MidPoint: 'Give yourself over to the adventure'
Prepare yourself for three days of 'treasure hunting' for new music at MidPoint Music Festival.
That's one way executive director Dan Bockrath describes the experience of discovering new bands at the annual showcase of emerging artists, set for Thursday through Saturday. This year's festival will bring about 150 bands to 14 stages in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine.
Bockrath shared a few new things to look for this year.
• A deeper lineup. Bockrath said there are fewer bands this year, but the event's lineup is deeper. Organizers have particularly stepped up the shows in Washington Park, with higher-profile headliners than in years past: Chromeo on Thursday, The Afghan Whigs on Friday and OK Go on Saturday.
• More on the Midway. The Midway, at 12th and Vine streets, "has quickly gained a reputation as being the social hub of the festival," Bockrath said. It's a place where friends can meet up before heading to other venues, or to grab a bite from a food truck while listening to free music.
This year, organizers have upped the ante on that free music by offering a "happy hour" show by high-profile indie band Real Estate on Friday. Bockrath said he hopes a bigger name will give Downtown workers a reason to stick around – and head to OTR – after the workday ends.
ArtWorks will once again take part in the free street fair. This year, the organization will launch CincyInk, an interactive art-making experiences will let attendees to "ink their love" for our city. (Think postcard writing, tattoo designing, short-order poetry.)
• More all-ages stages than ever. The festival's six largest stages, with the biggest-name performers, are accessible to all ages this year. Bockrath said organizers made the decision to be more all-ages friendly based on feedback from younger music fans.
• New venues. Memorial Hall is a new venue this year, as is Christian Moerlein's Over-the-Rhine brewery. Moerlein's all-ages outdoor stage, one of the larger ones at the event, replaces Grammer's, which was 21 and up. A smaller second stage indoors, in the brewery's events center, will allow for smaller shows running later into the evening.
• An official beer. Christian Moerlein isn't just a venue for the festival: It's also the event's official beer, which means that Moerlein and Hudepohl brews will be on tap at the venues. Of note: Moerlein's seasonal Hell Town Rye-OT, an American brown ale, will be served; a MidPoint preview show celebrating the launch of the beer will take place from 8-11 p.m. Wednesday at the brewery's event center, Bockrath said. Two bands – The Pass and Machines are People Too – will perform.
One thing that hasn't changed about MidPoint is that spirit of discovery, the idea that you just might find your new favorite band while hustling from venue to venue.
"For a lot of people, their most memorable experience at the festival is going to a smaller venue and seeing a band they've never heard before," Bockrath said.
Though he encourages fans to do their 'homework' – if you can label researching bands and planning a schedule of shows to see that way – he also encourages an open mind and a flexible attitude.
"Be prepared to deviate from your plan," he said. "Give yourself over to the adventure, because that's what it ends up being."
IF YOU GO:
What: MidPoint Music Fest
Where: A dozen venues in Dowtown and Over-the-Rhine
When: 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursday-Friday; 2 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday.
Tickets: $10-$30 per individual show; free shows on MidPoint Midway. $40 one-day pass advance; $79 All Music Access advance; $179 advance VIP
Info: http://mpmf.com/