As we continue making the rounds of our 2012 festival schedule, we’re very honored to be a part of the Bunbury Music Festival in its inaugural year. Being at a large event in its first year is always an exciting thing and Bill Donabedian and his team have put together a lineup thats sure to please fans from all walks of life.

Set in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio at Sawyer’s Point & Yeatman’s Cove, the weekend long extravaganza features the headlining talents of Jane’s Addiction, Weezer and Death Cab for Cutie, plus dozens of other bands that you probably know and love and a few more that will win you over by the time you leave. If you’re not familiar with Bill’s work in the area, he is the co-founder of MidPoint Music Festival, a weekend long, citywide showcase that has grown to be one of the most coveted and widely attended in the country. MidPoint 2012 is scheduled for September 27th – 29th this year and recently announced Grizzly Bear, Sleigh Bells and Dirty Projectors as headliners. He and his team also played a crucial role in managing and programming evens at Fountain Square, one of the coolest areas in Cincinnati and definitely a must-see for out-of-towners.

Enough about all that though. I’ve got numerous reasons to be excited about this one and I felt like I could share those with you in hopes that you’ll pull some dollars from between your mattress and buy you and yours a ticket and join in on the festivities. Here’s just a few reasons why I’m looking forward to getting back to Cincinnati and covering this brand new fest:

#1 Reason I’m Excited to Go to Bunbury

Cincinnati – After working a handful of shows there and making a small group of friends, I got to know the city a bit and fell for it. Skyline Chili is damn good, the scenery is beautiful, and I’ve happened to meet some of the nicest people I know just from hanging out there. One thing that definitely won me over was that despite being home to one of the worst neighborhoods in America, there is a huge group of compassionate and hardworking people that want to improve their city and make arts, culture and community at the forefront of everything. I was at a show once and I saw a homeless man wearing jorts and Asics and dancing from and center for Pomegranates. He was definitely homeless and was having the time of his life and no one seemed to care. While I’m fairly sure that won’t be the same case for their set this year, the whole point of this is that Bunbury looks to be an awesome festival in an equally progressive city. Thumbs up, you Cincincinatians..

#2 Reason I’m Excited to Go to Bunbury

The Lineup– Three chart-topping headlining acts, 100+ bands on 6 stages. That’s a pretty good start for ayear-one event. I think easily I’m most excited about seeing Dan Deacon again. I remember the first time I saw one of his sets was at that massive, sweaty festival in Tennessee and it was without a doubt a high point in my life. While Deacon’s music might be too much for some people, he effortlessly roped a somewhat stubborn crowd in and had everyone there going through the motions of one of his famous participation routines. Aside from Deacon, Ra Ra Riot, RJD2, Kevin Devine, Maps & Atlases, The Deep Dark Woods and Passion Pit are high on my to-see list. Bunbury made sure to take care of some of Ohio’s finest and upstart bands to watch so expect stellar sets from Pomegranates, Emily & The Complexes, Belle Histoire and more. In the mean time, check out DD’s new single from America, out in August.

#3 Reason I’m Excited to Go to Bunbury

TechBury, Inkerton & the ecoMarketplace – Aside from the music, I personally think a memorable festival experience comes from the things to do when you’re not glumly standing around (or dancing). Bunbury has created three unique environments to cater to just about any interest you could have. TechBury is a unique event where anyone looking to succeed in the tech world can compete against each other for a chance at some serious cash and bragging rights. Teams go head-to-head pitching why their product/service is going to be the next big thing and must win over the audience in order to proceed to the next bracket. Inkerton is an area of the festival grounds where artists and print shops can set up and display and sell their work (or give it away if you’re nice enough), as well as network with other companies and put their own unique touch on the Bunbury theme (bees?). If you find your stomach grumbling or want to stay hydrated with cold beers or even learn about cutting down the amount of waste you produce each year, a conveniently located ecoMarketplace

#4 Reason I’m Excited to Go to Bunbury

After Parties – Music at the festival has to wind down around 11:00pm but the party is set to go on at Cincinnati’s top restaurants, clubs and bars. After parties are a crucial part of any city festival, whether they take place in the parking lot or on a rooftop and the Bunbury crew are lining up events each night to follow the festival with more entertainment to bring up the Sun. I’m hoping there winds up being some sort of bee-themed drink if they haven’t made one yet. Full details haven’t been announced yet but that’s not that big of an issue. After all, they’re after parties. Make it spontaneous.

#5 Reason I’m Excited to Go to Bunbury

Low Ticket Price – The folks behind Bunbury have obviously put together a long list of reasons why you don’t want to miss out on the festivities but if you still need convincing, look no further than their ticket prices. For a three day festival with 100+ bands, you can’t really beat $46.00 for one day and $93.00 for the entire weekend. If you’re the frugal type, there’s no reason why you couldn’t do the whole weekend  and have a blast for the price some of the larger festivals going on this year. Plan ahead, call up friends in the area (if you’ve got them) and try and network with people in the area about lodging. If you feel like having the full experience though, Bunbury has supplied a long list of suggestions for camping, hotel-ing, and parking. I think for even the most avid out of state traveler, it would be pretty easy to make this weekend work on $250.00 total. Not bad at all.

 

And now, to make your day much, much better, Foxy Shazam in the official Bunbury commercial. We’ll see you there!

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