A decade ago, Bill Donabedian and Sean Rhiney made Cincinnati history when they masterminded the MidPoint Music Festival. Four years after stepping away from MPMF to concentrate on his duties programming events on Fountain Square for 3CDC, Donabedian is ready to make history again with the Bunbury Festival, an annual three-day music event that will debut in July 2012.
If MidPoint is Cincinnati’s South by Southwest, then Bunbury might just be the Queen City’s take on Lollapalooza, with six stages featuring national talent, a tech pavilion and an eco-market all located at Sawyer Point.
And what better way to publicize a music festival than with a concert? Details about the Bunbury Festival will be announced at a free kickoff event this Saturday at Sawyer Point featuring three of the area’s best bands, the Seedy Seeds, the Lions Rampant and the Minor Leagues. Gates will open at 6 p.m., with music starting at 7 p.m. One of the best incentives to show up for the kickoff is the availability of 1,000 discount codes which can used to get a 50 percent discount on either a one-day or three-day Bunbury ticket, the biggest discount that will be offered on festival admission.
“A lot of people ask why I’m doing this,” Donabedian says. “I think we desperately need something like this, and I got tired of waiting for someone else to do it. With MPMF, Cincinnati now has a one-two punch when it comes to music festivals. MPMF is a showcase; Bunbury is when those bands blow up a few years after playing MPMF.” Information on Saturday’s free event and next year’s inaugural Bunbury Festival can be found at here.
Remembering Bones
Back in April, the local music scene was stunned by the death of stellar drummer and all-around good guy David “Bones” Hebert, who was shot by police in Northside in an incident that is still under investigation. This weekend, Bones’ life is being celebrated with the aptly christened BONESfest, a three-day slate of art and music events designed to raise funds and awareness, as well as to support the pursuit of accountable practices by the police and city leadership.
BONESfest begins Friday at the Comet in Northside with music from Kill City and Chiva Kneivel and a silent art auction featuring handblown glass, tattoo gift certificates and jewelry, as well as work from Aaron Kent, Kore Flatmo and a special piece by the legendary Sean Tobocman, created specifically for Bones and the city. Admission for the 8 p.m. event is free.
The Bones weekend continues Saturday at Bogart’s with the White Trash Party, featuring music from Dropkickmejesis, SS-20, the Messengers, Dixie Trash and several secret surprise guests. Admission is $7; doors open at 7 p.m., music starts at 8 p.m. BONESfest concludes Sunday with a family-oriented potluck picnic at Northside’s Hoffner Park (kids and pets welcome), featuring kickball and a well-stocked merch table filled with T-shirts, stickers, printed handkerchiefs and Dixie Trash CDs.
The evening after party at the Northside Tavern features music from Megan Hutch, the Williams Family Band and the Mudpies. In addition, there will be a weekend-long raffle with lots of prizes; you need not be present to win. “All of the money raised goes to the Hebert family for legal expenses and for the care of Bones’ dog, Shady,” notes event coordinator Serenity Baumer. “There will be lots of music, food, merch, art and awesome people, all through the weekend.”
The saddest causes are always the worthiest; honor Bones by helping his family and having the fun that he would have wanted you to have. Details on the weekend’s events can be found at
here.
CONTACT BRIAN BAKER: [email protected]
