The founding principle of Homegrown Fest is that it showcases Texas talent, so it's noteworthy that a quarter of the 12-band lineup hails from elsewhere this year. Homegrown Fest co-founder Josh Florence says the festival has been planning to evolve in this way for some time.
"We will always have a strong contingent of Texas bands at Homegrown Fest and we've been open to booking bands from outside of Texas the past few years," Florence wrote to the Observer in an email. "This year it all fell into place very organically."
It can definitely be argued that the move serves Homegrown's original concept, since the ability to attract well-regarded national acts such as these into a Texas-dominated lineup is the ultimate compliment to our state's music.
Plus, seven acts on the lineup come from not just Texas but Dallas in particular. Tripping Daisy, Motorcade, RC and the Gritz, El Gato, Cure for Paranoia, Lizzie Boredom and Greg Schroeder are all Dallas artists. Lower Dens isn't counted in this group, but founding member Jana Hunter is from Arlington. And White Denim will represent Austin.
Tripping Daisy's Tim DeLaughter, who has played Homegrown before with his other band the Polyphonic Spree, is clearly passionate about the festival's mission and his band's place within it. In the press release announcing the lineup, DeLaughter recounts the early days of Tripping Daisy, which started in Dallas 28 years ago.
"We jammed around the neighborhood with other musicians, played house parties, etc. We played an open mic at Club Dada, from that night forward we continued to play clubs around Dallas. We were literally 'homegrown,'" he says. "In the years of touring, we always took local bands with us, despite what the labels wanted. We were dedicated to spreading the gospel of our hometown bands. I can't think of a better place to play a Tripping Daisy show other than Homegrown Festival. It embodies everything we were about."
Florence emphasizes that even the non-Texas acts Homegrown has booked this year have strong ties to our state. He attended Coppell High School with Greg Hughes of Still Corners, which is now based in London. "Aside from Porches, who we're all huge fans of, the rest of the lineup are either from Texas or have heavy ties to Texas," Florence says. "This year's lineup has opened doors and we intend on booking national acts in years to come."
Homegrown's full lineup is as follows:
Tripping Daisy (headliner)
MUTEMATH
White Denim
Lower Dens
Porches
Still Corners
Motorcade
RC and the Gritz
El Gato
Cure for Paranoia
Lizzie Boredom
Greg Schroeder
Music wise, the lineup is mostly pop and rock, but singer-songwriter Greg Schroeder will offer something softer and Cure for Paranoia and RC and the Gritz will provide a change of pace in the way of R&B and hip-hop.
Homegrown Fest, Saturday, May 13, Main Street Garden Park, 1902 Main St. Tickets, $50 for general admission and $100 for VIP, are on sale now at homegrownfest.com. Children under 10 get in free and pets are allowed.
