What used to be known as the Champaign Music Festival has undergone a name change and one hell of a lineup revitalization. Mariposa Music Festival takes place in Downtown Champaign this Saturday with two stages — one at the intersection of Main and Neil, and another at Walnut and Chester. The two stages are close enough to one another that patrons will be able to bounce back and forth to catch their favorite acts, but some tough decisions may have to be made.
Headlining the festival will be Champaign-Urbana’s very own Braid. Mariposa falls pretty perfectly in Braid’s world — as this week brought the release of the band’s first full length album in 16 years, No Coast, and they will be riding a wave of recent national media attention into their hometown this weekend. As you most likely are aware, Braid was a huge part of the midwest emo scene in the late 90s, but this band is a bit different than you might remember from back then. These guys are grown adults now and No Coast is far from child’s play.
Paste’s take on the new record was an interesting one, stating “No Coast is first and foremost an unapologetically hook-laden album, rippling with clever lead guitar runs, smart time changes and whip-crack tempo shifts.” The new material is more mature and better executed than most might expect, and even moreso than past releases. After years of performing on and off, and more regularly in recent memory, this version of Braid remains the one we know and love, but with this being 2014, obviously things are different. This new album is sure to please longtime fans as well as bring some new ones into the fold. Do yourself a favor and spin (or stream below) No Coast before heading out on Saturday to catch their set.
Moving on through the lineup — PHOX is a band that resides in Madison, and they are currently on tour in support of their debut album. They will be warming up the stage for Braid and are definitely worth checking out — and take a peak at their new video for their track “Kingfisher” while you’re at it.
Other acts that will be coming in from out of town to perform include Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound from Milwaukee, Jessica Lea Mayfield from Ohio (which Chris Davies spoke with yesterday), in addition to Chicago bands Cornmeal and Moonrise Nation.
One of the national acts that will be performing on Stage Two is Jessica Lea Mayfield, as she’s another artist receiving a lot of media attention as of late. Her latest release Make My Head Sing is somewhat representative of early 90s grunge and a departure from her past records. She’ll be hitting the stage later in the evening at 9 p.m.
Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound is a band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Paul Cebar is somewhat of a radio personality in Milwaukee and has been a presence in the local music scene there for many years. He will be bringing his band, Tomorrow Sound, and the blues to the streets of Downtown Champaign.
Moonrise Nation is a female trio that delivers songs chocked full of great harmonies and heartfelt lyrics about love loss and heartache. This young band is just coming off a tour supporting Yuna, and a notable appearance at Milwaukee’s Summerfest on July 3rd as part of the Emerging Artist Series.
The first time I ever heard of Cornmeal I was standing in line at a coffee shop in Woodstock, Illinois waiting to order a sandwich when I noticed their cd on the display rack. Unfortunately, I did not purchase that album on that day but I wish I had. That was many years ago and the obvious hard work that this band has put in since then is paying off. Cornmeal is a staple at many festivals and they will be bringing their bluegrass inspired jam music to Mariposa Saturday night.
Perhaps the most beneficial thing about having festivals like this take place here in Champaign is that our local musicians get to join these national acts on the same bill, and this time around The Curses and Common Loon get that privilege.
If you have been paying attention to what has been going on here in town over the past few years you have probably heard of The Curses, and may have possibly had the chance to enjoy a set or two. They are a five piece band that mixes a little bit of jazz and a little bit of country, and the end result is a big sound. Common Loon’s psych/dream pop will come second on the stage where Braid is performing, and we’re still anxiously awaiting the release of the record they’ve been working on to follow up 2010’s The Long Dream of Birds.
Mariposa is bringing together an eclectic cast of musicians and will likely draw a big crowd so make sure you show up early. This festival boasts a top notch lineup right here in downtown Champaign and it’s free, which should place this event at the very top of everybody’s “what to do” list this weekend.
SCHEDULE
STAGE 1 @ MAIN & NEIL STREET
6:15–7:00 p.m. — MOONRISE NATION
7:30–8:15 p.m. — COMMON LOON
8:45–10:00 p.m. — PHOX
10:30 PM–12:00 p.m. — BRAID
STAGE 2 @ WALNUT & CHESTER STREET
6:00–6:45 p.m. — THE CURSES
7:15–8:30 p.m. — PAUL CEBAR TOMORROW SOUND
9:00–10:15 p.m. — JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD
10:45 p.m.–12:00 a.m. — CORNMEAL