MusicfestNW
Encyclopedia
MusicfestNW is a multi-venue music festival
that takes place every fall in Portland
, Oregon
.
and Richard Meeker in 1995 as a joint venture between Willamette Week
, Meeker and Zusman's Portland Pulitzer Prize-winning
alternative weekly, and South by Southwest
, the Austin, Texas
music festival. It was called North by Northwest until 2001, when Willamette Week took over the festival and renamed it MFNW.
MFNW has become 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 include the Crystal Ballroom
, Roseland Theater and Doug Fir.
In 2009, MFNW was rated by Time
as one of 50 Authentic American Experiences of 2009. That year, the festival drew over 15,000 fans with performances by Modest Mouse
, Bad Brains
, Mayer Hawthorne
and Sunny Day Real Estate
.
The 2010 took place Sept 18-12 and featured over 200 bands including, Brooklyn-based indie rock
band, The National
, Portland
-natives, The Decemberists
and
Major Lazer
, a collaborative musical project from DJ/Producer
s Diplo and Switch
.
In its 10th year as MusicfestNW, the festival added Pioneer Courthouse Square
, MFNW's first outdoor venue. Pioneer Courthouse Square
is often referred to as Portland's
living room. In addition to adding an outdoor venue MFNW combined Portland's
love of food and music with an event featuring The New York Times
favorite, Bunk Sandwiches.
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
that takes place every fall in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
History
MusicfestNW was founded by Mark ZusmanMark Zusman
Mark Zusman is the editor of Willamette Week, an alt-weekly newspaper based in Portland, Oregon.Along with business partner Richard Meeker, Zusman owns the paper and another alt-weekly in Santa Fe, New Mexico, The Santa Fe Reporter. Zusman has been editor of Willamette Week for 26 years...
and Richard Meeker in 1995 as a joint venture between Willamette Week
Willamette Week
Willamette Week is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon, United States. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business and culture....
, Meeker and Zusman's Portland Pulitzer Prize-winning
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
alternative weekly, and South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
, the Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
music festival. It was called North by Northwest until 2001, when Willamette Week took over the festival and renamed it MFNW.
MFNW has become the third largest indoor music festival in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with more than 150 bands across 18 of Portland's most popular music venues. The main festival stages include the Crystal Ballroom
Crystal Ballroom (Portland, Oregon)
Crystal Ballroom, originally built as Cotillion Hall, is a historic building in Portland, Oregon, United States. Cotillion Hall was built in 1914 as a ballroom, and dance revivals were held there through the Great Depression...
, Roseland Theater and Doug Fir.
In 2009, MFNW was rated by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
as one of 50 Authentic American Experiences of 2009. That year, the festival drew over 15,000 fans with performances by Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
, Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
, Mayer Hawthorne
Mayer Hawthorne
Mayer Hawthorne is an American singer, producer, songwriter, arranger, audio engineer, DJ, rapper and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, California, USA. The stage name "Mayer Hawthorne" is a combination of Cohen's real middle name and the name of the street he grew up on in Michigan...
and Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. In the 1990s, the group expanded upon the grunge style that was popular in the local scene to make a more melodic sound. While not the first band to be classified as emo, they were instrumental in establishing the genre. In...
.
The 2010 took place Sept 18-12 and featured over 200 bands including, Brooklyn-based indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band, The National
The National (band)
The National is an indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999 and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The band's lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger, a baritone...
, Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
-natives, The Decemberists
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
and
Major Lazer
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is a collaborative musical project from DJ/Producers Diplo and Switch.-Background:Made up of DJs Diplo and Switch, the two were introduced after working with M.I.A.. The duo's first album Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do was released on June 16, 2009, on Downtown Records. It was...
, a collaborative musical project from DJ/Producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s Diplo and Switch
Switch (DJ)
Switch is a UK-based DJ, songwriter, sound engineer and record producer. He is best known for his work with M.I.A. and Santigold.In the fidget house genre, Switch runs his own music label "Dubsided", as well as the label Counterfeet, established in 2006 with fellow producer Sinden...
.
In its 10th year as MusicfestNW, the festival added Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square, affectionately known as Portland's living room, is a public space occupying a full 40,000 ft² city block in the center of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States...
, MFNW's first outdoor venue. Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square, affectionately known as Portland's living room, is a public space occupying a full 40,000 ft² city block in the center of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States...
is often referred to as Portland's
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
living room. In addition to adding an outdoor venue MFNW combined Portland's
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
love of food and music with an event featuring The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
favorite, Bunk Sandwiches.