MusicfestNW

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MusicfestNW (MFNW) was a multi-venue music festival that took place every fall in Portland, Oregon from 2001 to 2018. In 2014 the format of the festival changed to a two-day waterfront music festival. The festival was organized by the alternative weekly Willamette Week. Its sister festival, TechfestNW (TFNW), was founded in 2012.

History[]

In 1995, the creators of the South by Southwest festival partnered with the Willamette Week to create the North by Northwest Music and New Media Festival. In 2001, the owners of the Willamette Week decided to end the festival, and replaced it with MusicfestNW, which was run entirely by them.

At its height, MFNW was the third largest indoor music festival in the United States, with more than 150 bands across 18 of Portland's most popular music venues. The main festival stages included the Crystal Ballroom, Roseland Theater and Doug Fir.

In 2009, MFNW was rated by Time as one of 50 Authentic American Experiences of 2009.[1] That year, the festival drew over 15,000 fans with performances by Modest Mouse, Bad Brains, Mayer Hawthorne and Sunny Day Real Estate.

In 2010, MFNW took place between Sept 9-12 and featured over 200 bands including The National, Portland-based The Decemberists and Major Lazer.

In its 10th year the festival added Pioneer Courthouse Square, MFNW's first outdoor venue. MFNW also combined Portland's love of food and music with an event featuring The New York Times favorite Bunk Sandwiches.

Danny Brown at MusicfestNW 2015

In 2012, MusicfestNW expanded with the creation of Portland Digital Experience (PDX), which would later be renamed TechfestNW. The event featured two days of programming that showcased Portland's startup, mobile, social, and open-source creators. PDX ran throughout the day preceding MFNW's nightly musical offerings. Featured speakers in 2012 included Evan Doll, Andrew McLaughlin, Aaron Draplin, Maggie Vail, Dave Allen, Mike Thrasher, and Sam Adams. On the music side, MFNW 2012 showcased more than 175 bands across 16 venues, and more than 34,000 attendees. Performers included Girl Talk, Beirut, Passion Pit, Silversun Pickups, Dinosaur Jr., The Tallest Man on Earth, Yelawolf and The Hives.

In 2014, MusicfestNW was transformed into a two-day outdoor festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, featuring two stages and 18 artists. Taking place August 16–17, 2014, MusicfestNW showcased performances by Spoon, Girl Talk, Haim, Phantogram, Run The Jewels, Future Islands, and more.

In 2015, MusicfestNW added a third day of festival programming. The festival took place August 21–23 and featured performances by Modest Mouse, Foster The People, Beirut, Danny Brown, Belle and Sebastian, and more.

In 2016, MusicfestNW teamed up with Project Pabst to present "MusicfestNW Presents Project Pabst", which took place at Portland's Waterfront Park on Aug 27-28 and featured performances by Duran Duran, Tame Impala, Ice Cube, Ween, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Drive Like Jehu, and more.

References[]

  1. ^ Tucker, Reed (July 13, 2009). "50 Authentic American Experiences in 2009: Oregon". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on July 17, 2009. Retrieved July 24, 2011.

External links[]

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