A Renaissance of Sound: Mesa festival brings music to the masses
The Mesa Music Festival is now in its seventh year. This 2024 iteration is Thursday, April 18, to Saturday, April 20, throughout Downtown Mesa. Indian Antao, former TVT Records executive and music industry executive, has been involved in the Mesa Music Festival, which he has been running for seven years and is now in its seventh year. The event, which includes live music and workshops, allows bands and solo artists to meet and collaborate, potentially collaborating later on. The festival also offers a Vendor Village where concertgoers can shop locally made art and crafted goods between performances. This year's headliner is Grey Daze, an early 1990s Valley project with Chester Bennington, and the keynote speaker will be announced soon. Antao is proud of his efforts to involve the entire community in the event.
Publicerad : 2 månader sedan förbi Hayden Dobb i Entertainment
Streaming and social media platforms have made it easy for melomaniacs to discover more music, faster. This idea, in theory, was appealing to artists hoping to launch their careers using the likes of Spotify, Apple Music and even TikTok.
However, they didn’t anticipate the difficulty of booking live gigs in this new wave of music distribution.
Indian Antao recognized this and vowed to help acts with the Mesa Music Festival, which is now in its seventh year. This 2024 iteration is Thursday, April 18, to Saturday, April 20, throughout Downtown Mesa.
“Bands come from all over the country, and it’s a great spot for them to get together,” Antao said. “They become close and maybe they collaborate or even tour together later on, which is what this festival is all about.”
Headlining this year’s event is Grey Daze, an early 1990s Valley project with Chester Bennington. Now fronted by Cris Hodges, Grey Daze plays Friday, April 19, at a venue to be announced soon. The keynote speaker will be unveiled soon,
In addition to live music, the Mesa Music Festival offers a Vendor Village, where concertgoers can shop locally made art and expertly crafted goods in between performances. Food and beverage trucks are also available, with art activations around Downtown.
But it’s not just about the creative aspects of music. From record label executives to music publishers, bands and solo artists will meet like-minded creators and attend workshops led by professionals who can launch their careers.
Antao, who’s been in the music industry for 35 years, knows a thing or two about music. An executive with TVT Records, Antao has earned gold and platinum records with bands like Sevendust, Default, KMFDM and Sister Machine Gun. Antao left TVT to start Gig Records, a label that released collections by Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, the Vibrators, and Miles Hunt of the Wonder Stuff.
He’s proud of what he’s accomplished with the Mesa Music Festival.
“It’s turned out to be an event that involves the entire community, with places that haven’t been used as venues for music before,” Antao said. “It’s a weekend of seeing different parts of Mesa and exploring new places.”
Ämnen: Music