Local arts and music collective Raw Paw does things right. We hold a deep admiration for the collective’s commitment to up-and-coming, interesting artists and bands as well as their ability to throw a killer party. Each year, when ACL rolls around, the good folks at Raw Paw provide a cost efficient, full-day mini-festival that features a diverse bill of bands. This year will be installments 6 & 7 of their Ditch the Fest series and will be hosted at Empire Control Room on October 4th and 11th. That’s right, Raw Paw will be out at Empire control Room partying both weekends of ACL.
If you’ve ever been to a Raw Paw event, you know what to expect: multi-sensory stimulation in the form of art installations, games, colorful lights, and a lot of happy people, not to mention the incredible bill of bands the group always manages to assemble. This first weekend of Ditch the Fest will include sets by Tele Novella, BXPLTN, Sip Sip, Chipper Jones, Big Bill, Cross Record, and many more. We can’t tell you how epic this lineup is. Did we mention it’s only $5?
Beyond all the fun, the art, and all the outstanding music, Ditch the Fest serves another important function by reminding us that music doesn’t need to be on a 15 foot tall stage and played to 100,000 people to be meaningful and significant. In fact, mega-festivals in all likelihood make music less meaningful as most of the crowd watches the performance on a jumbotron. Ditch the Fest offers a much more intimate environment–one that centers on friends, on community, and on truly experiencing music. You can see full schedule and set times and get more info on the event’s Facebook page here. Below you can stream songs by many of the performers for the first weekend of Ditch the Fest.
