Middlewest Fest 2011 Grows Up in DeKalb

By Eric Hehr in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 11, 2011 9:00PM

The Egyptian Theater - Dekalb, IL. Photo by Eric Hehr

Middlewest Fest took place this past weekend, attracting both national and local acts to DeKalb, IL. The annual music fest prides itself on not being genre-specific, accepting everything from solo-acoustic acts such as Mark Rose to Talking Heads cover bands such as This Must Be The Band.

The fest is set up like a miniature version of SXSW in Austin, spreading itself all over bars, clubs, cafes, and theaters in downtown DeKalb. Over the years, Middlewest Fest has grown in both size and popularity, and in the process the event has morphed from a music fest to a celebration of all arts, embracing mediums such as film and jewelry.

Headliners this year included Murder By Death, Owen, and Tokyo Police Club, but festival highlights came in the form of Chicago based acts such as Company of Thieves, Empires, and Maps & Atlases. Every year, Middlewest Fest attracts the best of the Chicago music scene, and while many attendees come for the headliners, the real draws to Middlewest Fest are the Chicago acts.

Unfortunately, the location of the festival puts a hindrance on its accessibility to Chicagoans, but many people make the trek via the Metra to avoid traffic and save gas money. Paul Freley, a music enthusiast from the Lakeview area, takes the Metra from Ogilvie Transportation Center to DeKalb every year to catch Middlewest Fest.

"It's a hike from the North Side of Chicago all the way to DeKalb, but if you plan your weekend ahead of time, it’s easy to hop on the train. My commute is about two hours each way, but it's cheap and reliable. Middlewest Fest is a small festival compared to the likes of Lollapalooza and Pitchfork, but it’s much more concentrated. All the acts are great, and they get great Chicago bands every year."

For more information on Middlewest Fest, visit http://middlewestfest.com/