The inaugural PromoWest Fest in Columbus, Ohio, kicks off today, July 15, focusing its attention on “adult album alternative” artists who will perform on three stages over the course of three days. Although Walk The Moon, Mac Miller and Tears for Fears pulled out of their participation in the festival — for health reasons — the event features a variety of internationally lauded bands and artists (around 30) , including Ryan Adams, The Flaming Lips, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Brand New and Modest Mouse, as well as regional acts like RJD2 and Way Yes.
Ghettoblaster will be in attendance for portions of the festival and below are a few of the acts we are most excited to see:
Ryan Adams: During Adams’ early- to mid-career you weren’t exactly sure what you were going to get a mind boggling performance or one that showcased sometimes manic stage banter and behavior. By all accounts, the times we’ve encountered Adams he’s been at the top of his game and all indications are that age and experience have made him a must see. Additionally, his recent self-titled album and track-by-track cover record of Taylor Swift’s 1989 are in constant rotation for us.
PUP: Their sophomore album, The Dream Is Over, surfaced in May after a hugely ambitious run in support of their debut, and some vocal cord cysts that threatened to sideline singer Stefan Babcock. Fans of Weezer and other pop punk and emo staples will immediately recognize the energy and strength behind the band’s songwriting which is both tongue-in-cheek and spitfire.
Modest Mouse: The indie/punk, slightly hippie-ish band from the northwest were a force to be reckoned with when we first saw them live in the ’90s, and though we admit that we haven’t seen them since that era, this is the “must see” band for us. Singer/guitarist Isaac Brock has grown to songwriter legend status over the last few decades and are so well respected that even The Smith’s Johnny Marr briefly joined the band. That speaks volumes in our eyes and we can’t wait to see how age has made them even more fierce.
(For more information, visit: http://www.promowestfest.com/.)