DC Music Fest | DC's very first Local Music Festival arrives this May

You'll be hearing plenty about the DC Music Fest in this spot in the months to come, so some official background and information is in order. —Ed.


The wait is finally over. An annual music festival dedicated solely to celebrating the wealth and diversity of music talent in the Nation’s Capital has arrived! The all new DC Music Fest showcases the next generation of DC area music talent, as well as established acts, across ALL music genres in one unmissable day. Taking place on May 7th, 2011, at the newly-renovated The Yards Park, this inclusive, all-ages, open-air festival is set to transform Washington, DC’s South East waterfront into a local music mecca.

Uniting a stellar array of bands, DJs and singer-songwriters across multiple genres, DC Music Fest connects the best of Washington, DC’s music scene into one cohesive event. Headline acts include Billboard World Song Contest Winners Honor By August and acclaimed experimental hip-hop band Restoring Poetry in Music (RPM), with support from blues quintet Kelly Bell Band and hard rockers Along Those Lines. Guinness Battle of the Bands winner The Chris Collat Band will be opening the festival after competing against 16 other local bands to win the chance to perform at this prestigious event.

Born from a love of local music, the DC Music Fest was founded by music industry entrepreneurs Jonathan Chevalley and Ashley Estill. Chevalley says: ‘‘Over the years I’ve heard many people talk about the need for DC to have its own local music festival. After meeting Ashley, we finally took the initiative to make this happen. We really want to increase the status and support of homegrown talent in the area, and also provide an opportunity to improve the city’s creative retention. Washington, DC is a great place to live with a vibrant and eclectic music agenda. We need to celebrate this!”

All Washington, DC area musicians are encouraged to submit their music for performance consideration via the DC Music Fest website. The festival’s complete line-up will be announced in the following months.