Midpoint music festival grooves into its seventh year bigger than ever. Despite a slew of challenges from weather to the closing of venues, MPMF has grinded its way into one of the largest annual indie music events in the Midwest.
With cofounders Bill Donabedian and Sean Rhiney at the point, MidPoint swelled from an intimate, mostly Cincinnati based music showcase to the Midwest’s largest independent music festival featuring many of the best indie artists from around the globe – and its had no signs of slowing down.
New owners-slash-producers CityBeat clearly have plans to build on MPMF’s past success. Spread to over 17 spots and more than two hundred artists ranging from local gems like Pearlene (above) and Eclipse to the English psychedelic band Spectrum, MPMF its rolling out its most aggressive festival to date. However, along with the larger footprint has come rumblings from event loyalists.
MPMF has always been a reason for music lovers and city supporters to come Cincinnati, support indie music, and get acquainted with downtown & the Over-the-Rhine neighborhoods. Some fear that MidPoint might miss a step and lose the unique flavor and excitement of years past that came with the predominantly Over-the-Rhine locale.
With the larger footprint, the obvious objective organizers are banking on is higher attendance; however, some wonder if this is the best strategy. If comparable numbers of music lovers come to Over-the-Rhine to check out MPMF, but are now spread to different pockets of venues, does MPMF really win?
The festival atmosphere that once thrived in lively Over-the-Rhine often featured fans spilling out from one crowded cub to another. While this energy still may occur, it will be tough to recreate on Fountain Square.
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