(All this week, ENS writers are gearing up for the MidPoint Music Festival here in Cincinnati. Dave Tobias runs down here 5 most anticipated bands that are playing the festival this weekend!)

The MidPoint Music Festival once again hits Cincinnati this weekend, and this year, they’ve beefed up their lineup like never before. With the help of some major sponsors, including Scion, Cincinnati Bell, and none other than WOXY.com, just about every bar and club in downtown Cincinnati will be packed for three days of food, art, and the main entrée, musical showcases.

From Thursday, September 24th through Saturday, September 26th, downtown Cincinnati will have its own version of Austin’s South By Southwest Festival on its streets, and MidPoint organizers aren’t playing this year. There will be over 270 performances on 23 stages. Acts are coming from 29 states, plus a handful from countries such as Canada, England, Zimbabwe, Malaysia, and one group with members from France and Finland. I have to say, I’m thoroughly impressed with the time and effort that’s been put into this endeavor, now here’s to hoping that the sometimes fickle Cincinnati music crowd ventures out to see some of the great acts and show some support.

Here are some of the things I’m looking forward to:

Jookabox – This duo has burst onto the scene after signing a deal with Sufjan Stevens’ label Asthmatic Kitty. Hailing from Indianapolis, the group makes music in the sound collage realm of early Animal Collective, combining traditional folk elements with looping and freaky tendencies to make excellent soundscapes. Don’t miss them Thursday night at 9:30 at Courtyard Café.

MidPoint Songwriters in the Round – Taking place each night at 10 pm at Coffee Emporium. With so many great songwriters traveling from around the country, and only getting a set-time of an hour, MidPoint organizers felt like this would be a phenomenal way to showcase the talent coming through the festival. So they created this idea to grab a few song smiths and let them perform acoustically one song at a time in round. The magic happens here when the other songwriters on stage try to improvise and join in with each other. There will undoubtedly be some surprises here.

johnnytwentythree – J23’s post-rock fancies are often compared to heavyweights such as Sigur Ros and Mogwai, but the band adds both a visual component to their pieces and a darkness the other two groups lack to create wondrously ominous incantations. Guitar, bass, violin, and drums eerily creep along as the visual accompaniment proceeds through beautifully collaged political and social images. J23 plays Friday at 10:30 at the Contemporary Arts Center.

The Grammer’s Tent – Set up in their parking lot, the tent will hold about 800 people, bigger than many MPMF venues, and they’ll have food, beer and the all important port-o-lets. Each night, there are great lineups at this tent, with some of the main national headliners performing each night at 9:30. Thursday has Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Friday has hometown favorites Heartless Bastards, and Saturday has Brooklyn psych-poppers Chairlift, all of which are sure to draw the largest crowds of the festival.

Pomegranates – ENS favorites for years now, Pomegranates are becoming a bit of a hometown success story, as they’ve been able to take their act on the road for several national tours. Be sure to check out their latest Cincinnati show, as they bring their Modest Mouse-like tunes to the Know Theatre on Friday at Midnight.

Yourself and the Air – Tourmates of Pomegranates on their last national trek, YATA’s Pixies meets Wolf Parade sound is drawing some real national exposure for these Chicago-based boys. Look for them on Saturday at Midnight at the worst location of the weekend, The (college classy) Lodge Bar.

The Tillers – Cincinnati-based trio The Tillers are riding a wave of success after their recent appearance on The Today Show alongside Tom Brokaw. Their “depression-era” bluegrass will no doubt get your feet stomping , your mind racing, and your heart beating on Thursday at 11:30 at Madonna’s Bar and Grill.

The Seedy Seeds – WOO-HOO! More banjo-indie-kazoo-electronic rock from The Seedy Seeds! Thursday at 10:30 at Contemporary Arts Center: Be there or be somewhere!