20 other OurStage artists who have been able to add CMJ to their resumes. Check out our past coverage of CMJ to get a feel for what the CMJ programmers are looking for. Here’s a little sampling to keep your ears happy:

Fans and artists who aren’t quite ready for the spotlight still need to hop to it because the price of festival badges goes up as time goes on. Register for your tickets now and you can save 15%! Get your CMJ badges here!

HELP THE DISCO BISCUITS FIND THEIR BIGGEST FAN: WIN TICKETS TO CAMP BISCO 8 & MEET THE BAND!

Published by Sam C. on June 18, 2009 in OurStage@. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .
The Disco Biscuits

The Disco Biscuits

Break out the sunscreen, glow sticks and canteen because you’re about to go on a magical electronic journey to upstate New York for Camp Bisco 8! Yes, it’s that time of year when electrorock pioneers, The Disco Biscuits, headline each night of their annual three day flagship festival. This summer, Camp Bisco is set to take place July 16th-18th, and will feature a diverse lineup including Damien Marley, Nas, STS9, Chromeo, Kid Cudi, Asher Roth, Flying Lotus, Pretty Lights, and fellow Philadelphians Dr. Dog. DJ’s from DFA records, such as members of LCD Soundsystem, will have your feet stomping the grounds of the Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, NY long after the sun goes down.

The Disco Biscuits—with some help from OurStage—want to reward their biggest fan with a pair of tickets to Camp Bisco 8 along with an exclusive meet and greet with the band at the festival! No matter what crazy act of fandom you’ve committed in the name of The Disco Biscuits — attending each and every rock opera performance in person, blinding yourself while recreating their famous light show in your living room, walking half way across the country barefoot to attend Bisco Inferno—you now have the chance to let the band know you’re number one. If you think you’ve got what it takes to to win the title, follow these two, easy steps:

1. Register and fill out an OurStage fan profile, if you don’t already have one, by clicking here

2. Once you are registered, leave a comment for The Disco Biscuits on their OurStage page explaining why you’re their biggest fan. When your post is up, you’ll be automatically entered into the contest.

Please note multiple comments do not increase your chances of winning. So play nice and only post one time. The deadline to enter is July 3rd, 11:59 PM EST —all posts made after the deadline are ineligible. The winners will be selected by The Disco Biscuits and announced on July 6th. The winner will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the event.

Stay tuned to the OurStage Blog around festival time for exclusive Camp Bisco coverage!

The top 5 ways I discover music

Published by admin on March 13, 2009 in Editorial and Playlists. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

We all have our own ways of sifting through the immense amount of great music and finding what we like, and the OurStage editorial staff is no different. We’re collecting our favorite music discovery outlets and will be sharing them with you over the next few weeks. You’ll get to learn a little more about us, and discover some great new music along the way! If you and I don’t share the same music tastes don’t worry. We’re a diverse bunch and I’m sure you’ll find a blogger you agree with!

1) WERS

WERS is the independent radio station broadcasting from Emerson University in Boston. Their motto is “independent music for the independent mind” and they hold true to it. One of my favorite things about living in the Boston area is that I get WERS on the radio; they accompany me to and from work everyday and my exposure to new music is limitless because of it. Over the past few years they have delivered artists like Jose Gonzalez, Adele, Antje Duvekot, Tunng, and The Bird and the Bee straight to my ears. If you’re in the Boston area, you should definitely check out their 60th Anniversary Concert featuring Pete Yorn this weekend. If you’re not in the Boston area, you can still discover great new music by listening to WERS online.

2) Grey’s Anatomy

Cliché? Possibly. Does it tell you a little more about me then I’d really like to share? You bet. I have to come clean, though. I love Grey’s Anatomy and their 5 seasons of music programming has done a lot of good for my iPod! My favorite finds include Ingrid Michaelson, Emiliana Torrini, KT Tunstall, Roisin Murphy, Jamie Lidell and Lenka.

3) NPR: All Songs Considered

I don’t listen to it often, but when I do I always end up downloading something new. I can thank the good people at NPR for motivating me to add Beirut, Andrew Bird, Okkervil River, Devotchka and John Vanderslice to my music library. You can get the podcast version and take it with you on the go. This show is definitely worth checking out; they will introduce you to great new artists, give you inside information and offer a fresh perspective all at the same time!

4) Festivals

I’m lucky that my job takes me to lots of music festivals all over the country. In the past 2 years I’ve been to Noise Pop, Bumbershoot, Virgin Music Fest and Newport Folk and Jazz. I’ve walked away from each one with a new artist to add to my list of favorites including She and Him, Kristin Hersh, Xavier Rudd, The Dodos and The Mountain Goats.

5) OurStage Favorites

Working at OurStage, I spend a lot of time crawling through the site’s charts, talking to our members and sharing music finds with my co-workers. I’ve put together a playlist of my all-time favorites for you to enjoy and, hopefully, start your own music discovery journey: