The first and only Mudtown Music and Arts Festival happened exactly 10 years ago this week. It grew out of the OTHERfolk festival which happened in response to my dissatisfaction with a local festival which shall remain unnamed. I had no idea how to run a festival and that the 2013 Mudtown Music & Arts festival was the first and only one is testimony to my ignorance. But, what I did know and have was a group of really great friends and people who love music and wanted to see something happen in our time that was a little less milquetoast than that other festival that shall remain unnamed. We continued to host bands and put on festivals after the Mudtown Music & Arts Festival, but they were never quite as big. The following year’s lineup included Godspeed You Black Emperor offshoot, Thee Silver Mt. Zion and our little backwater town just wouldn’t have it. Tickets didn’t sell and we had to cancel rather than lose our shirts. I’m really fucking proud of what our group of little misfits did. This town ain’t still seen nothing like it.
Thanks to all the friends, volunteers, artists and musicians who helped make Mudtown happen.
BTW. Mudtown only starts north of 15th St. East. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Josh
Here’s a great photo set from John Fearnall over at Goodnoise, which spurned this little post: https://goodnoise.ca/galleries/music/mudtown-music-arts-festival/