MACROCK: the Best DIY Music Festival This Side of the Mississippi

by Tess Duncan

MACROCK is the perfect way to see tons of great bands, check out a bunch of cool crafts and artwork, engage in discussions about the music industry, eat delicious cheap food, and chill out in Virginia’s friendliest city. Harrisonburg, VA (AKA “the Friendly City”) hosts MACROCK every spring, and this year it’ll be this weekend, April 5th and 6th. The fest is run by a small group of volunteers and MACROCK 16 will host over 80 bands at several downtown venues. In terms of music genres, MACROCK’s got you covered. If you folk, indie-rock, metal, punk, hardcore, and/or garage-rock, you’ll find something you like/love at this festival. Super amazing bands this year include Julianna Barwick, Slutever, Timbre, Waxahatchee, The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, Cheap Time, Roomrunner, Dope Body, Diarrhea Planet, Eternal Summers, Modern Hut, Monument, On and On, and way, way more. Click here for the full line-up! Check out some of those sweet-ass bands below:

Waxahatchee



Julianna Barwick

Slutever

Eternal Summers (Fun fact: this video was shot in birthplace of MACROCK, Harrisonburg!)

Roomrunner

Cheap Time

MACROCK’s Label Expo is the place to be for handmade crafts, vintage clothes, art, records, and tons of other DIY stuff. Local artists, Etsy-lovers, and record labels unite to make this expo diverse and awesome, and you just might spend all of your money there. Some cool vendors this year are The Campsite, thaanks, Funny/Not Funny Records, Don Giovanni Records, Carrow Vines, and Carley Oser

Visit a MACROCK panel to hear prominent figures of the industry speak on various music-related topics. BUST-ees might be interested in the Screening and Discussion of From the Back of the Room happening this Saturday, April 6th:

From the Back of the Room chronicles the past 30 years of female involvement in DIY punk, and has interviews with over 30 women from across the country, ages 17 to 40. Race, gender, sexuality, motherhood, class, and activism are all addressed in this film, giving a picture of how these women participate at every level of the DIY community, and how it affects their daily lives. Join us for a screening, followed by an open question and answer/dialogue with filmmaker Amy Oden, Michelle Northam (Sick Fix), and Alissa Straiter (Passengers).

All information regarding directions, tickets, lodging, and volunteering can be found on the MACROCK website! Stay updated on cool places to check out while you’re in the area via MACROCK’s Tumblr. And don’t forget to RSVP to MACROCK’s Facebook event here!

Photos/artwork by Gwendolyn Garrett

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Founded in 1993, BUST is the inclusive feminist lifestyle trailblazer offering a unique mix of humor, female-focused entertainment, uncensored personal stories, and candid reporting that tells the truth about women’s lives.

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