Culture
Third Round Of Nelsonville Fest Acts Announced
< < Back to third-round-of-nelsonville-fest-acts-announcedThe Nelsonville Music Festival has announced its third round of acts, including a critically acclaimed Americana singer/songwriter and the return of an alternative rock favorite.
Brandi Carlile and Built to Spill will join headliners The Flaming Lips, St. Vincent and Merle Haggard at the annual festival, scheduled for May 28-31 at Hocking College.
Other acts announced on Tuesday include Elephant Revival, Mandolin Orange, San Fermin, Michael Hurley, Ezra Furman, Natalie Prass, Ryley Walker, Adam Torres, Soddy Daisy, Bummers, Speaking Suns, Dead Hand of Man and Columbus, Ohio’s Heatwave Dance Party. More performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
“If you start a band with me, I’ll get us signed and on the road within a year,” said Brandi Carlile to her future bandmates in 2003. Not only did Carlile come through on her promise, but she also exceeded expectations. After landing a record deal with Columbia Records in 2004, Carlile and her band recorded their debut with famed producer Rick Rubin in 2005. Carlile has sold out venues such as Red Rocks and The Beacon Theater, and has been featured on Austin City Limits. Her new album, The Firewatcher’s Daughter, is due in March.
After forming Built to Spill in 1992, Doug Martsch’s intention was to sustain a project that would involve a rotating cast of musicians to record albums and tour. The Boise, Idaho group would go on to release seven full length albums, along with a slew of EPs, singles, compilations and live recordings, while becoming one of indie-rock’s seminal bands. Known for their live shows, Built to Spill draw comparisons from artists such as Neil Young & Crazy Horse and Dinosaur Jr. Untethered Moon, the group’s first album in six years, will be released in April.
The rest of the third round announcements should appeal to folk/Americana buffs. Colorado quintet Elephant Revival perform a blend of gypsy, Celtic and folk, while Mandolin Orange offer up a heady mix of bluegrass, gospel, folk, country and pop reminiscent of Gillian Welch and Nickel Creek.
NMF stalwart Michael Hurley is returning, along with eight-piece pop-rockers San Fermin, indie-folk artist Ezra Furman, Nashville singer/songwriter Natalie Prass and Ryley Walker, whose latest work conjures up memories of Tim Hardin, Tim Buckley and Bert Jansch.
Ohio artists will be well-represented again this year at NMF. Former Athens musician Adam Torres is scheduled to perform, along with Bummers (Columbus), Speaking Suns (Yellow Springs), Dead Hand of Man (Athens) and Chicago’s Soddy Daisy, which features a couple of former Athenians.
Now in its 11th year, the Nelsonville Music Festival will feature four days of music with more than 40 bands on multiple stages, along with camping, kids’ activities, local artisan vendors, food, a beer garden and more. Weekend passes for all four days, camping passes and VIP weekend passes are on sale now. Visit www.nelsonvillefest.org for more information.