Sitting in a bright orange booth at Rocket's Pizza, they discussed their goal for Labor Day Weekend: to orchestrate the biggest BloomingtonFest ever to take over the streets of a not-quite-sleepy college town. But still, this town is one that needs a kick every once in a while to get it going. \nIt seems appropriate that with music posters plastering the walls of the pizza parlor, a group of friends coordinating this year's event gathered. They agree that no single person made this year's BloomingtonFest -- it took a small group to bring together a large community.
An idea is born\nSteve Duginske, who created BloomingtonFest several years ago, relocated to Atlanta shortly before last year's festival. Unsure of the future of the fest and ready to relax and simply enjoy the ride, Duginske made no promises about the future of the fest at the time. Most people thought it was Duginske's last show in Bloomington. \n"He's been saying it's his last show for the last five years," laughs photographer Andrew Hutchison. "I think it's been like eight years."\n"I wanna go to shows and not do them," Duginske replies. \nBut this year, Duginske's ideal BloomingtonFest will come alive. "I've always envisioned it to be this way," he says. "Last year was the closest I'd ever been. I've always said I always want art. I always want this, I always want this."
The visual arts\nTwo art exhibits are part of this year's fest. Eric Weddle of Family Vinyard records organized a collection of Bloomington concert posters ranging from the 1960s to today. Mike Klinge and Matthew Meyer of Dirty Scarecrow Productions put together an exhibit of nine artists. Last year, the foundations were laid for this exhibit when Duginske and Klinge had a conversation about the fest.\n"Last year, I helped them make fliers, and he was talking about how there was supposed to be an art exhibit last year," Klinge says. \nFrom there, Klinge recruited artists he knew from the Bloomington area and friends who do artwork. Though the exhibit opened Monday, it will be open during the festival. It features many different mediums including painting, sculpture and photography from nine different artists. \n"We have two photographers that pay the bills with their photography. But there's no specific theme," Meyer of Dirty Scarecrow says.\nHutchison, a 1997 IU graduate and a featured photographer in this year's fest, will have some of his skateboarding photography and some of his other photography on display. Since 1993, Hutchison's artwork has been on the pages of Thrasher, Big Brother, Slap and Heckler.\n"I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do (when I graduated), but I knew I wanted to travel," Hutchison says. So, he bought a good camera suited for the job when he got out of school and headed for California. Since then, he has traveled all over the country and has featured more than what's in California.\n"If you're not in California, it's hard to get the pros and the main people. But I get some," Hutchison says. "I'm always for the underdog. Everywhere else is the underdog, everybody deserves coverage, no matter where you live."
The sound of music, the power of film\nUnderdog filmmakers will have a chance at exposure, too, through the Lost Film Festival during its stop in Bloomington. More than 14 films will be shown at Secret Sailor's Books, 202 N. Walnut St.\n"A lot of the films are produced by regular people scraping money together to put a film out," says Rebecca Rakstad, representative from Secret Sailor. Like the Dirty Scarecrow art display, the Lost Film Festival will feature great variety, both in the length of the films and the subject matter. \n"Scott is really influenced by music, and I think there is a close tie between them," Rakstad says. "There are two different forms of media, but they feed off each other."\nDuring the entire weekend, various art forms will have a chance to feed off of each other. Three events offer something other than music, and six venues will be filled with over 60 bands playing at the fest. And for the first time, Second Story and the Cellar Lounge will become an official part of the festival, something Duginske has always wanted.\nHe also wants to see people from the fest filling the streets of Bloomington, all here for the same purpose. \n"Stuff like this always happens in every other city. It's the same feel, but it's not an industry-driven fest," Duginske says. "It doesn't matter if Spin is here or if Alternative Press is here or if the biggest indie label is here signing bands."\nFrom the beginning, it hasn't been about cool indie record labels and hip music magazines aimed at 18- to 24-year-olds giving it some sort of edge. Duginske says BloomingtonFest has been about getting everyone involved locally and keeping everything within the community.\n"That's been the theme every year -- having fun and being together with people who all pretty much have the same same interest in art and music and community," Duginske says. \n"I played last year, and I had so much fun that I wanted to be involved," Klinge, of Dirty Scarecrow, says. "I had gone to South By Southwest for the first time last year, and when I came here it was the same feel. Everyone's running around in their wristbands talking about the music."\nA wide range of bands from electronic to acoustic to straight up punk rock will fill the venues. In the past, some people have broadened their music interests by attending the fest. \n"I'm not really into this sort of music and I got a lot out of it last year," Meyer says. "It was the music. It was stuff that I hadn't heard, because I just automatically discounted things in that realm. It opened my eyes."
Who's next?\nDugisnke feels he's opened the eyes of many and accomplished what he's wanted for the fest since the idea first came to him. He's ready to see the bands he loves instead of booking them. That's why after this year he's leaving it in the hands of others.\n"I know this will be the last year. It will be. This is perfect closure for me. They can do it," Duginske says motioning to his friends. "It would be perfect if someone else did it. Then I could come to it."
Thursday, Friday schedule
Thursday, August 30\n• The Waldron Arts Firebay\nPious Companion (6:15-6:45)\nPanic Strikes a Chord (7:15-7:45)\nAnnika Bentley (8:15-8:45)\nThe Winter Blanket (9:15-9:45)\nImpossible Shapes (10:30-11:00)
• Rhinos \nLove X Calvin (6:45-7:15)\nThe Post (7:45-8:15)\nDave Fischoff(8:45-9:15)\nPanoply Academy Leg.(9:45-10:30)\nMileMarker (11:15-12:00)\nSecond Story (21 and over)\nEven Homer Nods (12:00-1:00)\nMy Morning Jacket (1:30)\n \nFriday, August 31\nAll Ears Music (3:30-5:30)\nDrekka & Justin Volmer
• The Waldron Arts Firebay\nOkkervil River (6:30-7:00)\nDon Lennon (7:30-8:00)\nRichard Youngs(8:30-9:00)\nJune Panic & His Silver..(9:30-10:00)\nDanielson Famile (10:30-11:15)
• Rhinos \nLittle Joe Gould (7:00-7:30)\nRed Shirt Brigade (8:00-8:30)\nThe Vida Blue (9:00-9:30)\nThe Firebird Band (10:00-10:30)\nThe Faint(11:15-12:00)
• Second Story (21 and over)\nFeel Alright! productions \npresents A Space Party w/ dj's\n \nSaturday September 1\nWarehouse (12:30-2:30)\nSpokane,Dave Fischoff & TBARhinos \nRise Over Run (2:15-2:45))\nDevil Is Electric (3:00-3:30))\nThe Sissies (3:45-4:15))\nClark (4:30-5:00))\nBiddy Biddy Biddy (5:15-5:45) \nThe Potomac (6:30-7:00) \nLefty's Deciever (7:30-8:00)\nAloha (8:30-9:00)\nCasket Lottery (9:30-10:15)\nSmall Brown Bike (11:00-11:45)
Waldron Arts Firebay \nScout Niblett (6:00-6:30)\nBevel (7:00-7:30)\nSongs: Ohia (8:00-8:30)\nManishevitz (9:00-9:30)\nRacebannon (10:15-11:00)
Cellar Lounge (21 and over, sorry)\nDirty Scarecrow Productions presents\na post fest party TBA
Sunday, September 2\nPark TBA (12:30-3:30)\nKICKBALL
Rhinos \nSaraswati (4:00-4:30)\nLetters In English (4:45-5:15)\nLove Sick (5:30-6:00)\nThe White Octave (6:30-7:00)\nJohn Wilkes Booze (7:30-8:00) \nxBxRx (8:30-9:00)\nSwearing At Motorists (9:30-10:15)\nUnwound (11:00-12:00)
Waldron \nManners For Husbands (6:00-6:30)\nOlo (7:00-7:30)\nPatrick Phelan (8:00-8:30)\nEarly Day Miners (9:00-9:30)\nUnwed Sailor (10:15-11:00)
