I'd be very afraid for our local music scene if I had heard of anyone on that list. [emoji12]

MidPoint Indie Summer Series at Fountain Square was announced and the lineup is really good.

 

May 29          Surfer Blood; The Yugos; Automagik; Harbour

Jun 5            The Mowgli's; One Day Steady; Nevele; Beloved Youth

Jun 12          Kopecky; Broncho; Coconut Milk; Near Earth Objects

Jun 19          Buffalo Killers; Ohio Knife; Mad Anthony; Go Go Buffalo

Jun 26          Sloan; Mother Mother; Old City

Jul 3              Red Wanting Blue; Young Heirlooms; Motherfolk; Chris Salyer

Jul 10            Saint Motel (MLB All-Star Weekend)

Jul 17            Q102 welcomes The Ting Tings; Brick + Mortar; Black Signal

Jul 24            Givers; TBD; Prim; Even Titles

Jul 31            The Whigs; Multimagic; Pop Goes the Evil; Never Setting Suns

Aug 7            Tweens; Leggy; Smut; Shark Week

Aug 14          Judah & The Lion; Seabird; Matt Hires; Along the Shore

Aug 21          San Fermin; Lemon Sky

Aug 28          Wussy; Pike 27; The Perfect Children; JetLab

Sep 4            The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die;                          Injecting Strangers; Moonbeau: Edison

It's a great lineup. The only thing that gives me concern is the Q102 sponsorship of The Ting Tings.

 

I highly recommend the June 26th show of Sloan & Mother Mother.

Why would the Q102 sponsorship give you concern? It probably just means that one of the Q102 DJs will announce the bands and that they will play it live on the radio.

 

I'm most excited for Saint Motel, Givers, and San Fermin

The Whigs are awesome and I have seem them just about every time they've been to town since 2006. I just wonder, when they play on Fountain Square, if some people will show up expecting to see that other Whigs band.

This lineup is light years ahead of the past two years for sure. I used to go to that almost every Friday. The past two summers I have not gone once.

 

Whigs, San Fermin, Mowglis, Surfer Blood, Saint Motel, Wussy etc. Much better lineup.

 

Also Sloan, which is one of the biggest bands out of Canada in the 90's (damning by faint praise, I know), but they are a solid power pop band that had some big alt-radio hits.

Why would the Q102 sponsorship give you concern?

 

 

Midpoint is supposedly an indie festival, or at least is now branded that way.  Q102 is the complete opposite of that.  It's as corporate as it gets and has been that way for 30-40 years. 

 

Is this festival open only to all-white indie bands?

Why would the Q102 sponsorship give you concern?

 

 

Midpoint is supposedly an indie festival, or at least is now branded that way.  Q102 is the complete opposite of that.  It's as corporate as it gets and has been that way for 30-40 years.

What Jake said.

 

But since the shows are free, a trade-off like that will have to be accepted from time to time.

Why would the Q102 sponsorship give you concern?

 

 

Midpoint is supposedly an indie festival, or at least is now branded that way.  Q102 is the complete opposite of that.  It's as corporate as it gets and has been that way for 30-40 years.

 

It's branded as an indie festival because they host mostly indie rock bands. Not because they don't collect sponsorship. They proudly accept sponsors to support the festival and increase the caliber of bands they can bring in.

Is this festival open only to all-white indie bands?

 

The vast majority of indie bands are all-white. Are you mad at country festivals who have almost all white lineups? Let's not create false outrage.

Is this festival open only to all-white indie bands?

 

The vast majority of indie bands are all-white. Are you mad at country festivals who have almost all white lineups? Let's not create false outrage.

why is that false outrage to ask the question? I'm sure Cincinnati views itself as a multiracial, diverse city (country music audiences make no such claim). When I looked at the accompanying article featuring pictures of the bands, I saw no such diversity. I guess it leads to the question, why are indie bands all white?

Is this festival open only to all-white indie bands?

 

The vast majority of indie bands are all-white. Are you mad at country festivals who have almost all white lineups? Let's not create false outrage.

 

Plus it fits into the week-long schedule of events at Fountain Square. Saturday nights there's free hip-hop concerts, Tuesday night has folk music, Wednesday is Salsa, etc. Each one targets a somewhat specific demographic.

Is this festival open only to all-white indie bands?

 

The vast majority of indie bands are all-white. Are you mad at country festivals who have almost all white lineups? Let's not create false outrage.

 

Plus it fits into the week-long schedule of events at Fountain Square. Saturday nights there's free hip-hop concerts, Tuesday night has folk music, Wednesday is Salsa, etc. Each one targets a somewhat specific demographic.

okay, fair enough. Still it seems a shame musical tastes have become so Balkanized. I wonder though, if any of those other genres have the advantage of having a major festival along the lines of the MidPoint.

I don't think they've "become" anything. This genre has always been almost entirely white. Genres of music are a result of specific societal influences and are therefore inherently divided by race because, as much as some of us try to solve the problem, society is still very much segregated. Different groups of people create music differently and the result is indie being mostly white.

okay, fair enough. Still it seems a shame musical tastes have become so Balkanized. I wonder though, if any of those other genres have the advantage of having a major festival along the lines of the MidPoint.

 

I wouldn't say there are any similar to MidPoint. There is the P&G Cincinnati Music Festival (formerly Macy's Music Festival) that focuses on R&B music, but it takes place two days at Paul Brown Stadium.

 

There is also Buckle UP Music Festival that partners with Bunbury to have country music.

 

I don't think jazz, classical, rap, or hip hop really have a strong demand for music festivals the same way pop and rock music does. I could be wrong, though. There are often other events that cater to fans of those genres, but they aren't usually music festivals.

 

I don't think jazz, classical, rap, or hip hop really have a strong demand for music festivals the same way pop and rock music does. I could be wrong, though. There are often other events that cater to fans of those genres, but they aren't usually music festivals.

 

You're kidding right?  Ever hear of the Cincinnati Jazz Festival?

 

 

Originally called the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival, the event was founded in 1962 by Dino Santangelo, according to Cincinnati Magazine. The festival has been held at various sites, including the Carthage Fairgrounds and the Hamilton County Fairgrounds.

 

Although it began as an all-jazz concert, the festival has evolved to include blues, R&B and hip-hop.  Past performers include Miles Davis, the O'Jays, Mary J. Blige and David Sanborn. By 2000, the festival was the largest of its kind in the United States, attracting 50,000 people a year. According to the Greater Cincinnati Center for Economic Education at the University of Cincinnati, the Festival has an annual economic impact of $25 million.

 

 

The festival was canceled in 2002, for the first time since its inception, because of boycotts by black activists and artists such as Bill Cosby and Whoopi Goldberg. They were reacting to the Cincinnati riots of 2001, during which police shot an unarmed black man

 

 

 

 

 

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This conversation reminds me of the notorious Kathy Y. Wilson article from 2012 titled, "Bunbury, Isle of White".

 

I went to a music festival a few years ago that featured a very diverse lineup. The headliners were Tool and Dave Matthews Band (how much farther apart could you get?). The festival was not financially successful and did not return for a second year.  So I understand why music festivals want to cater to one specific genre.

 

As far as Fountain Square goes, Ram23 is right. Friday night is indie rock night but there is also a salsa night, reggae night, and Americana night (which my band is playing on August 25).

 

I don't think jazz, classical, rap, or hip hop really have a strong demand for music festivals the same way pop and rock music does. I could be wrong, though. There are often other events that cater to fans of those genres, but they aren't usually music festivals.

 

You're kidding right?  Ever hear of the Cincinnati Jazz Festival?

 

 

Originally called the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival, the event was founded in 1962 by Dino Santangelo, according to Cincinnati Magazine. The festival has been held at various sites, including the Carthage Fairgrounds and the Hamilton County Fairgrounds.

 

Although it began as an all-jazz concert, the festival has evolved to include blues, R&B and hip-hop.  Past performers include Miles Davis, the O'Jays, Mary J. Blige and David Sanborn. By 2000, the festival was the largest of its kind in the United States, attracting 50,000 people a year. According to the Greater Cincinnati Center for Economic Education at the University of Cincinnati, the Festival has an annual economic impact of $25 million.

 

 

The festival was canceled in 2002, for the first time since its inception, because of boycotts by black activists and artists such as Bill Cosby and Whoopi Goldberg. They were reacting to the Cincinnati riots of 2001, during which police shot an unarmed black man

 

 

 

 

 

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Did you even read my post? I actually used that as an example of a different festival in Cincinnati.

 

I was simply saying there aren't any festivals similar to MidPoint in other genres. It's a rock festival and they have a different feel than most other festivals do. Of course there is the New Orleans Jazz Fest, Montreal International Jazz Fest, and Newport Jazz Festival, but they aren't as common or the same type of event.

Theres also a Cincy Blues fest at Sawyer Point in August.  And Whispering Beard Folk Festival in Friendship, IN that is put on by the guys from the Crow's Nest.  I really like that one cause it's BYOB! 

This conversation reminds me of the notorious Kathy Y. Wilson article from 2012 titled, "Bunbury, Isle of White".

 

I went to a music festival a few years ago that featured a very diverse lineup. The headliners were Tool and Dave Matthews Band (how much farther apart could you get?). The festival was not financially successful and did not return for a second year.  So I understand why music festivals want to cater to one specific genre.

 

As far as Fountain Square goes, Ram23 is right. Friday night is indie rock night but there is also a salsa night, reggae night, and Americana night (which my band is playing on August 25).

 

 

A lot of bands have more in common with groups in other genres than they do in their own genre.  For example, a lame rock band has more in common with a lame country act than it does a good one of either.  It would be great if they just had a lame festival to get all of those bands out of the way. 

^^^ Yeah, I read your post, but I guess we have different definitions of what a festival is.  I thought when I lived in Cincinnati that used to have a strong feel as a festival.

^All I'm saying is that rock festivals are much more popular and better represented. There's probably at least one rock festival in every city as big as Dayton in the US. There may be jazz weeks or something in a lot of cities, but they typically aren't as popular or big. That's all I'm really saying.

 

The Ohio Valley/Cincinnati Music Festival isn't nearly what it once was, despite being in Paul Brown Stadium.

Rock festivals have taken off so much within the past 10 years or so due to the popularity of festivals like Bonnarroo. It seems like there is almost a formula that is followed with every single one of them.  Wacky names, very similar branding and marketing, very similar lineups, etc. It is refreshing to go to a festival like MPMF that does its own thing and does not try to fit into this niche.

 

I also really enjoyed the Shaky Knees fest last year, which featured a variety of bands ranging from indie rock to Americana-ish (stuff like Jason Isbell, Lone Bellow), but did not include any hip hop or electronic music whatsoever. However this year, they pulled a Buckle Up and are spinning off the Americana stuff into a seperate festival.

Something I really like about midpoint is that its not just indie rock, its the whole gamut...Last year I saw in one night an indie pop rock band, an indie blues rock band, 2 indie alt rock bands, an indie electronic band, and an indie trippy alt/hard rock band, even though some are saying there's no diversity, there definitely is, they even had some hip hop artists the last 2 years that are on indie labels.

Is this festival open only to all-white indie bands?

 

The vast majority of indie bands are all-white. Are you mad at country festivals who have almost all white lineups? Let's not create false outrage.

 

Plus it fits into the week-long schedule of events at Fountain Square. Saturday nights there's free hip-hop concerts, Tuesday night has folk music, Wednesday is Salsa, etc. Each one targets a somewhat specific demographic.

okay, fair enough. Still it seems a shame musical tastes have become so Balkanized. I wonder though, if any of those other genres have the advantage of having a major festival along the lines of the MidPoint.

 

The biggest music fest in Cincinnati is Bunbury, and while most of the acts are white rock/alt bands, one of the headliners is Snoop Dogg this year.  Coachella and Bonaroo have been integrating hip-hop in their festivals for years at this point, so I think that is probably going to be a trend that spreads more and more.  Also, Cincinnati used to have a fantastic hip-hop festival each year called Scribble Jam, but it went a way a few years ago for probably a myriad of reasons.  There is also the aforementioned P&G/Macys/Jazz fest, which focuses on R and B both old and current.  I went last year and had a blast, though I was one of like 5 white people in the place.  I wish people would broaden their horizons and listen to all types of music, but that's just not how it is for the most part.

Bring back Jammin' on Main!

^Now THAT is a diverse lineup. I never knew about that.

Bring back Jammin' on Main!

 

That band OB1 (which was short for "OB1 Skanobi" -- they were a typically lousy but pretentious ska-punk band) or the other band we played with on New Year's '99 stole some of our equipment.  We had already entered into an internet feud with both of those bands more than a year earlier and then that guy "Steve" who did all the booking on Short Vine in the 90s put us all on the same night.  The feud dated from the time our guy set up a show with a national touring band and they weaseled themselves onto the bill so then we had to split the money three ways.  In fact I think they stole some of our equipment that night too. 

^Now THAT is a diverse lineup. I never knew about that.

 

This crap isn't new.  Look at the lineups from the early 90s Lollapalooza tours. 

Wrap-up of the weekend from the Enquirer...

 

Bunbury shows Cincinnati is 'growing up'

 

• Attendance:
  

  
  Yawn.

  "Shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, it was announced that the three-day total attendance was 60,000 as patrons came to see acts such as twenty one pilots, Akron-based blues rockers The Black Keys, alt-country stars The Avett Brothers and rapper Snoop Dogg. The attendance number is a record for the festival."
   
  Not sure how this could be as Bunbury's daily capacity is 20,000. They would had to have sold out all three nights. From what I witnessed, they definitely hit 20,000 Friday but I don't believe they were anywhere close to that on Sunday. Couldn't speak to Saturday as I wasn't there.

• Noise:
  "All of the larger stages also had video screens for the first time. Those were enjoyed Saturday night as The Avett Brothers played about 15 minutes after an 11 p.m. curfew. But city of Cincinnati spokesman Rocky Merz said there were no complaints, so the city's noise ordinance was not triggered."
   
  But on Sunday... Police: Snoop Dogg's Bunbury performance draws several Hyde Park noise complaints

• Future:
  "As to the biggest possible change - the location - both Luther and Donabedian said the festival was perfect for Sawyer Point, but no promises could be made yet."
   
  This is concerning... where exactly in the city could this be moved to?

Wrap-up of the weekend from the Enquirer...

 

Bunbury shows Cincinnati is 'growing up'

 

• Attendance:
  

  
  Yawn.

  "Shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, it was announced that the three-day total attendance was 60,000 as patrons came to see acts such as twenty one pilots, Akron-based blues rockers The Black Keys, alt-country stars The Avett Brothers and rapper Snoop Dogg. The attendance number is a record for the festival."
   
  Not sure how this could be as Bunbury's daily capacity is 20,000. They would had to have sold out all three nights. From what I witnessed, they definitely hit 20,000 Friday but I don't believe they were anywhere close to that on Sunday. Couldn't speak to Saturday as I wasn't there.

• Noise:
  "All of the larger stages also had video screens for the first time. Those were enjoyed Saturday night as The Avett Brothers played about 15 minutes after an 11 p.m. curfew. But city of Cincinnati spokesman Rocky Merz said there were no complaints, so the city's noise ordinance was not triggered."
   
  But on Sunday... Police: Snoop Dogg's Bunbury performance draws several Hyde Park noise complaints

• Future:
  "As to the biggest possible change - the location - both Luther and Donabedian said the festival was perfect for Sawyer Point, but no promises could be made yet."
   
  This is concerning... where exactly in the city could this be moved to?

 

Hopefully they don't do the same thing they're doing with Buckle Up (also purchased by PromoWest) and move it to Summit Park in Blue Ash. That's going to be a nightmare for that festival. A downright terrible location to do a festival traffic-wise.

Maybe the move a portion of it or incorporate GABP or PBS as part of the festival.

Sawyer Point/Bicentennial Commons is a great location for a multi-stage music festival.  The bridge overpasses provide tons of shade and cover from the rain that they won't have in Blue Ash.  Also the Serpentine Wall stage is one of the best settings to watch a performance I can think of. 

 

They had a dedicated pickup point for Uber at Bunbury, so I assume that Uber bought a space from the festival or from the city.  Surge pricing was totally out-of-control on Friday night, with an hour-long 7X surge out by Riverbend.  There was a lot going on around town so Riverbend got the short end of the stick. 

Adult Down-Hill Big-Wheel Racing coming to Pendelton on July 18th: Danger Wheel

(note: site includes an auto-play YouTube video)

 

On a certain summer's night, the tranquil neighborhood of Pendleton transforms into two blocks of asphalt, speed and down-hill competition! THIS IS DANGERWHEEL!

 

This inaugural tournament of bravery and outdoor jollification is composed of three key elements:

1) The best dogs that local restaurants can prepare.

2) A wide selection of summer swill by local breweries and bars.

3) The first ever adult big-wheel racing tournament.

 

Are you in for a little danger?

Awesome.

 

Same day as Beer Olympics at Ei8ht Ball.

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1605582859726614/

2015 MPMF Schedule announced here.

 

Some of the larger acts: tune-yards, Heartless Bastards, Purity Ring, Sylvan Esso, Zola Jesus, Cathedrals, Ride, Iron & Wine.

If you use Spotify, check out the official playlist and discover some of the bands that will be playing this year's MPMF:

 

http://spoti.fi/1JJjaho

[Dale Earnhardt] Jr. Jr. will kick off MidPoint with a free show at 6pm on Friday (September 25) on 12th Street just South of Washington Park. This is also their album release show. Their third album will be released the same day.

 

They recently changed their name from from Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. to just Jr. Jr. to avoid confusion (no lawsuits or anything).

 

http://mpmf.com/news/2015/08/19/dale-earnhardt-jr-jr-kicks-off-midpoint-with-free-concert

 

Since the 12th Street free stage has been eliminated (now that there's streetcar track there), it has been replaced by "a new, non-ticketed area on Washington Park’s south end, deemed the MidPoint Indie Craft Village."

 

It's great that most of the action is now clustered around 14th & Main, with MOTR, Woodward, and Lightborne all together. Washington Park, Moerlein, Mr. Pitiful's, The Drinkery, and Maudie's are also within a 5-10 minute walk of that intersection. I am a little worried that few people are going to make the longer walk down to Arnold's or the Taft Ballroom.

 

I'm also surprised to not see Japp's Annex as part of the festival. I know Below Zero dropped out a few years ago because they already do pretty good business and didn't "need" MPMF anymore.

 

It's definitely a big improvement over the years when shows were spread out all over the region, including some headliners at Southgate House.

Since the 12th Street free stage has been eliminated (now that there's streetcar track there), it has been replaced by "a new, non-ticketed area on Washington Park’s south end, deemed the MidPoint Indie Craft Village."

 

It's great that most of the action is now clustered around 14th & Main, with MOTR, Woodward, and Lightborne all together. Washington Park, Moerlein, Mr. Pitiful's, The Drinkery, and Maudie's are also within a 5-10 minute walk of that intersection. I am a little worried that few people are going to make the longer walk down to Arnold's or the Taft Ballroom.

 

I'm also surprised to not see Japp's Annex as part of the festival. I know Below Zero dropped out a few years ago because they already do pretty good business and didn't "need" MPMF anymore.

 

It's definitely a big improvement over the years when shows were spread out all over the region, including some headliners at Southgate House.

 

They don't have to walk, they can redbike it down. (but probably walk back after they've been drinking)

Was Japp’s Annex ever a venue (since the space has been Japp's Annex)? The crowd that frequents Japp’s seems to have very little overlap with the crowd that goes to MPMF. I’m sure they make more money not being a venue than they would being a venue.

^Japp's Annex was a venue in 2012 or so.

 

I miss Below Zero being a venue though. It wasn't one last year either.

In 2014, the CAC, Mainstay Rock Bar, Memorial Hall, and Know Theater were venues. In 2013, Blue Wisp (now closed), Main Event, Japp's Annex, and Grammer's were venues.

 

2012 might go down as one of most memorable configurations. They brought in a huge stage at Washington Park in front of Music Hall (it turned out to be overkill, so in future years they just used the permanent stage at Washington Park), used Emery Hall, as well as some random places like the Hanke Building and Cincinnati Club.

 

In 2010, the festival was spread across 25 venues!

Wow I had no idea Know Theater was dropped as a venue. That's probably been the most involved venue of the whole festival. They always had two stages and Biore sponsored a bunch of female acts.

 

Mainstay is no longer open and Memorial Hall is closed for renovations. Hopefully Memorial Hall returns next year.

In 2014, the CAC, Mainstay Rock Bar, Memorial Hall, and Know Theater were venues. In 2013, Blue Wisp (now closed), Main Event, Japp's Annex, and Grammer's were venues.

 

2012 might go down as one of most memorable configurations. They brought in a huge stage at Washington Park in front of Music Hall (it turned out to be overkill, so in future years they just used the permanent stage at Washington Park), used Emery Hall, as well as some random places like the Hanke Building and Cincinnati Club.

 

In 2010, the festival was spread across 25 venues!

 

Yeah 2012 was my absolute favorite year.  The Emery was increadible and all the venues off Mainstreet created this awesome echo effect when bands were playing there.  I'm really hoping that they Emery will come back eventually - here's hoping the whole UC / Requiem thing is resolved...

 

looks like they are trying to reach a settlement: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/07/29/uc-emery-theatre-building-should-remain-tax-exempt.html

That was over a year ago. I doubt any progress has been made.

Since the 12th Street free stage has been eliminated (now that there's streetcar track there), it has been replaced by "a new, non-ticketed area on Washington Park’s south end, deemed the MidPoint Indie Craft Village."

 

It's great that most of the action is now clustered around 14th & Main, with MOTR, Woodward, and Lightborne all together. Washington Park, Moerlein, Mr. Pitiful's, The Drinkery, and Maudie's are also within a 5-10 minute walk of that intersection. I am a little worried that few people are going to make the longer walk down to Arnold's or the Taft Ballroom.

 

I'm also surprised to not see Japp's Annex as part of the festival. I know Below Zero dropped out a few years ago because they already do pretty good business and didn't "need" MPMF anymore.

 

It's definitely a big improvement over the years when shows were spread out all over the region, including some headliners at Southgate House.

 

They don't have to walk, they can redbike it down. (but probably walk back after they've been drinking)

Seriously?

Since the 12th Street free stage has been eliminated (now that there's streetcar track there), it has been replaced by "a new, non-ticketed area on Washington Park’s south end, deemed the MidPoint Indie Craft Village."

 

It's great that most of the action is now clustered around 14th & Main, with MOTR, Woodward, and Lightborne all together. Washington Park, Moerlein, Mr. Pitiful's, The Drinkery, and Maudie's are also within a 5-10 minute walk of that intersection. I am a little worried that few people are going to make the longer walk down to Arnold's or the Taft Ballroom.

 

I'm also surprised to not see Japp's Annex as part of the festival. I know Below Zero dropped out a few years ago because they already do pretty good business and didn't "need" MPMF anymore.

 

It's definitely a big improvement over the years when shows were spread out all over the region, including some headliners at Southgate House.

 

They don't have to walk, they can redbike it down. (but probably walk back after they've been drinking)

Seriously?

 

Yeah, you can rent a Redbike for just one day if you want.

Since the 12th Street free stage has been eliminated (now that there's streetcar track there), it has been replaced by "a new, non-ticketed area on Washington Park’s south end, deemed the MidPoint Indie Craft Village."

 

It's great that most of the action is now clustered around 14th & Main, with MOTR, Woodward, and Lightborne all together. Washington Park, Moerlein, Mr. Pitiful's, The Drinkery, and Maudie's are also within a 5-10 minute walk of that intersection. I am a little worried that few people are going to make the longer walk down to Arnold's or the Taft Ballroom.

 

I'm also surprised to not see Japp's Annex as part of the festival. I know Below Zero dropped out a few years ago because they already do pretty good business and didn't "need" MPMF anymore.

 

It's definitely a big improvement over the years when shows were spread out all over the region, including some headliners at Southgate House.

 

They don't have to walk, they can redbike it down. (but probably walk back after they've been drinking)

Seriously?

 

Yeah, you can rent a Redbike for just one day if you want.

 

amazing!

They offer discounts for mpmf too watch their twitter :) I used it last year