HOW TO GO
Who: Dayton Music, Art and Film Festival
When: Sept. 17, Noon-2 a.m.
Cost: $15-$35
More info: Website or Facebook
The sights and sounds designed to stimulate the mind will fill the city for this year's Dayton Music, Art and Film Festival (DMAFF), Sept. 17. The one-day onslaught of all things art encompasses four downtown locations—K12 Gallery, Blind Bob's , Gilly's and the Black Box Improv Theatre. Organizers made the decision to expand the festival from just music to art and film two years ago. This year's event has expanded even more to include improv comedy.
THE MUSIC
The festival's 12th year will feature 23 bands performing on the various stages, including Quailbones (Kentucky), Bent Knee (Massachusettes), The 1984 Draft (Dayton), Speaking Suns (Yellow Springs) and Tweens (Cincinnati). A complete list of the bands can be found here.
Notables:
- Influential indie folk artist, Paleface (New York), who's songwriting has been praised by the likes of The Avett Brothers and Beck, will perform on the K12 Main Stage.
http://youtu.be/lMW61UB_-vM
- Ever heard Appalachian Surf Rock? Athens-based D-Rays offer you that opportunity on Blind Bob's stage.
http://youtu.be/cVh1F0D_SFQ
- The Cordial Sins (Columbus) will bring their soothingly dreamy and jangly guitar pop to the Gilly's stage.
http://youtu.be/1PE0v-UZAY4
- M Ross Perkins (Dayton)—an artist clearly in love with 60s California sound, and American pop music of that era in general—will be part of the SofaBurn Records showcase on the K123 Indoor Stage. The band MGMT discovered Perkins and approached him to open for their tour.
http://youtu.be/w0zMLVmhjow
THE ART
DMAFF will also showcase the works of area artists in the K12 Gallery and Tejas in an interactive experience, including a photo booth. A special outdoor tent will display the works of The MINT Collective. Dayton's SMAG Contemporary Dance Company will also be performing.
In keeping with the interactive theme, workshops will be offered in addition to yoga and more.
THE FILMS
The Black Box Improve Theatre will present will the works of Dayton-born comedic writers Stephen and Joel Levinson. The duo will also screen the film that most inspired them- Top Secret! by the Zucker brothers. The Levinson's are also making a movie in Dayton and could use your help.
The screenings will be followed by the improvisational show Brainchild, with the Levinson brothers acting as special guests along with former Second City musical director, Trey Stone, and Black Box founder, Justin Howard. Shelly Hulce, one of the festival's organizers, said adding the art form was a happy accident.
"We were trying to find a way to add comedy to expand people's boundaries a little," she said. "We had wanted to have films on Friday (Sept. 16), but Stephen's schedule with The Tonight Show got changed and we had to move it to Saturday. Black Box was already letting us use their theater for our event, so we decided to add improv. People should know that there is good improv happening in Dayton every week."
ADMISSION
The film screening and evening of improv at Black Box Theatre is $10. The cost to attend events at both Blind Bob's and Gilly's is $15 each. Admission to K12 events is $25. However, a $35 all-access pass gets you into all the events.
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