C-U Thursday: 2007 Pygmalion Music Festival

I'm very excited to trumpet the first announcement of the 2007 Pygmalion Music Festival, the great gathering of "independent" musicians that started in 2005 and has grown significantly since, bringing excellent bands and increased indie cred and whatwhat to Champaign-Urbana. It's taking place this year September 19-22, at venues across Chambana, and there are already 30 bands lined up, with more coming.

Headliners include the king of all that is beautiful, Andrew Bird (playing the Festival Theatre at the Krannert Center!), Okkervil River, and Champaign's own Headlights (no REO Speedwagon, sadly). The best of the C-U indie scene is represented, with the previously blogged-on Casados and soon-to-be-blogged-on The Beauty Shop, along with Elsinore, Shipwreck, Coco Coca, The Tractor Kings, etc. I'm perhaps most excited about finally seeing Denison Witmer, a friend of Sufjan (and thus a friend of mine) whose album I really dig, and who I've missed a few times already in concert. Liz Janes, another friend and former label-mate of Sufjan who opened for him when he played Urbana in 2005, will be joining in on the fun. Say, Seth at Nicodemus Agency (the producer of the festival), wouldn't it be quite a coup if we could get Sufjan to come along and join his friends here in beautiful Champaign-Urbana? Hell, while we're at it, why not Rosie Thomas (once of my newest infatuations) and Shara Worden/My Brightest Diamond as well? (Not that you haven't thought of that already, I imagine.)

I'm very excited that I'll be playing (as part of Dan Beahm & the Invisible Three's last C-U show before he moves to Boulder) with three Pygmalion bands at a show at the Canopy Club this Saturday: Corey Chisel and the Wandering Sons (listen to these dudes), Noah Harris, and Tunnels. I'll definitely give a post-concert report.

Just for kicks, here are a few bands I'd love to see come by for a visit (all of whom have played C-U before...why not again?): Margot and the Nuclear So-and-Sos, Beirut (a long shot, I know), Page France (I've missed them twice here over the past few months, doh), Akron/Family (though their concert was disappointing last time they were here), Tilly and the Wall, and Mates of State. Admittedly, there was no point to this paragraph, but a boy can dream!

So, anywho, four days of music and 30+ exciting bands, and the first fifty festival passes are being sold for the lowlow price of $35 each; after which, who knows what they'll cost. I'd argue that Andrew Bird himself is worth $35. Check out the official website here for the complete band list and ticket purchase info. Methinks you should join us in September so you can experience the great C-U music scene for yourself!