Neon Marshmallow Festival Detonates Starting NOW

By Jon Graef in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 10, 2011 7:00PM

In a few hours, one of Chicago's most unusual, singular music experiences and festivals will begin. While the future of free music in Chicago remains questionable, experimental music is absolutely thriving. Through three nights (down from four last year), Neon Marshmallow combines drone, ambient, noise, psychedelic and experimental acts from across the country and around the globe.

Highlights include Mountains, the Brooklyn-based ambient-folk act on Chicago label Thrill Jockey; local act Lichens , from performer Robert A.A. Lowe; Pitchfork favorites Oneohtrix Point Never; electronic pioneer Morton Subotnick; and Pelt, the Madison-based psychedelic folk act.

Of course, there's many, many more acts to check out over the course of the weekend. The full schedule is below. While you're at it, buy a fundraiser cassette and help support this unique festival.

Friday - Doors open at 6 pm
Screening of Experimental ½ hour film
C V L T S
Spiral Joy Band
Baker/Colligan/Zerang
James Plotkin
Mountains
Rene Hell
White Rainbow
Lucky Dragons

Saturday - Doors open at 6 pm
Screening of selected animated Alice Cohen
Leslie Keffer
Dylan Ettinger
Sword Heaven
Outer Space
Sickness
Bill Orcutt
Oneohtrix Point Never
Pelt

Sunday - Sonic Celluloid at Neon Marshmallow - Doors open at 2:30 pm
David Daniell
Lichens
Sam Prekop

Sunday - Main program - Doors open at 6 pm
Film screening begins
Tiger Hatchery
Beau Wanzer
Sick Llama
Mike Shiflet
Telecult Powers
Pulse Emitter
The Rita
Morton Subotnick

Go to the Acid Marshmallow website to check out videos from last year's fest. Or, peep some videos below: