The end of summer (last day: Sept. 22) is a bittersweet time in Cincinnati. “Bitter” (if you’re an autumn hater) because school’s back in session, you can’t go swimming as much and the days and nights turn a little chillier. “Sweet” because everything pumpkin spice is back, TV gets better, Cincinnati’s notorious humidity disappears and, best of all, the MidPoint Music Festival returns!
If you’re a music lover, there’s no better way to celebrate the first weekend of fall than with MPMF. The festival returns Sept. 25-27 with the same mix of established and on-the-rise musical acts that have made MidPoint a must-attend event for so many in the region.
[Read the digital MPMF.14 Guide online here or find continuing coverage here.]
MPMF 2014 — the festival’s 13th year — has plenty of well-known artists performing (from hometown heroes The Afghan Whigs to OK Go, Chromeo and beyond). But MidPoint is about more than the headliners. At its essence, it is a “tastemaker” festival, showcasing amazing artists that may not be as widely known, but will become more widely known in the years to come.
Every year when other big music festivals announce lineups, it’s always fascinating to see how many MPMF alumni are featured. Those festivals help MidPoint make a (ahem) point — see these artists here first, in an intimate setting and at an incredibly affordable cost ($79 for a three-day pass is one of the best music festival deals in the country) before you have to cough up well over $100 to watch them play on a stage a half mile away under the burning sun.
MidPoint is about great music and discovery. If you come to MPMF to just catch your favorite band and then split, you’re missing out. Once again, MidPoint has a remarkable lineup from top to bottom; explore some of the artists with whom you are unfamiliar before heading to the event and you may just find your favorite new musical act.
This guide was created to help you in your exploration. We’ve compiled write-ups on every artist performing at MPMF 2014, providing some background on each act as well as descriptions of every performer’s music. Every write-up includes a sonic reference point called “You’ll Dig It If You Dig” which will help you find more artists whose music might match up with your tastes.
Be sure to also visit MPMF.com, which features pages for every artist that include links and song samples to help you build your MPMF itinerary.
And it’s also highly recommended that you follow all of MidPoint’s social media outlets so you can keep up to date on any schedule adjustments, maybe find out about a show that’s especially hoppin’ if you have a hole in your schedule or discover things going down that you may have otherwise missed. MidPoint’s Twitter (@MidPointMusic), Facebook (facebook.com/midpointmusicfestival) and Instagram (instagram.com/midpointmusicfestival) accounts will have all of that and more.
Now dig in — you’ve got a schedule to plot out.
