ROCKchester organizers bid adieu with week-long streaming festival
Monday marks the beginning of the end for a local, grassroots musical success story, as the ROCKchester music festival kicks off its fifth and final year with a series of live-streamed shows.
After its beginnings as a one-day showcase of Rochester’s youth musicians in 2016, the festival blossomed into a regional celebration of 20-something musical talent, hosting Minnesotan standouts like Vansire and Early Eyes. Before Covid-19 struck, the plan was to pack Rochester Civic Theatre’s Black Box in mid-June — but in response to the pandemic, the festival is now entirely virtual.
For the next week, bands from across the upper Midwest will cycle through Carpet Booth Studios, starting Monday with Minneapolis-based acts VIAL and NATL PARK SRVC. Music starts every night at 6 and 9 p.m. and will continue for eight days, until headliners Yam Haus and Bad Bad Hats finish the festival on July 28.
The festival will be live-streamed on ROCKchester’s Facebook and YouTube pages. More information — including links to the festival’s virtual art gallery — can be found at rockchesterfestival.com.
Disclaimer: Med City Beat reporter Isaac Jahns is the co-director of ROCKchester.
Cover photo: Gully Boys / submitted
