Boomslang (music festival): Difference between revisions

Boomslang
Boomslang
	The Boomslang snake eyes logo
Genre	Music festival
Frequency	Annual
Location(s)	Lexington, Kentucky (2009–Present)
Years active	16
Inaugurated	2009
Most recent	23–25 September 2011 ; 20–23 September 2012
Website	boomslangfest.com

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Revision as of 23:41, 9 January 2014

This article is about the music festival. For other meanings see Boomslang (disambiguation).

Boomslang: A Celebration of Sound & Art is an annual multi-venue music festival in Lexington, Kentucky, organized by the University of Kentucky's college radio station, WRFL. The festival is an extension of WRFL's mission to provide a platform for non-mainstream, non-commercial music and other programming not found elsewhere in the region, featuring a variety of artists from both the region and from around the world. Genres tend to be experimental in nature, but have included everything from alternative rock, post-rock, electronic, hip hop, punk rock, metal, and psychedelic rock bands. Other festival features have included dance performances, local craft booths, fashion and art installations, workshops, literary events and film screenings, with a special focus on the artists and arts organizers that make Lexington unique.

Boomslang is primarily volunteer-run, relying on the efforts of WRFL staff members, led by WRFL's student directors.

Etymology

The name "Boomslang" was chosen in 2009 by a committee looking for a catchy word, after the highly venomous snake found in Africa. The coloration and "snake eyes" in the festival logo, designed by WRFL art director Robert Beatty, were inspired by the boomslang snake.

History

Creation

The inaugural 2009 festival was conceived and organized by WRFL DJs in the attempt to highlight Lexington's unique venues, artists and organizations, with an emphasis on the local counter-culture which WRFL has nurtured since its inception. The lineup included a couple of nods to the 1960s and 1970s with German krautrock pioneers Faust and masters of psychedelic Tropicalia Os Mutantes. The line-up was heavy on psychedelic and post-rock music, also including Mission of Burma, Papa M (the solo project of Slint guitarist Dave Pajo), The Black Angels, Bardo Pond, a mixed media presentation by Mark Hosler, a founding member of Negativland. The line-up also included the first live collaboration between Lexington-based Casino Versus Japan and Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox (aka Atlas Sound),^[1] who would later tour together in 2010.

Another key concept behind Boomslang is the inclusion of non-musical features, including a 2009 circus-themed fashion show and a carnival scene that took place in the parking lot of one of the primary venues, stretching the boundaries of traditional rock culture. The 2009 and 2010 events also included a tent for display of locally-made art for sale, games, and information tables for political and environmental non-profit groups promoting counter-culture and political awareness.^[2]

Satellite Events

Boomslang strives to provide a platform for Lexington's left-of-center creative community, hosting a number "satellite events" organized by various local artists and organizations. In addition to those listed below, Boomslang has hosted a Dorkbot workshop on how to make your own music instruments.^[3]

Stars with Accents

Each year Accents, a WRFL radio show for literature, art, and culture, has hosted Stars with Accents, a literary celebration supported by the Kentucky Women Writers Conference and The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. Stars with Accents has featured readings by authors such as Crystal Wilkinson, C.E. Morgan, Sallie Bingham, and more.^[4]

Neighborhood Series Fashion Event

Boomslang has teamed up with the Lexington Fashion Collaborative to bring innovative local fashion and art to the festival, with the second annual installation of The Neighborhood Series.^[5] Last year’s Neighborhood Series took place at Land of Tomorrow Gallery, a gallery owned and operated by University of Kentucky College of Design professors, and included eight installation pieces with coordinating fashion-forward costumes that reflected eight locally-owned businesses. The materials used to create the works of art came straight from each business’s trash.

Queerslang

Boomslang 2011 marked the inaugural event of Queerslang, an all-day, multi-media, entertainment and education-based event, which strives to lift up the local, LGBTIQQA community. The mission of Queerslang is to create visibility for the LGBTIQQA community and to highlight shared interests in music, art and performance with the whole of the Lexington community.^[6]

Queerslang provides free "skillshare" workshops, film screenings in addition to the Queerslang dance party. Workshops are hosted by touring and local artists and speakers, and cover a variety of subjects both geared to the LGBTIQQA community and to a broader arts community. Skillshare workshops have covered such topics as safe sex, turntablism, tattoo art. Film screenings at the 2011 Queerslang included special guest Meredith Heil from UC Santa Cruz, who showcased her short documentary, "Whistlin’ Dixie."

Kid-friendly Music

Boomslang has hosted two kid-oriented concerts, organized by the host of Ages 3 and Up!, a WRFL show geared toward kids of all ages. 2010's kid-friendly event featured children's artist and ukulele player Heidi Swedberg, perhaps best known for her role as Susan on Seinfeld.^[7]

Film

Boomslang has teamed up with local film-oriented institutions Lexington Film League and KET to incorporate film into the fest, including a 2010 screening of "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" in the parking lot of the venue Buster's. Many other artists have incorporated film and video projections into their performances, including Sound/Vision, offthesky, Wooden Shjips, and Strangers Family Band.

Doomslang

Beginning in 2012 and also done in 2013, Boomslang started a spin-off set for one of the stages entitled "Doomslang". This set features bands primarily from the doom metal scene though other heavy metal genres have been incorporated. Saint Vitus headlined the first year along with White Hills, Weedeater, Author & Punisher and Sourvein. Pallbearer headlined the 2013 edition with Thou.

Boomslang Lineups by Year

2013

Blonde Redhead

Clinic

BODY/HEAD

Saul Williams

ADULT.

Youth Lagoon

Com Truise

The Blow

Bleached

Chelsea Wolfe

Pallbearer

Thou

Cunnin Lynguists

Grails

Marnie Stern

Scout Niblett

No Joy

Heatsick

Pop. 1280

ITAL

Inter Arma

Pure X

Dope Body

Locrian

Dent May

Idiot Glee

Graham Lambkin/Jason Lescalleet

Fielded

Jamaican Queens

Young Widows

Nemo Achida

A Tribe Called Lex

Ancient Warfare

Jeanne Vomit Terror & Ed Sunspot

Carl Calm

Motherplant

Potty Mouth

(OHLM)

Too Many Drummers

Electric Citizen

Mayonnaise

2012

The Jesus & Mary Chain

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel)

Negativland

Futurebirds

Girl in A Coma

Oneohtrix Point Never

Weedeater

The Music Tapes

The Apache Relay

Author & Punisher

Buke & Gase

The Younger Lovers

São Paulo Underground

Five Knives

Sleeping Bag

William Tyler

Gary War

Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang

White Hills

Hive Mind

Dinosaur Feathers

XAMBUCA

Merkaba

Sourvein

2011^[8]

Horseback

Woodsman

2010^[9]^[10]

Rangda (featuring Ben Chasny, Chris Corsano, and Sir Richard Bishop)

Wooden Shjips

His Name Is Alive

Wolf Eyes

Thee American Revolution

Burning Star Core

Casino Versus Japan

Phantom Family Halo

Sapat

The Barry Mando Project

Blood Carries Disease

Brothertiger

City Center

Cymarshall Law

Devine Carama

Deluxin’

Diminished Men

DJ Warrenpeace

Everyone Lives Everyone Wins w/ Ghost Affirmation

Paul K & the Weathermen

Ford Theatre Reunion

Global.Ken

Ian Thomas

Jews and Catholics

J. Marinelli

Jovontaes

Jozef van Wissem

Loose Change

Lucky Pineapple

March Madness Marching Band

Milyoo

Cheyenne Mize

Mr. Daybony

Naam

The Nativity Singers

The N.E.C.

Nemo Quotidian

Pezhed & the Blipsquad

Psychic Steel

R. Keenan Lawler

The Royal Batfangs

The Seedy Seeds

Silverware

Sound/Vision

Soft Opening

Spooky Qs

Stampede

Heidi Swedberg

Tiny Folk

Warmer Milks

Vee Dee

The Web

Zak Riles

WRFL DJs

2009^[11]

Rachel's (Rachel Grimes)

Negativland (Mark Hosler)

Teeth Mountain

Burning Star Core

Lush Life

Tiny Fights