This May 11-13th music lovers will invade Pioneer Square in Seattle for the inaugural Upstream Music Fest + Summit.
Inspired by festivals such as SXSW in Austin, TX and Treefort Music Fest in Boise, ID, Upstream will span over 25 indoor and outdoor stages. Over 300 artists are scheduled to perform, including headlining acts Flying Lotus, AlunaGeorge and Snarky Puppy. The diverse lineup features an impressive list of well established artists, however, the primary goal for Upstream organizers is to showcase and promote sounds of the Pacific Northwest. Local talents include DMNW favorites TeZATalks and Justin Hartinger, who will both make an appearance on the Upper Left curated stage. Although we truly believe all artists on the lineup are talented, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite up and coming local acts.
Beat Connection
Genre: Electro-Pop (Presented by Amazon)
If you’re a Seattleite, chances are you’ve already heard of Beat Connection. Band members Reed Juenger, Jarred Katz, Tom Eddy, and Mark Hunter have been a household name in the Seattle music scene for quite some time. Their first EP, Surf Noir, was released in 2010, and gained attention from notable music critics, including the folks at Pitchfork. Since then, they’ve released two full-length albums, The Palace Garden and Product 3. Their style blends indie-electro-pop with melodic waves that will make you feel like you’re dancing at the beach.
Ca$h Bandicoot
Genre: Hop Hop, Trap, Remixes (Curated by Do206)
Hailing from Tacoma, WA, Paco Mejino is most recognizable for his bouncy beats, pairing bass-heavy kick-drums with aggressive percussion. Think somewhere along the lines of Jack Ü, and that’s where you’ll find the sound of Ca$h Bandicoot. He’s recently played a few gigs around Seattle and California, and we predict he isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
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