On The Map Fest 2016 Recap

Photo by Lauren Husband Photography | Tristen, an experimental singer-songwriter from Nashville, kneels as she sings during her Friday, March 25 set.

The odds were against an unprecedented alternative-indie music festival happening in Fayetteville. The budget timeline the organizers had was short, and many of the bands playing the festival had never played here before.

But you know what? The organizers of On The Map Fest put on a hell of a good show. The attendance was robust considering the underground nature of many of the bands, and the crowd was supportive and above all else, rockin’ out the entire time.

The pace of the one-band-at-a-time festival was different, but it was relaxed and gave each artist a deserved spotlight. It was also a really cool opportunity to rock out next to band members in the audience during the other band’s sets and thank them personally for their music.

While the Fayetteville Town Center was a bit oversized for the crowds in attendance, it was also very accommodating and — more importantly — an all ages venue. One of the issues with many live music scenes, including ours, are many venues are exclusive to bars and the 21 and older crowd.

In a post-show interview with the women (and one dude) of Bleached, the Clavin sisters spoke of meeting a young girl who was at the show and it was also her first-ever rock show. They said she told them that they were now her favorite band, to which Jessica recalled how she didn’t realize she could be a rock ‘n’ roller until she saw her first female rock band as a kid.

Photo by Lauren Husband Photography | Pallbearer, a doom metal band from Little Rock, headlined Friday night at On The Map fest.

That sentiment was shared by all the bands I had the chance to speak with. They were all pleased with the turnout of supportive, engaged people, and genuinely said they hoped to return.

As for the talent, Thursday night was admittedly more in my realm, where Friday featured more alternative and metal acts. By time I arrived I had missed the Elise Davis and Mike Adams At his Honest Weight sets, but my sources tell me they were pretty good acts among the eclectic lineup.

Photo by Lauren Husband Photography Bleached, an exciting up-and-coming punk band from LA, headlined Thursday March 24 at On The Map Fest.

One of my favorite new bands Lee Baines III & The Gloryfires I thought blew it out of the water. The Water Liars just seem to keep getting better and better every time they swing through town, and Bleached brought the energy to their set. I counted about 15-20 people during their set who were dancing their asses off to Bleached.

As for Friday, I regrettably missed the Witchsister set, but I showed up in time to catch the quirky Tristen sing songs about vague, yet concise criticisms of personalities and society with lounge-singer swagger. Adam Faucett and the Tall Grass played a somehow both somber and exciting set that featured some screeching electric guitars and wailing vocals.

Photo by Lauren Husband Photography | Adam Faucett plays a free solo show at Maxine’s Tap Room on Block Street in Fayetteville Saturday, March 26. Faucett and his band The Tall Grass played an electric set the night before.

This Will Destroy You’s trippy, ambient post-rock show gave me goosebumps down my spine as the band moved from cavernous melodies to immense moments that gripped the crowd. Pallbearer, Little Rock’s successful doom metal band closed the night out with thick, sludged-out guitar riffs and distorted bass lines among eerie singing.

Fayetteville is a pretty cool town where a can-do attitude can take you pretty far, a la the Roots Festival and our robust small business economy. I hope to see much more of On The Map Fest and its style of artists as we continue to attract more of the great underground musicians that are out there.