Now in its fifth year, the Pygmalion Music Festival, happening September 16 – 19, 2009 in Champaign-Urbana, Ill., has emerged as a surprising player in what seems like an endless sea of new music festivals across the nation. Combining the ease and cred of festivals such as SXSW or CMJ, with a humble, gentle Midwestern backdrop, Pygmalion Music Festival seeks to engage a devoted group of music fans each fall by presenting both established and emerging artists in venues no bigger than a small theater. For year number five, the festival has expanded to include over 100 performers over four days in 15 different venues taking place in two different vibrant neighborhoods in Champaign-Urbana. This year's lineup features well established mainstays, including Iron and Wine, Low, Lucero, RJD2 and The Books, alongside up-and-coming acts, such as The Antlers, YACHT, Wavves, Headlights, Japandroids, Autolux, BLK JKS, My Brightest Diamond and many more.
The Pygmalion Music Festival was conceived in 2005 after determining that Champaign-Urbana could not only support such a festival, but also develop it in a fashion that it might thrive. And thrive it has, thanks to the generous support of community businesses and national sponsors, as well as the University of Illinois' Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Since its inception, the music festival has always sought to be the bridge between the thriving local music scene and the national indie rock touring scene. In each show, there are local bands present alongside some of the finest that the nation, and the world, has to offer.
All of the shows that are part of the Pygmalion Music Festival offer tremendous intimacy, and near-perfect sightlines. Lines are short, yet shows are filled and comfortable. Located just two hours south of Chicago, north of St. Louis and west of Indianapolis, Champaign-Urbana is in a great, easy-to-reach location. The campus of the University of Illinois is easily traversed by foot, with myriad lodging and culinary options, along with a music scene with a history second to none. Even multi-platinum artists including REO Speedwagon, seminal emo-punk band Braid, nineties alternative juggernauts HUM, and awesome indie labels Parasol Records and Polyvinyl Records, call Champaign-Urbana home. In the new millenium, the community is only too excited to present what has become one of the finest fall destinations for music festivals in the Midwest.
Pygmalion Music Festival passes are $60 currently. To purchase tickets and find out more information, visit http://2009.pygmalionmusicfestival.com/
Also, follow festival news at the Pygmalion blog: http://blog.pygmalionmusicfestival.com/
Pygmalion Music Festival 2009 Schedule:
WEDNESDAY
Canopy Club:
8:30 PM — Common Loon
9:30 PM — Mt. St. Helen's Vietnam Band
10:00 PM — Owen
11:00 PM — Japandroids
12:00 AM — Headlights
1:00 AM — Physical Challenge DJs
THURSDAY
Blues:
11:45 AM — Liesel Booth
12:30 PM — Pamela Machala
Sandella's:
12:45 PM — Tracey and Tricia
1:30 PM — Stanton McConnell
2:15 PM — Cara Maurizi
Red Herring:
6:00 PM — Morgan Orion and The Constellations
7:00 PM — My Dear Alan Andrews
8:00 PM — Post Historic
9:00 PM — Early Day Miners
10:00 PM — World's First Flying Machine
Krannert Art Museum:
6:40 PM — Liz Janes
7:20 PM — Brooke Wagonner
8:00 PM — Denison Witmer
8:45 PM — My Brightest Diamond
9:45 PM — William Fitzsimmons
10:45 PM — Bob Nanna
Courtyard Cafe:
7:30 PM — Butterfly Assassins
8:30 PM — TBD
9:30 PM — Starfucker
Canopy Club:
6:20 PM — Ohtis
7:00 PM — Santa
7:40 PM — Mason Proper
8:20 PM — Company of Thieves
9:00 PM — Elsinore
9:40 PM — Joe Pug
10:30 PM — Decibully
11:10 PM — Margot and The Nuclear So and So's
12:10 AM — Maserati
1:00 AM — Lucero
The Highdive:
9:00 PM — DJ Substr8
10:00 PM — DJ Belly
11:00 PM — DJ Mertz
12:00 AM — Skream
FRIDAY
Blues:
11:30 AM — Girls Next Door
12:00 PM — Ryan Groff
12:45 PM — William Fitzsimmons
7:00 PM — The Jips
8:00 PM — Empires
9:00 PM — jigGsaw
10:00 PM — So Many Dynamos
11:00 PM — So Long Forgotten
Sandella's:
12:45 PM — Final Pygmalion Effect
1:30 PM — Matt Wagemann
2:15 PM — Kilroy et al
Channing-Murray:
6:30 PM — You and Yourn
7:15 PM — Hathaways
8:00 PM — Good Night and Good Morning
9:00 PM — Low
Red Herring:
10:30 PM — Comedians: Jon Hansen, Pat Deane, Devin Bockrath, Collin Bullock, Trey Mowder, Billi Casey, The Tuttle Brothers.
Canopy Club:
6:20 PM — Zach May and The Maps
7:00 PM — Ganglians
7:40 PM — Phantogram
8:20 PM — BLK JKS
9:00 PM — Jookabox
9:40 PM — Maps & Atlases
10:30 PM — Pomegranates
11:10 PM — The Antlers
12:10 AM — Autolux
1:00 AM — Wavves
Courtyard Cafe:
7:30 PM — Pet Lions
8:30 PM — Oceans
9:30 PM — Solid Gold
Cowboy Monkey:
10:00 PM — Angie Heaton
11:00 PM — Mazes
12:00 AM — Cameron McGill
1:00 AM — The 1900s
Mike N' Molly's:
5:15 PM — The Delta Kings
6:15 PM — The Duke of Uke
7:15 PM — The Number One Sons
8:15 PM — Tina Sparkle
9:15 PM — Gentleman Auction House
10:15 PM — Light Pollution
11:15 PM — Neoga Blacksmith
Bentley's:
9:30 PM — Village
10:30 PM — The Horns of Happiness
11:30 PM — Alpha Mile
12:30 AM — Golden Quality
SATURDAY
Parasol Records:
TBD Afternoon Sets
Exile on Main St.:
TBD Afternoon Sets
Courtyard Cafe:
5:00 PM — The Daredevil Christopher Wright
6:00 PM — Lymbyc Systym
7:00 PM — Brighton, MA
Krannert Center:
7:30 PM — The Books
8:45 PM — Iron and Wine
10:00 PM — Princeton
11:00 PM — Ra Ra Riot
Canopy Club:
9:00 PM — Physical Challenge DJs
10:45 PM — YACHT
11:30 PM — The Hood Internet
12:30 AM — RJD2
Red Herring:
10:00 PM — On Again Off Again
11:00 PM — Now Now Every Children
12:00 AM — Drew Danburry
1:00 AM — Sunset Stallion
Cowboy Monkey:
10:00 PM — Lonely Trailer
11:00 PM — The Horse's Ha
12:00 AM — Gazelle
1:00 AM — New Ruins
Mike N' Molly's:
10:15 PM — Tyson and The Friction
11:15 PM — Steel Eater
12:15 AM — Scurvine
1:15 AM — The Life and Times
Bentley's:
10:30 PM — Take Care
11:30 PM — Marmoset
12:30 AM — Mordechai in the Mirror
