”This festival is designed to promote unity in the music scene that desperately needs it. Dallas, Fort Worth and beyond. I hope it helps.”
That’s how Wanz Dover, the guy behind the Stereo on Strike blog, is describing the sixth Melodica music festival, a three-day fest held in five venues in the Expo Park area. Some 64+ bands are slated to perform including The Frenz, Faux Fox, Sydney Confirm, Red Monroe, Happy Bullets, DJs Select, Sober and Nature and a heck of a lot more bands and DJs. Venues include minc, Fallout Lounge, Sloppyworld, Avenue Arts and the Amsterdam Bar with an all-ages show scheduled on the last day at Club Dada. So I guess there is a little bit of Deep Ellum in there, too.
The festival will run February 22 to February 24. Expect to pay cover at most venues, but three-day passes allowing entrance at all events will be available for $25. However, only 300 day passes will be sold. Tickets went on sale this morning and can be purchased at Good Records, The Amsterdam Bar, Fallout Lounge, minc and at any Sloppyworld event until the festival.
Via phone, Dover expressed both enthusiasm and frustration as reasons for bringing back his festival that originated in Denton. He said, “Booking agents downplay really incredible talent down here. Every single act playing Melodica is as good as a national act.”
He also mentioned that he came out of retirement to do this and hope it is will be “the impetus to light the match under the ass of the underground scene again. Promoters really didn’t do their job and that’s why Deep Ellum is dying.” So why Expo Park? He explained it by saying, “It’s probably the perfect storm. It’s the last stance for any underground scene in Dallas. Actually, (there are) still pretty intelligent artists and filmmakers and musicians there.”
Dover has some high hopes for this event as he speaks of what it could mean for the city and for the music scene.
“If it doesn’t have something like this, it’s just going to die.” -- Rich Lopez
