Main Stage Schedules

Instead of depending on national touring acts and marquee names to attract teeming crowds, the Bucktown Arts Fest’s music stages are proud to put the spotlight on the remarkable musicians who live in and perform around Bucktown and its surrounding neighborhoods. Our diverse music lineup offers a range of musical styles from blues to bluegrass, jazz to indie rock.

2012 Main Stage Schedule

Saturday, August 25, 2012

1:00 pm - Snow Ghost

2:30 pm – Bill MacKay & LeRoy Bach

4:00 pm - Tim Menard and the Flying Nowakowski Brothers

Tim Menard and the Flying Nowakowski Brothers have been rocking the Chicagoland area since 2003. Yes, they’re really brothers, and some say they’ve seen them fly. From local bars to nationally known clubs, college campuses to festivals, the Chicago Marathon to Wrigley Field, these guys have energized audiences with their unique sound which has been compared to U2, Steve Earle, and REM.

5:00 pm - Bunkertown

Mark has been a part of the Chicago music scene for over a decade and is currently working on his second album. His music is a mutt of folk, rock, blues and ragtime country. Mark’s inspirations may include his grandfather, his new hometown of Hammond, or the restaurant he ate in last week.

6:00 pm – Wussy

Here’s what famed rock critic Robert Christgau wrote about the Cincinnati-based Wussy in a long and loving essay: “Wussy have been the best band in America since they released the first of their five superb albums in 2005, only nobody knows it except me and my friends… But in 2012 they’re determined to hit the road and get over the hump. If you see their name on a bill within driving distance, check them out and buy some merch. Bring your friends, even. Wussy can’t go on forever without you, and they deserve to.” This is the only Chicago date on their 2012 tour.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

1:00 pm - Naomi Ashley Band

Intimate, plainspoken, gorgeously sung songs drawing on American folk, blues and country traditions which surge with all the contradictory impulses of real, imperfect life.

2:00 pm - The Puffins

The Puffins are 4-piece band made of Kurt Page (Guitar/Vocals), Alex Hall (Vocals), Jennifer Silverstone (Violin/Mandolin), and Benjamin Marx (Double Bass). The band is based on the collaborative songwriting of Page & Hall, who met while in college at Ball State University and began writing songs together in Chicago in the winter of 2010. The duo added Silverstone and Marx, and began work on their first full-length at Bob Dog Studios in Oak Park, IL. Their debut album, “Shade of Blue” was recorded in the summer of 2011, and released Jan 1st, 2012.

4:00 pm - Meet the Head

After a lengthy hiatus spent working on their new record, El Kindergarten Nino, Meet the Head is taking on Chicago stages again. Drawing on numerous influences (Camper Van, Talking Heads, Pavement, Belle & Sebastian), Meet the Head offers a distinctive blend of pop/rock influences: a touch of twang, a shade punk, even a hair folk-like. Propelled by a locomotive rhythm section, the songs are hook-heavy, lush in harmony and lyrically inventive.

5:00 pm - About a Girl

About A Girl is a Chicago-based band led by vocalist/guitarist, Gabriel Chapman. The band’s music is a blend of folk, rock, country and latin sounds. Gabriel’s voice is often compared to Damien Rice and David Gray, and the band’s sound has been described as beautiful and organic. Their latest album is called twoheartsone.

6:00 pm - For Pilots

For Pilots is a straight-ahead, all-original rock/folk trio that crosses traditional music genres with a powerful punch. The band derives from various ensembles that have been playing on the Chicago music scene since the early 1990’s.

2011 Main Stage Schedule

Saturday, August 27, 2011

1 pm – For Pilots

2:30 pm - Knockdown String Band

The Knock Down String Band is a Chicago based Bluegrass group which features Casey Stockdon on Banjo, Jon Williams on Mandolin/Guitar, Andy Pennington on Fiddle/Guitar and Jamie Wagner on Bass.

4 pm - Sewing Machine

Continuing in the great tradition of rock and roll, The Sewing Machine steals from everyone and everything. Their bastardized interpretations of folk sounds ride on a current of experimental rock sensibilities. Songs are sometimes concise and sometimes sprawling, but the chaos is tempered by craft. Nothing is sacred here, but every tool is used to express a feeling or a moment.

5 pm - Kid Million

Kid Million combines the best of indie pop, stadium rock, and power pop for a bombastic sound that recalls a little Jane’s Addiction, early Smashing Pumpkins, glam rock, shoegazer, and the Beatles. The eclectic mix, held together by David Singer’s rasping vocals, a strong sense of psychedelia, and a Latin-tinged horn section, make them truly stand out in the crowd.

6 pm - Tim Menard and the Flying Nowakowski Brothers

Sunday, August 28, 2011

1 pm - Trevor McSpadden

Treavor McSpadden brings the country western rhythm and roots of Texas to Illinois.

2:30 pm - Naomi Ashley Band

Intimate, plainspoken, gorgeously sung songs drawing on American folk, blues and country traditions which surge with all the contradictory impulses of real, imperfect life.

4 pm - The Lonesome Organist

The Lonesome Organist One Man Band has been asserting his kuluckishness from 1996 to the present. He is also the inventor of the Mitten Drumstick™ and perpetrator of the Solo simultaneous genre.

5 pm - The Damn Choir

The Damn Choir’s use of guitar, cello, vocals and drums, along with Gordon Robertson’s introspective lyrics, create songs that range from meandering and melancholic to pulsing and vengeful.

6 pm - Bunkertown