Columbus… getting their DIY festival feet wet

I have been taking an extended vacation in Columbus (my hometown) as RethinkPopMusic preps for our largest experiential marketing campaign to date… which will coincide with our upcoming CMJ showcases. Details for both of these will come soon.

In the meantime I will be entrenching myself in the “scene” here covering Music Week Columbus and a few shows at The Basement and Newport Music Hall. If you’re in Columbus I highly recommend attending Music Week Columbus as it reminds us of our very own Bushwick Walkabout Festival. 3 days, 3 venues and a slew of local, regional and national talent that should NOT be missed considering limited three day passes are only $30!!!

We have worked with quite a few of these bands in the past and are excited to see Brooklynites Deluka and Beast Make Bomb and Columbus locals Way Yes (recently signed to Lefse records) and Phantods. While these may not be the massive national acts one typically associates with a music festival, founders Jacob Wooten and Andrew Dodson have got the formula right: Book the best local talent and keep the money-grubbing “industry professionals” away. Regardless of attendance, in my opinion Music Week Columbus is already a success.

The Aviation Orange @ D.I.Y.Bushwick Music Festival

The Aviation Orange is playing in the inaugural D.I.Y. Bushwick Music Festival on:

Wednesday 3/26 – 11pm at Brooklyn Fireproof – 119 Ingraham St

Thursday 3/25 – 11pm at Bushwick Music Studios - 55 Waterbury St.

C0ming off a huge buzz from SXSW, The Aviation Orange is the must-see band in Brooklyn this week.  Read the details below and buy passes HERE

Official Site

INAUGURAL DIY BUSHWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL CELEBRATING ARTISTIC DIVERSITY AND PERSEVERANCE IN BROOKLYN, NY

“Let the music industry have South By Southwest and the CMJ festival. Brooklyn has its own DIY Music Festival for Brooklynites by Brooklynites.”
- NY POST

Brooklyn, New York – Bushwick Music Studios in association with Deli Magazine and Arts In Bushwick are proud to announce the official schedule for DIY Bushwick, A Musical Festival, taking place March 24-27, in nine venues throughout Bushwick. The inaugural festival will feature Brooklyn-based bands, DJs, and artists performing in alternative Do-It-Yourself spaces just a walk or a bike ride apart. Admission prices range from free to $10 with an average ticket price of $5. Festival passes will be available online for $20, with Friday/Saturday passes available for $10. This is part of an effort by festival organizers to make sure that the events are accessible to all.

Tito Fleetwood Ladd, owner of Bushwick Music Studios, decided to organize the festival in an attempt to galvanize the neighborhood’s flourishing music and arts scene. In the last few years, Bushwick has emerged as a frontier for DIY venues, attracting artists and musicians with the limitless opportunities provided by these raw spaces. Although the scene has been growing for some time, a Bushwick-centered festival of this scale has never been attempted.

Ladd’s vision was that by working together, the Bushwick music scene would ultimately receive more visibility. “There’s this incredible energy and all these cool spaces with amazing talent in Bushwick,” says Ladd, “This is our way of showing that to anyone who wants to pay attention to us. We’re all doing it together.” When he reached out to several venues and organizations in Bushwick, he immediately received enthusiastic support.

Deli Magazine and neighborhood stalwart Arts In Bushwick have both signed on to help coordinate and produce the event. Bushwick Music Studios will be joined by nine spaces including Party Expo, Goodbye Blue Monday, Brooklyn Fireproof, Castle Braid, The Opera House Lofts, House of Yes, Eastern District, and Northeast Kingdom.

Two Brooklyn-based companies have pitched in their efforts: The first, an online gig-booking agency, GigMaven, has been helping to book bands. And the innovative StreamJam will stream the shows live online. The festival is truly a local DIY effort that takes pride in its self-dependence. Corporate sponsors are nowhere to be found. DIY Bushwick is pure grassroots.

The festival kicks off at Wednesday the 24th at Eastern District at 5:00 with a free show!

Passes cost $5 for the day, $10 for Friday and Saturday, or $20 for all four days.