Last summer, music blogs banded together to promote 14 of their favorite bands, as well as raise money for a good cause – under-funded city music programs – at the After the Jump Fest.
On June 21, the bloggers unite again for an all-day music festival with three times as many bands and four times the stages for the second go-around.
Starting at noon, Galapagos’ two stages, the Music Hall of Williamsburg down the block, and North 6th Street on which the two venues reside will play host to nearly 40 bands, including Brooklyn acts such as the theatrical Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears, psychedelic pop rockers Chairlift and indie pop act Wakey! Wakey!.
After the Jump is the brainchild of Jennifer Kellas, who is behind the blog The Music Slut. After befriending others in the music blog community, she wanted to put a show together.
“I wanted to make this a really big show meaningful in a wider sense, not just about exposing new bands but giving back to the community,” said Kellas, who is joined by almost 20 other music blogs, including Bumpershine, Merry Swankster and The Modern Age.
Last year, the $1,000 the festival raised went to DonorsChoose.org, a fundraising site that gives funds directly to schools, for a music program in the Bronx.
“As a music blogger, I wanted to choose a charity that made sense for all of us,” said Kellas. “We thought it would be a nice way to give back to the music community and…support the next generation of musicians.”
This year, with three times the number of stages and bands involved, Kellas expects to raise more for DonorsChoose.org, as well as Education Through Music, a music charity that sets up music programs in schools that lack the funding for them.
While most of the music events are free during the day, the evening show costs admission, and there will also be raffles with the proceeds going towards the charities. This year’s prizes include two badges for CMJ, two tickets to the Virgin Mobile Festival in Baltimore, Md., a backstage VIP pass to the Siren Music Festival in Coney Island, movie passes and magazine subscriptions.
Let’s not forget the bands that will be gracing the stages at Galapagos, Music Hall and the outdoor stage on North 6th Street. With so many tastes and opinions involved in the selection, the lineup is pretty eclectic, and is comprised of bands that the bloggers have promoted on their sites and who they think are going to be really significant in the coming months.
Last year's festival boasted such rising acts as indie rockers Ra Ra Riot, recently signed to Barsuk Records, New York-based klezmer rock band Golem and rock cheerleaders Bling Kong. This year, top acts will continue to support After the Jump Fest, with early favorites being rockers Chairlift, a recent MGMT opener, playing at the Music Hall, punky five-piece The Shackeltons on the outdoor stage, and Bryan Scary and The Shredding Tears, a Sergeant Pepper-era Beatles meets Queen quintet full of catchy songs and stage theatrics, on the North 6th Street stage as well, among over 30 other acts.
A benefit for the festival will also take place in the evening at the Music Hall, featuring Health, Titus Adronicus, Pattern is Movement and Mixel Pixel, followed by a late night dance party fueled by the beats of DJ XXXchange and Project Jenny, Project Jan.
In addition to more bands and stages, this year’s festival also sees the partnership of Make Music New York, a nonprofit charity used to putting on multiple shows with their city-wide music festival at alternative venues. So grab a festival schedule and get ready to jump right in!
After the Jump is June 21, starting at noon. Shows will be held at the Music Hall of Williamsburg (66 North 6th Street), Galapagos Art Space (70 North 6th Street) and on North 6th Street between Wythe and Kent avenues. Shows are free during the day and $10 for the benefit show at 8:30 p.m. at the Music Hall.
For more information, including the complete schedule of bands, go to www.afterthejumpfest.com.