Stuart’s Opera House presents the 14th annual Nelsonville Music Festival, May 31-June 3, 2018 at Robbins Crossing on the campus of Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio. The second round of lineup announcements for NMF18 includes: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (headlining on Saturday, June 2), The Black Angels (headlining Thursday, May 31), Nick Waterhouse, The Gories, Blueprint, Michael Hurley, Bedouine, The Weather Station, Michael Nau, Haley Heynderickx, Bill MacKay, and Justin Gordon.Many more bands still to be announced! Four days of music featuring over 60 bands on multiple stages all weekend long with camping, kids activities, artisan vendors, food, beer garden, and much more. Weekend passes for all four days are on sale now for $140 (with no fees), and the price will go up as we get closer to the festival weekend. Weekend passes for Nelsonville residents and teens are only $70, and kids 12 and under are free. Camping passes and VIP weekend passes to the festival are also on sale now. Tickets will be going up in price soon. Tickets and more information can be found nelsonvillefest.org or by calling (740) 753-1924.
The Nelsonville Music Festival welcomes the legendary George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic as our Saturday night headliner! Recording both as Parliament and Funkadelic, George Clinton revolutionized R&B during the ’70s, twisting soul music into funk by adding influences from several late-’60s acid heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and Sly Stone. Clinton has received a Grammy, a Dove (gospel), and an MTV music video awards, and has been recognized by BMI, the NAACP Image Awards, and Motown Alumni Association for lifetime achievement. Clinton’s Parliament / Funkadelic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. In reviewing Clinton’s illustrious career and success as a producer / writer/ performer, perhaps his greatest achievement stemmed from his relentless dedication to funk as a musical form. Funk as a musical style had been around for what seems like forever, deeply rooted in the music traditions of New Orleans and the Blues of the Deep South. Following the lead – and commercial success – of James Brown and Sly Stone, Clinton took Funk to new heights, blending elements of Jazz, Rock, Pop, Classical and even Gospel into his productions, eventually developing a unique and easily identifiable style affectionately called “Pfunk”. Clinton’s inspiration, dedication and determination resulted in the elevation of “funk” music to complete recognition and acceptance as a true genre in and of itself.
The Black Angels studio discography earned rapturous attention, their live show elevated the music to new and ecstatic heights. On stage, The New York Times said, they “play psychedelic rock as if the 1960’s never ended, and they are absolute masters of it.” The band toured with everyone from The Black Keys and Queens of the Stone Age and Wolfmother, in addition to backing psych pioneer Roky Erickson, taking over the airwaves with electrifying television performances on Letterman, Conan, and ACL, and slaying festival crowds at Coachella, Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock, Primavera, and more. As if performing wasn’t enough, The Black Angels co-founded their own festival called Levitation (formerly Austin Psych Fest), which has grown into one of the best-reviewed and most expertly-curated musical gatherings in the country, hosting everyone from Brian Wilson to the Jesus and Mary Chain since launching in 2008. The band’s newest release is 2017’s Death Song.
Billboard has called Nelsonville Music Festival “one of the best kept secrets of the U.S. music festival circuit”, and in our 14th year NMF continues to gain fans who want a music festival with a more personal experience. Set in the beautiful rolling hills of Southeast Ohio, this intimate festival offers live music from a variety of genres on multiple stages from national, regional, and local acts. Catch live music on multiple stages: NMF features a main stage, a picturesque Porch Stage, the intimate No-Fi Cabin featuring artists performing with no electricity, and our FREE Boxcar Stage with music performed from an old train car turned into a stage backdrop and mural. The Nelsonville Music Festival strives to have a positive impact on our community and environment and we are a Zero Waste event, diverting over 92% of the waste created at the festival from the landfill in 2017 with recycling and composting. All kids 12 and under are free and the festival features a huge kids area with activities all weekend. The AV Club and Ohio Magazine have named NMF as the “Best Music Festival in Ohio”, and Time Out Chicago has called it “one of the Midwest’s best festivals”. Past performers have included Wilco, The Flaming Lips, Willie Nelson, Ween, Loretta Lynn, Gillian Welch, John Prine, The Avett Brothers, They Might Be Giants, Randy Newman, Merle Haggard, Iron & Wine, Yo La Tengo, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Courtney Barnett, and many more. The Nelsonville Music Festival is a production of Stuart’s Opera House, a historic, non-profit theater located in Nelsonville that features over 75 events a year including live music, theater, films, educational programming and more. You can find out more about Stuart’s by visiting stuartsoperahouse.org.
Stuart’s Opera House presents the 14th annual Nelsonville Music Festival, May 31-June 3, 2018 at Robbins Crossing on the campus of Hocking College at 3301 Hocking Parkway in Nelsonville, Ohio featuring George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (Saturday), The Decemberists (Friday), Ani DiFranco (Sunday), The Black Angels (Thursday), Alvvays, Kevin Morby, Mission Temple Fireworks Revival featuring Paul Thorn & Blind Boys of Alabama, Nick Waterhouse, The Gories, Middle Kids, Colter Wall, Earthless, Blueprint, Antibalas, Wooden Shjips, Michael Hurley, Charlie Parr, Sunflower Bean, Bedouine, The Weather Station, Michael Nau, Haley Heynderickx, River Whyless, Shannon Lay, Twain, Counterfeit Madison, Bill MacKay, Justin Gordon, and many more artists still to be announced! Tickets and information are available at nelsonvillefest.org or by calling (740) 753-1924. You can also find the Nelsonville Music Festival on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
