As this season of music festivals is coming to an unwanted close, there is something new still frolicking about in the water. Alongside the anticipated announcement of the rumored fall fest we have ALL been waiting for, Magnifique 2016, we came across something you may all want to mark in your calendars for next summer.
One of Seattle’s top innovators and co-founders of Microsoft, Paul Allen, has something brilliant up his sleeve for us Seattleites. In early summer, May 11-13, 2017, Upstream Music Festival and Summit will be taking over Pioneer Square and the surrounding 25+ venues in downtown Seattle. With ideas stemming from both SXSW in Austin, TX, and Treefort Music Festival in Boise, ID, Allen and his panel will be honing in on the raw musical talent of our community, and showcasing over 200 Seattle-based artists of all genres in this multi-day, multi-venue event. Said Jeff Vetting, Upstream’s executive founder and former KEXP manager:
“Nothing breaks my heart more than to have a band that started in Seattle describe itself as a ‘Los Angeles Band.’ Not all artists know how to capture and monetize those opportunities.”
Upstream Music Festival is going to be a huge turning-point for Seattle’s local musicians, that seem to get stuck in that ‘flat-lined rut’ of playing at a local bar or nightclub just to get their names out there. Allen himself even notes, “What I really want to do with this festival is support up-and-coming acts.” Upstream will be taking those artists, and then paying and sponsoring them. “There’s a whole different way to express yourself in music,” he describes. This is something that these Seattle artists definitely need to flourish in this economy, and Paul Allen is going above and beyond with Upstream Music Festival to make their dreams come true.
As for when tickets are to be released to the public, we can expect them this upcoming fall.
Important things happen in Pacific Northwest nightlife, and DMNW will send you alerts!
