09.22.05
MidPoint Music Festival
Cincinnati's Declaration of Independent Music Rocks Over-the- Rhine for 4th consecutive year
by Teresa Hoelle, iRhine
From September 22nd to September 24th approximately 300 independent musicians will rock the Main Street Entertainment District at the 2005 MidPoint Music Festival (MPMF). Founded in 2001, the MidPoint Music Festival is downtown Cincinnati's biggest and only music festival. The annual live music festival has grown from drawing approximately 10,000 people at the 2002 inaugural festival to 40,000 people in 2004. This year MPMF projects to draw over 50,000 people.will recommend that customers take the cheese later in the meal because we're trying to teach people about Italian courses, but we'll serve it whenever they prefer," says Cristian. The Executive Chef enjoys when patrons will order his tasting menu, another new addition that consists of eight special, recommended courses.
So if you consider dining at Nicola's, expect to see Nicola Pietoso greeting and seating customers almost any evening of the week. And if you're there late enough, you might see Chef Cristian walk through the dining room and head for the bar to enjoy a game of cards at the bar with the regulars. Whatever you do, deeply enjoy the food - and appreciate the love that brought it to the table.
"MidPoint Music Festival has really put Cincinnati on the map as the place to go to hear great independent music," - President and co-founder, Bill Donabedian. "For the musicians, our industry conference will be bigger and better than ever."
Fourteen of the eighteen MidPoint performance venues are located within Over-the-Rhine's Main Street Entertainment District. MidPoint has chosen to concentrate the festival in Cincinnati's core in an effort to bring people downtown and life back into the city.
MidPoint Music Festival is run by a dedicated 100% volunteer staff comprised of 9 core individuals which oversee operations throughout the year. Tara O'Donnell, who relocated to California a few years back, continues to manage and coordinate the volunteers during the festival. Approximately 200 local volunteers will assist during the 2005 festival.
"Thanks to Bill Donabedian and Sean Rhiney (co-founders of MidPoint Music Festival) Cincinnati is getting put on the map in a positive way" says Lindsay Mickles. Mickles was initially a venue site volunteer at MPMF in 2003. She now oversees many of the marketing and PR efforts for MPMF.
Expect to Experience Quality and Variety
"MidPoint Music Festival seeks to present the largest diversity of quality independent music" - says Lindsay Mickles. In order to be selected to participate, interested musical groups submitted electronic press kits which were reviewed by judges from around the country with ties to the music industry - radio DJs, music editors, and recording engineers. Each band/artist was independently judged and scored by at least two judges. The 300 musicians/artists selected to perform this year will cover a wide variety of musical genre: Hip hop - punk- rock - Funk - Rap - DJs - Acoustic - Alternative - Latin. About 60 Cincinnati-based groups will attend the 2005 MPMF. There will also be international acts representing Canada, Japan and Australia.
Oval Opus, a pop-rock band from Cincinnati, will be performing at the MidPoint Music Festival for the first time this year. Oval Opus' manager Cari Gelber says the group decided to participate this year as they thought it would be a good opportunity to get their name out and to encourage other independent Cincinnati area bands to get involved in the local music scene. Oval Opus will release their 4th studio album this fall. Impressed by the impact of MidPoint, Gelber shared, "thanks to Bill Donabedian and Sean Rhiney's support of the local music scene, the industry is moving in the right direction. If there were only 2 people in every state doing what Bill and Sean are doing, the music industry would be in a much better place."
Main Street Business District Now Hot!
Thanks to LilyPad, the brainchild of a team of local young professionals which envision creating wireless hotspots in key locations throughout Cincinnati, the Main Street Entertainment District will celebrate the commencement of a 3 year contract establishing free wireless internet access at this weekend's MidPoint Music Festival. "Wireless access will be available between Central Parkway and Liberty Street" - says LilyPad founder Ryan Rybolt. Wireless internet access will also be available at the Contemporary Arts Center, which is hosting the MPMF conference and tradeshow for the attending artists.
Using the free wireless internet access, attendees will be able to download the ringtones of their participating favorite bands courtesy of DecentXposure LLC (DX). DecentXposure supports emerging artists in growing their fan base while creating new revenue opportunities. They will be presenting their outreach methods at the artist's conference this Friday. To see which MPMF bands have ringtones, go to: http://www.mpmf.com/bands.php
Access and Transportation
The door cover is $5.00 for 1 day/ 1 venue, or $10.00 for 1 day - access to all venues. A multi-day pass is only $20.00 - valid for all 3 days and including access to all venues. While most all venues are within the Main Street Entertainment District, free Jack Daniel's shuttle services will connect the additional venue locations to Over-the-Rhine. The shuttle will run from about 8:30 PM to 1:30 PM (Thursday) and 2:30 PM (Friday and Saturday). Shuttles will arrive every 5-10 minutes at each MidPoint Musical Festival stop. The four stops include: The Viper Room (5th & Plum), Arnold's (8th & Main), Jefferson Hall (12th & Main), and The Blue Wisp (8th & Sycamore). The shuttle service will be free to all attendees with badges or wristbands.
2005 MidPoint Music Festival Details
September 21- 24th
Wednesday - 7:30PM CD release Party & concert at McFadden's
Thursday 9 PM - 1 AM
Friday and Saturday 9 PM- 2 AM
*Check website for performance and venue details mpmf.com/schedule_m/php
--i--
Teresa Hoelle is a freelance writer living in Cincinnati. Contact: Theresa@iRhine.com
About MidPoint Music Festival
MidPoint Music LLC, founded in October of 2001, is a private company based in Cincinnati, Ohio - Independent Music Capital of the World™. The all-volunteer staff works year round to help bring talented independent regional, national and international artists to Cincinnati, Ohio for three days and nights of showcases and music industry seminars. Steeped in its own rich music history (James Brown recorded his greatest songs here with Bootsy Collins, the Afghan Whigs, Ass Ponys, Blessid Union of Souls, and Peter Frampton have all called it home) and easily accessible from just about anywhere in the United States, Canada and Europe, the goal of MidPoint Music Festival is to make enough noise to bring the music industry to the artist.
For more information contact:
Lindsay Mickles, 513-403-4558 or lindsay@mpmf.com
Sarah Hawkins at 513-509-0772 or srah@mpmf.com
8413 Burns Avenue.
Cincinnati, OH 45216
tel/fax: 877.572.8690 .
mpmf.com
Over The Rhine Foundation is an in-kind sponsor of the MidPoint Music Festival
About iRhine
iRhine is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that develops the focus of communication for the many diversified offerings in the historic Cincinnati neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine (OTR). Through the Web site, e-mails, educational meetings, events, and volunteering, iRhine has supported and encouraged socio-economic development for OTR and the Greater Cincinnati Region since 2000.
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