BLED FEST 2017 Festival • Page 12

Tomorrow we get everything else. Last year it was around noon.

 

What was the post-Feb announcement last year, do you remember?

 

I'll go through and edit this post when I find it!

Kevin Devine
Jeff Rosenstock (dropped)
Somos
Watermedown
Convictions
Citycop
Artifex Pereo

Citizen announced they were playing after their show on March 11th passed through Michigan. The rest were locals.

 

In just a moment, in the comments of this thread, we're going to roll out the lineup for this year's festival in alphabetical order, with some notes + stories about some of the acts. It's gonna take a little bit, but I figured it'd be a lot of fun, so stay with me for a little bit, and we'll get started in just a few minutes!

 

In alphabetical order, here is the lineup with notes added...

1. A Year in New York - One of the hardest working bands we've ever met. A few months ago, I (Nate - Fusion Shows) sent an email to a bunch of local bands, encouraging them to make some waves this winter and schedule some big headlining shows. They did just that, and sold out (in advance) a 400 capacity room, the Loving Touch, something a "local" band rarely if ever has done in the past. They're great, and we're so excited to have them on the bill!

2. Alchemists - I admittedly don't know a ton about these guys, but they come highly recommended in the Detroit DIY scene, so I'm excited to see what they're all about!

3. Alcoa - Derek from Defeater's cool ass side project. He hit me up directly and said "Hey, can we play?" Yup, yup you can.

4. Alistair Hennessey - VERY cool band from Minneapolis on No Sleep Records. Hadn't heard a lot about them, but I checked it out, and we all dug it, so here they are! Think Manchester Orchestra, Brand New, etc.

5. amateur eyes - If you haven't heard the 2015 release "I", it's one of the best Michigan records of the last few years. John and friends destroyed last year, and we had to have them back.

6. American Opera - What's anything without our boy John Bee? One of our closest friends, he's been through some shit, but finally will release his new record to the world this spring. It's amazing, he's amazing, and it's going to be great to have him back!

7. As We Divide - One of the hardest working, most well put together Detroit acts in the scene, and mixing in a little edge to what's admittedly not a very heavy lineup this year. Really excited to work w/ these guys!

8. Backpacks - These guys have gotten SO good. Admittedly, early on in their existence, I wasn't really into them, but they've grown so much, they work so hard, and are such a positive part of the mid-Michigan community.

9. Baggage - Jono and friends are making strides and have staked their claim as being one of the coolest bands in emo/punk. Really grateful for my friendship with Jono (we need to disc golf soon), and hoping that this is a big year for them.

10. Bamfomania - These guys are going to bring the party. Most of you are probably unfamiliar, but they're some of our favorite dudes, bringing a high-energy dose of party hip-hop to the lineup!

11. Bear vs Shark - Last year, one of our dreams came true. BVS came back and did a bunch of shows. We did 3 of them, and it was THE BEST. This was kind of a last minute booking for the festival, and it personally put the lineup over the top for me. I might stage dive for the first time. Watch me.

12. Bike Tuff - Always a pleasure to work with these guys. One of the most underrated bands in punk, this Kalamazoo 4-piece has been bringing the rock for years. Excited to have them back!

13. Cayetana - SO excited for this one. I've never seen them play, but their reputation proceeds them. Gonna be a huge set.

14. Charmer - Gotta represent with someone from the U.P. There's some real momentum in their camp, and the shows we've had them on or seen them at, they've destroyed.

15. Chase Huglin - One of the most genuine dudes I know. Excited to see him continue to grow.

16. Chris Farren - So excited to have an internet persona such as Chris on this year's festival. I think he's just going to tweet to a screen for a half an hour. Maybe he'll play a few songs. I don't know. He's great.

17. Convenient, trash. - Way to use punctuation in your band name, nerds. Love these guys. Eisley loves them too. They had to come back.

18. Del Paxton - Really cool indie rock acts on Topshelf Records. Excited for their BLED debut.

19. Diet Cig - This might be the coolest set of the festival. If the Front Bottoms like them enough to take them on tour, that's all that needs to be said really.

20. Drowned Out - They used to be called Alaska, but then there was this other band that everyone thought we were announcing. They've played the festival like 19 years in a row, but they're local dudes, they help us every year, and they like hockey. And they're so fucking good.

21. Ellis - They're so great. Harmonies in high supply. So excited for our friends to continue to grow!

22. Free Throw - I feel like these guys have been on everything lately, so it only makes sense they come back for another year.

23. Full Monty - Love these guys. Livingston County transplants, some of the nicest folks in the world! If you haven't seen them lately, it's really, really good!

24. Good Pictures of Bad People - New, cool, Livingston County act. I think Nick LaForge is in like 32 bands. This is one.

25. Grey Matter - Nick's also in this one. And Jake. And Mack. Maybe they'll do a Giraffe Attack cover. I love them, they're so much fun live.

26. Heart Attack Man - These guys have had a damn stressful last couple of months, completely losing their album. But they found it, and they're rolling it out on Triple Crown Records soon! The songs they've posted so far are REALLY good.

27. Homesafe - I finally saw them live for the first time last month at the Pike Room. Holy shit. So, so good live. Excited to see this set pop off.

28. Impartial Hearts - Somehow in my first run through all the hundreds of submissions, I missed these guys. They're from Livingston County, which gives them an advantage, but they're also doing REALLY cool shit. For fans of Modern Baseball, etc.

29. Into It. Over It. - Evan's playing solo this year. We'll put him on an intimate stage, and he's gonna play the sensitive jams. But then he'll rock a little later with his other band.

30. Jahshua Smith and the Race Card - Long time Lansing-area rapper that put out a record that will blow your mind called "Fourth Wall". I promise. Go check it out. You will dig if you like stuff like Chance The Rapper.

31. James Gardin - Another member of the BLAT! Pack from Lansing, James is one of the best dudes in our local community, and his raps are so inspiring. Check out "Gold". This is James' year.

32. Jesus Piece - Will probably be the rowdiest set of the festival. They're so nasty. I love it.

33. JOYS - Sometimes, I just get a submission that's music that I dig, regardless of what seems to be "hot" or whatever. These guys are a relatively new band from Kalamazoo, doing some really, really cool shit musically. And that's what it's all about in the end. Will turn some heads this year.

34. Koji - Rumors are that a new record is coming, that he might bring a full band, but one thing's for sure, I know where to go to get the best hugs at BLED FEST. Andrew's family to me, and no BLED FEST is complete w/o him!

35. La Dispute - What can be said about LD that hasn't already? They're some of my best friends, and I'm so proud of what they've done over the years, since we first started doing shows together, before Fusion Shows ever existed. They're going to play their incredible record "Wildlife" in entirety, and sprinkle in a few more of their best jams at the end. They're headlining. I'm so proud, and couldn't be more excited.

36. Man Mountain - This is the one James Radick is most excited for, I think. Post-rockers with a massive sound. Can't wait, always a pleasure to work w/ these guys.

37. MEAT WAVE - SO DAMN COOL. That's all I have to say about them. They're so cool.

38. Mover Shaker - Meh. I kid! They might be my favorite "local" band right now. So creative and talented. I love them. We all love them. You should too.

39. Nice Try - From Bloomington, IN. Played their asses off at a house show where James and Erica from our team were hanging. Saw their submission, and they were voted in unanimously. Cool band, check em out.

40. Nnamdi Ogbonnaya - This is definitely one of the sets we're most excited for. The creativity flowing from this individual is inspiring. Going to be real, real hype.

41. Parkway & Columbia - When a band can't get you a promo shot because "there's no real lineup for the band, it changes all the time", you know that creativity is valued. I think there was like 8 of them on stage last year. Excited to see what they have planned this year!

42. Pet Symmetry - Evan's bringing a band, just not the one he usually does. So excited that this worked out. Pet Sym is so, so good.

43. Petal - We were so sad when Kiley had to drop the birthday show, we made sure that we could get her back for BLED this year. Their set was next level at the Kevin Devine/Pinegrove show back in December.

44. PWR BTTM - This might be the set of the festival. The excitement around this group is so high right now.

45. Ratboys - WE LOVE THIS BAND. So excited to bring them to BLED this year!

46. Rival Summers - From the early days of RS, Leo has been a vital part of the Michigan music family. He shows more heart than anyone I know, and his new record is a tour-de-force of dancey pop music!

47. Safe to Say - Excited to have these guys back, haven't seen them in a while! They're so damn good.

48. Second Best - Might be currently the hardest working band in Michigan. Never mind how good they are live, they earn their spot on every show just by hustling and being a positive part of their community.

49. Shapes & Colors - All these years, we've worked w/ these guys like 300 times, but they've never played BLED. We changed that this year.

50. Shortly - Alex is so humble, and it's so great to see all the eyes looking her way. This set promises to be one to remember.

51. Silver Age - What a cool band. Hadn't listened to them before their submission, and was blown away. Happy to see them for the first time!

52. Slingshot Dakota - Mistakenly said in a previous post that this was their first time on the fest. It's their second. Happy to have them BACK! So, so good.

53. Southpaw - Great pop/punk/rock band out of Muskegon area. Get on board, things are starting to happen for them.

54. Speak Low If You Speak Love - Ryan's been such a great part of everything in Michigan for so long, and with State Champs doing so well, it's great to see him still using Speak Low as an outlet and a connection to the local community. I think it's going to be full band, but we're not 100% sure yet. It's gonna be great either way!

55. Spill - Coming out of the eastern Pennsylvania awesome-band-factory, these guys have a great team built, and released a really cool new record called "The Best Ten Songs You Will Ever Hear In Your Life" in December 2016 on No Sleep Records. They'll be touring to/from the festival with Alcoa.

56. Stay Away - Another pleasure to work with on local shows recently, they're working their asses off. Excited to have them!

57. Stefanie Haapala - A very important voice in Michigan's music community right now. So excited to see her at some bigger events this year!

58. Super Whatevr - Don't sleep on these guys. Big things coming, you'll be able to say "we saw them first on a tiny stage at BLED FEST".

59. Sweat - This one's going to be real rowdy too. They're so wild, excited to see them rip a gig at BLED this year.

60. Tancred - Here's a big one. I'm a huge Now Now fan, so that alone makes me excited for this. But Tancred is developing its own following with Jess's introspective songs. Real excited for this.

61. The Cardboard Swords - Their set on D last year was one of the festival's highlights. Can't wait to see them again!

62. The Dirty Nil - Had them for two nights supporting Billy Talent last fall, and they're SO good. Straight ahead Canadian punk rock.

63. The Fall of Troy - Couldn't believe this one when it came together. They'll play Manipulator in full. Shit is going to be rowdy. Let's go.

64. The Flatliners - Their set a couple of years ago was one for the books. Always a party when the Flatliners hit the stage.

65. Tidal - Some of our favorite folks in the Michigan music community. Been really great to see them grow over the past few years. Check out the new EP, "Here Goes Nothing".

66. Vagabonds - Luke has this really great thing going on and is such a vital part of the Grand Rapids DIY scene. Happy to have him and his band on this year's fest!

67. Vital Sea - David's one of the most friendly people you'll literally ever meet, and he's such a ray of sunshine in the Saginaw area and beyond.

68. Wildhoney - These guys are incredible, on Topshelf Records, and poised to be one of the sleeper sets at this year's festival. So excited to have them!

AND THAT'LL DO IT FOR NOW! Help us out, as we start sharing the lineup poster everywhere! Invite friends, tell people what you're excited for, and support your favorite local artists! Thanks so much for all the positive feedback on everything we've announced so far this year. There might be 1 or 2 last minute small things added here and there, but this is everything for now! SEE YOU IN MAY!

 

Hey look I actually guessed one of them right! Looking forward to checking out American Opera. I used to love Your Best Friend but I've never seen AO.

 

If anyone needs recommendations, I'm here to serve.

 

I wanted one more band to be really excited about and The Dirty Nil fit that perfectly. So stoked to see them at Bled, I hope they have a decent crowd

Also hope this means they're doing US dates with The Flatliners

 

yayyy nnamdi that's so dope
dude is so incredibly talented

 

missed del paxton as well! good for those boys!

 

Tancred playing is so awesome, so excited for that

 

They originally said there would be 72 bands. I wonder if 4 more will get announced. Maybe more locals.

 

Looks like Island of Misfit Toys dropped?

 

Yeah was about to say that ^ I was excited to check them out, I've heard a lot of great things

 

Still holding out hope that Jeff/Antarctigo get added later but I doubt it

 

Talked to a friend and they dropped for personal reasons.

 

Ugh, why does my brother have to get married on May 27th?! The wedding is in Cincy (and I'm in it) so looks like I'm sitting this out.

 

As long as La Dispute, PWR BTTM, The Flatliners, IIOI, Chris Farren and The Dirty Nil don't conflict I will be a happy guy. Lots of bands I'm excited to see that would be easy to decide between besides those.

Tons of bands I want to see though:

La Dispute
Bear vs. Shark
PWR BTTM
The Flatliners
IIOI
Diet Cig
Cayetana
Speak Low
Pet Symmetry
Free Throw
Petal
Meat Wave
Chris Farren
Slingshot Dakota
Tancred
Jesus Piece
Alcoa
Koji
Safe To Say
Ratboys
Heart Attack Man
The Dirty Nil
Del Paxton
Spill
American Opera
The Cardboard Swords
Bike Tuff
Baggage

 

best additions at the end were wildhoney, nnamdi, del paxton, and spill

 

missed tancred too

 

Cool lineup that gives me a TON of new bands to check out in addition to some I'm already very into. Good thing my spring break is coming up in a couple days, I'll have lots of time to dig into this lineup some more.

 

28 bands I want to see and I'll only maybe get to see half. That's a bummer haha

 

Okay, this lineup has SO much to unpack, but here we go...

La Dispute
Bear Vs. Shark
PWR BTTM
Into It Over It
Diet Cig
Speak Low If You Speak Love
Pet Symmetry
Free Throw
Petal
Chris Farren
Tancred
Jesus Piece
Alcoa
Koji
Chase Huglin
Ratboys
The Dirty Nil
The Cardboard Swords
Mover Shaker
Second Best
Baggage
Backpacks
Grey Matter
Shortly
Vagabonds
Vital Sea

26 bands. And that's not even including bands I haven't checked out yet. Fuck.

 

Baggage
Bear vs. SHark
Chris Farren
Del Paxton
Diet Cig
Into It. Over It.
Koji
La Dispute
Nnamdi
Pet Symmetry
Petal
PWR BTTM
Shortly
Slingshot Dakota
Spill
Tancred
The Fall of Troy
The Flatliners
Wildhoney

Very solid year.