MGMT headlines festival
By Corey McMaken | The Journal Gazette
Dance-rock band MGMT will headline the Middle Waves Music Festival in September, the event's committee announced Monday.
The group known for “Electric Feel” and “Time to Pretend” will be joined by a variety of local and international acts when the festival takes place Sept. 15 and 16 at Headwaters Park.
More than 20 acts were announced Monday, with more to be revealed later along with a schedule of performances. Local performers include Left Lane Cruiser, Rosalind & The Way and Fatima Washington, according to a news release provided ahead of an official announcement party Monday evening.
“Middle Waves is for everyone in this community,” said festival co-chair Matt Kelley in the news release. “We believe this event captures the momentum we feel in our region's music, food, arts and cultural scene.”
It is the second year for the all-ages festival, which features three stages. The main stage at Headwaters East is in the event's gated section, which requires a ticket for entry.
The remaining stages are free and open to the public in Headwaters West. The park's pavilion will be home to food vendors, art and pop-up performances.
A social media campaign to bring Iggy Pop to the festival drew the singer's attention, but he was already scheduled for that weekend in France, said Emma DePrez, festival marketing co-chair, by email to The Journal Gazette.
The #FortWayneLovesIggy hashtag made its way around social media in April after it was brought to festival organizers' attention that Iggy Pop had mentioned the city in an “Austin City Limits” interview last year and said he would come here for free if invited.
DePrez said his manager contacted her shortly after the campaign began and explained that the singer was unavailable on the festival dates because of the European engagement, which had not been announced at the time.
But DePrez said Iggy Pop's manager suggested there is always next year's festival, and gave Middle Waves the rock star's booking info.
“So keep the dream alive,” DePrez said.
MGMT formed in 2002 at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and consists of Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. The group released its first album in 2007 and was nominated as Best New Artist at the 2010 Grammy Awards.
Two-day general admission tickets for the festival are $75 in advance and $85 the day of the shows. Advance tickets for Friday only are $45 and Saturday are $55, with prices rising $10 the day of the show. VIP tickets are available for $150. Go to MiddleWaves.com for more information and a link to buy tickets.
At a glance
Acts announced Monday for the Middle Waves Music Festival:
- MGMT (dance-rock)
- Super Duper Kyle (hip-hop, Ventura, Calif.)
- Thao & The Get Down Stay Down (indie folk, San Francisco)
- The Lemon Twigs (pop/rock, Long Island, N.Y.)
- Shannon & The Clams (indie rock, Oakland, Calif.)
- Flint Eastwood (dance-pop, Detroit)
- Selector Dub Narcotic (electronic, Olympia, Wash.)
- Sam Evian (indie rock, Brooklyn, N.Y.)
- Rising Over Envy (R.O.E.) (hip-hop, Chicago)
- The Murderburgers (punk, Scotland)
- Mike Adams at His Honest Weight (pop/rock, Bloomington)
- City Mouse (pop-punk, Riverside, Calif.)
Local acts:
- Belle & the Strange (folk rock)
- Flamingo Nosebleed (punk)
- Left Lane Cruiser (rock)
- Love Hustler (electronic)
- My Apollo (pop/rock)
- Rosalind & The Way (folk rock)
- Selibo Gomero (chamber pop)
- Three Cities (rock)
- Fatima Washington (pop)
- Zephaniah (metal)
