The deadline for submissions from artists interested in performing at this year’s MidPoint Music Festival recently came and went. Performers for this fall’s 10th anniversary MPMF (which returns to the venues of Over-the-Rhine and Downtown Sept. 22-24) are being decided by the judging panel and touring headliners are being booked as you read this, so expect the flow of MidPoint information to increase over the next few weeks, with showcasing acts being announced, as well as other details and wrinkles to this year’s event.
One such detail is the announcement of an exciting addition to the MidPoint venues list that will expand the fest’s Over-the-Rhine perimeter and reinforce the festival’s presence in the resurgent neighborhood. The School for Creative and Performing Arts is partnering with MidPoint and offering use of its state-of-the-art stages for all-ages music showcases and other events during MPMF. Opened at the beginning of this school year, the K-12 arts school’s MidPoint shows will be open to music lovers under 21.
SCPA students will also have a chance to participate, gaining hands-on experience by assisting with the shows’ production, design and other aspects. A program of “master classes” featuring some of MidPoint’s performers is also in the works.
Get all the details here at MPMF.com.
Another big MidPoint announcement is expected very soon, unveiling some of the headlining acts for MPMF.11. As always, be sure to frequently check the music blog at CityBeat.com so you’re the first to know when big MPMF news breaks.
More Local Notes
• Cincy Indie rockers The Ready Stance are putting the final touches on their debut album, but they’ve already been enjoying a lot of positive feedback from those who’ve discovered their music online as well as from some pretty well-known new fans. The band — which features drummer Eric Moreton and guitarist Wes Pence from local ’90s College Rock faves Middlemarch — scored quotes about its music for its promotional materials from Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club drummer Chris Frantz (who finishes his blurb by saying, “You will be hearing a lot about them in the future”) and The Feelies’ Stan Demeski, who praises the songwriting and guitar sounds. Some unexpected industry attention has delayed the release of the album (tentatively titled Damndest), as the members explore potential distribution strategies, but Pence says they still hope to have it out by midsummer. But you don’t have to wait to hear The Ready Stance’s catchy songs — the group performs a free show Thursday at Over-the-Rhine club MOTR Pub. (www.myspace.com/thereadystance)
• Newport-based Powerhouse Factories — renowned for its cool concert posters and an up-and-coming advertising design firm for brands big and small — presents the Powerhouse Spring Fling Poster Sling party Friday at its Ninth Street studios. At 6 p.m., Spring Fling attendees can begin browsing Powerhouse’s collection of newer and older concert art for purchase, including recent posters for artists like The Greenhornes and Girl Talk.
Powerhouse is offering a “buy one, get half off another” deal on the prints, which range from $10-$50 (framed posters start at $100). Proceeds from Friday’s free event will go to help a friend of the firm’s, Ali Nunery, who is battling a rare form of lung cancer. At 9 p.m., local Indie Pop duo Bad Veins performs on the studio’s patio overlooking Newport. The band is currently hard at work on a sophomore album, the follow-up to its 2009 self-titled debut for Dangerbird Records. (www.phfdesign.com; www.badveins.net)
CONTACT MIKE BREEN: [email protected]