Mile of Music will feature 200 artists, 900 live performances and dozens of interactive education sessions during its four-day run set for August 2-5 in downtown Appleton.
On Thursday, festival organizers unveiled the annual “First 50” artists set to play the music celebration. Co-founders Dave Willems and Cory Chisel emphasized a main point of focus for organizers in the weeks ahead to work with venues and festival-goers to create a better listening experience at each of the festival’s host music venues.
The first group of 50 represents 24 states, Washington D.C. and Canada, with 30 artists new to the festival and 20 returning fan favorites. The initial list includes:
New artists:
Michigander (Midland, MI); The Sea The Sea (Troy, NY); Luke Winslow-King (New Orleans, LA); Lilly Hiatt (Nashville, TN); Melodime (Washington, D.C.); Wilderado (Los Angeles, CA); Sarah Potenza (Nashville, TN); The National Parks (Provo, UT); Pert Near Sandstone (Minneapolis, MN); The Hooten Hallers (Columbia, MO); Zane Carney (Los Angeles, CA); Vesperteen (Columbus, OH); McKinley Dixon (Richmond, VA); Carson McHone (Austin, TX); Pierce Edens (Marshall, NC); Fox Grin (Nashville, TN); Girl Blue (Albany, NY); The Brothers Footman (Indianapolis, IN); Sam Burchfield (Atlanta, GA); Abby Jeanne (Milwaukee, WI); Small Houses (Flint, MI); Heather Maloney (Northampton, MA); AJ Ghent [j-ent] (Atlanta, GA); The Talbott Brothers (Portland, OR); The Right Now (Chicago, IL); Skyway Man (Nashville, TN); India Ramey (Nashville, TN); Jesse Ray and the Carolina Catfish (Grand Rapids, MI); Jubal (Knoxville, TN); C2 & The Brothers Reed (Lexington, KY)
Returning artists:
Terra Lightfoot (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada); The High Divers (Charleston, SC); JC Brooks Band (Chicago, IL); Frederick the Younger (Louisville, KY); Caleb Hawley (New York, NY); The Crane Wives (Grand Rapids, MI); Smooth Hound Smith (Nashville, TN); Captain Ivory (Nashville, TN); SZLACHETKA (Nashville, TN); Dan Rodriguez (Minneapolis, MN); The Suitcase Junket (Leverett, MA); Cory Chisel (Appleton, WI); Adriel Denae (Appleton, WI); Maybe April (Nashville, TN); Caleb Caudle (Winston-Salem, NC); Christopher the Conquered (Denver, CO); Bishop Gunn (Natchez, MS); Mo Lowda & The Humble (Philadelphia, PA); Amasa Hines (Little Rock, AR); Fort Frances (Chicago, IL)
The festival blankets the one-mile stretch of Downtown Appleton over the extended weekend with live music at 70 different indoor and outdoor locations, showcasing original roots music from indie and up-and-coming performers.
Several festival staples from years past will return this year, including First Songs, the Mile of Music Bus, the Singer-Songwriter Salute, an expanded number of Performance Pop-Ups and the popular Chisel-hosted A Song Before We Go showcase, where a medley of artists share a farewell song to close out the final day.
The Music Education Team from Lawrence University will also be back to organize dozens of interactive, hands-on activities for attendees, ranging from world percussion events to instrument workshops and songwriting sessions.
The artists showcased at the music festival are not household names, rather they are typically undiscovered or unsigned performers who are traveling the country while building a name for themselves, according to Dave Willems, Mile of Music’s executive producer.
“Our niche is in showcasing artists you may not know, but should,” Willems said. “We’re honored that we can create this opportunity for these artists to connect with so many appreciative music fans.”
Another 150 acts will be announced over the next six weeks to round out the roster by June 1, with the full schedule of dates and times to follow by mid-July. For more information, visit www.mileofmusic.com.
