Last year saw the inaugural Music Now Festival here in Cincinnati. Curated by Bryce Dessner, native Cincinnatian and member of indie rock band The National, it was a really amazing little weekend. Bands that played and contributed included Clogs, Bell Orchestre, Glenn Kotche of Wilco and others. It was just the right mix of chamber music and indie to get me going. You can see my full review of the inaugural fest here.
This years lineup has just been announced, and it looks like its gonna be another good one. Sufjan Stevens will headline, and play two of the three nights. One night with some string arrangements and the other night with a solo set. His Asthmatic Kitty labelmate My Brightest Diamond will also be playing supporting her debut solo album.

Here is the official words from the press release…….

After a successful first year in 2006, the Music Now festival returns to Cincinnati this April 5-7. Curated by Cincinnati-born musician Bryce Dessner, guitarist of rock band The National and the instrumental band Clogs, the Music Now Festival will present musicians from around the world, ranging from rock, experimental, contemporary classical and world music in a three-day event at the exquisite Memorial Hall in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. The festival highlights include a small theater acoustic performance by Sufjan Stevens (appearing with string quartet), a double-bill with Icelandic string quartet Amiina (best known as frequent collaborators of Sigur Ros) and indie-songstress My Brightest Diamond, and the US debuts of renowned flamenco guitarist Pedro Soler, and the haunting experimental Czech duo of Vojtech and Irena Havel The Festival will kick off with a marathon-style concert featuring a solo performance by Soler, world premieres of string quartets by Sufjan Stevens and Maria Sigfúsdóttir of Amiina, and a collaborative set by Clogs featuring many of the festival performers.

Tickets will be available here in town at Shake It Records, and also on the Music Now site. Festival passes will be 60$, and get you into the whole event. While individual tickets will be sold for 25$, the day of the show only, and only 30 min before the show. So, you gotsta hit up the whole thing, not just Sufjan…..

Sufjan Stevens – Opie’s Funeral Song

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