It’s February which means 2016 festival line ups are starting to drip out and there’s one festival not too far from RVA that might stand out above the rest.



It’s February which means 2016 festival line ups are starting to drip out and there’s one festival not too far from RVA that might stand out above the rest.

What started as a NYC celebration of all things Moog-synthesizer related in the early 00’s has turned into North Carolina’s (the East Coast’s?) premiere alternative electronic music and arts festival, Moogfest.

We’re only about 100 days out from the start date (May 19-22) and the final line up has been released and it features a number of RVA’s favorite national and international acts.

First off, LA’s dark-wave synth pop HEALTH is among the list. These guys dropped one of my favorite records of 2015 with some of the sickest and scariest pop songs ever released. Unabashedly crude and nasty, HEALTH’s dancable jams proved to be too much for the Rock and Roll Hotel’s soundsystem when I caught them there a few months back, but that didn’t stop them from performing one of the weirdest and grimiest noise sets I’ve ever seen.

Speaking of grimy, Grimes is set to headline when Moogfest takes over Durham, NC. For those of you still sore about her canceling her DC show, this will be one of the easiest ways to catch her outside of national tour or festival dates.

Another top album of 2015, Grime’s Art Angles found the artist in sublimely-dark pop territory, like Miley Cyrus on LSD (or even more so than she currently is).

But lets face it, festivals like Moogfest are less about the bands you already know and love and more about discovering new talent that will end up flowing from your speakers for years to come. The event is marked by a strict admiration for all things synth, digital and analog, so if that’s your bag, you’ll be in for a treat no matter what show you catch. To help get folks psyched for the show, festival coordinators released an EP featuring several of these year’s performers including Moses Sumney, ADULT, Taz Arnold, and the above mentioned Dan Deacon.

Check it out below:

Tickets to Moogfest might be a bit steep ($249 + fees), but the lineup (below) will more than make up for the dent in your wallet. Pick up tickets here.