You're likely to hear lots of noise coming out of Olympia this weekend. While that might not be news to some, the strange sounds emanating from the city will be calculatedly noisy.
In its 19th year, the Olympia Experimental Music Festival features bands from near and far who favor experimentalism, texture, ambience, improvisation and psychedelia over straight-up rock 'n' roll. The three-day ordeal will take over all-ages venue Northern in Olympia June 28-30. The festival will feature 18 different acts - many from Olympia, and the rest mostly spanning from Seattle to Portland.
The final evening of the festival will include a performance from Olympia native Derek M. Johnson. The cello-wielding and award-winning experimental musician will surely pack a number of tricks up his sleeve. His performance will allegedly feature music created with Kodak slide projectors, filtered through the extensive array of pedals he will have at his disposal. His "ektagraphtastic" set will undoubtedly be something to write home about.
The schedule for Sunday, June 30 is:
- 5-5:40 p.m.: Big Tom The Lithuanian (Olympia)
- 6-6:40: Turtle
- 7-7:40: Wood Paneling (Mason County, Wash.)
- 8-8:40: Derek M. Johnson (Olympia Music Award winner!)
- 9-9:40: WAMU (Seattle)
- 10-10:40: Knot Pine Box (Olympia)
OLYMPIA EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC FESTIVAL, June 28-20, Northern, 414 ½ Legion Way, Olympia, $8, Facebook