Marvest, a free offshoot of the newly-rebranded CityFolk Festival, showcased over 40 local artists around various venues in the Glebe on Sept. 16 and 17 .
Coming into its second year of existence, Marvest saw local musicians playing in non-traditional venues including, Whole Foods and Capital Barbershop, to crowds of music fans.
The Reverb Syndicate, Average Times, and Telecomo were among many of the artists playing for Friday’s lineup. Meanwhile, How Far to Mexico, Lovegood, and Saint Clare took the spotlight on Saturday at The Clocktower Brew Pub.
Part of Marvest’s appeal comes from its unique choice of venues, according to Joe Reilly, a CityFolk media representative.
“We create venues in unusual locations where people don’t normally expect to find musical presentations,” Reilly said. “The other part of the plan is to integrate the Glebe business community in CityFolk through Marvest to make the neighborhood come to life with music during the festival. It’s something akin to the South by Southwest Festival where districts of Austin [Texas] are literally abuzz with music during that event.”
Jamieson Mackay, lead singer and guitarist of local band How Far to Mexico, said participating in Marvest was a unique experience.
“I think the most valuable part of the experience was the panels and industry professionals that MEGAPHONO brought in to interact with the local artists,” Mackay said. “I met a lot of really interesting people from all over the world who have been music professionals in many different capacities for a long time.”
He also praised Marvest for its help in developing local artists. “Being a part of CityFolk was exciting and validating,” Mackay said. “The money [also] helps us move forward with new recording projects.”
With Marvest’s second year in the bag, the free local side-festival has worked its way into becoming a CityFolk staple that will likely grow in the years to come.
