Punktoberfest kicks off with music at Rhino’s, Rachael’s

Punktoberfest, the second annual two-day, all ages punk music festival kicks off at noon Saturday at Rhino’s Youth Center.

The day will begin with live music from bands including the Chode, Buttonhoof, Wringer and Tiny Teeth.

Following the afternoon show, a second set will be performed at Rachael’s Café starting at 8 p.m.

The set will feature musical acts including Twobandsfromcanada, Frankie and the Witch Fingers and Traveling.

The task of booking and coordinating with the bands was left to Mitchell Duncan.

 Duncan said he is excited to introduce Bloomington to a variety of punk music from all over the U.S.

“I picked all the bands I really like and the bands I’m good friends with,” he said. “I also made some mix tapes of most of the bands to get people excited about it.”

 “There are a lot of out-of-town bands this year, and they’re the ones that people don’t know that well and haven’t heard of, but they’re all really, really good.”

Duncan said even though last year’s Punktoberfest was not as successful as he had hoped, he is optimistic for this weekend .

He said the interest shown on the Internet and through word of mouth is more than he’s seen in the past.

“It seems like more people are going to come this year,” he said.

“More people have been talking about it on the Internet, and it’s going to help the event by splitting up the shows, like the one at Rhino’s and then having everyone move to Rachael’s. Last year, I think people got bored with staying at the same place all day.”

Along with an expected boost in attendance this year, Duncan said he feels part of the event’s success will come from the talent of the local groups.

“I don’t feel like there are tons of bands in Bloomington that are punk, but I feel like most of the bands in Bloomington are good compared to other places that I’ve lived,” he said. “There is a high quality of musicians here.”

In addition to the original sounds and performances Punktoberfest has to offer, Duncan said part of the appeal to events like this is the sense of letting loose with other festival-goers and enjoying oneself.
 
“I’ve loved going to DIY music fests since I was a teen, and that’s where I’ve met tons of my friends,” he said. “I think it’s really fun for many people all over to just have a good time and do something all weekend.”

Follow reporterOlivia Williams on Twitter @obwillia.