Created and produced by Midtopia, a Wichita, KS-based nonprofit artist and music-worker collective striving to build new models for the music industry, Elsewhere Festival and Conference is a not-for-profit event created to facilitate the building of community around artistic and musical endeavors. The inaugural festival and conference will be held in Downtown Wichita, KS June 21, 2024 – June 22, 2024.
The festival component is crafted to be a multi-disciplinary showcase of national., regional and local artists featuring an eclectic, genre-defying collection of artists including Grammy Award-winning emcee, entrepreneur and activist Killer Mike, who will not only headline the festival’s first night on Friday June 21, but he will be speaking in a keynote one-on-one talk with Rudy Love Jr. that afternoon. Crowd-pleasing electronic music producer Steve Aoki, JOVM mainstays A Place to Bury Strangers, TOKiMONSTA, Sunflower Bean, funk outfit The Motet, and a curated collection of local and regional acts will round out the festival’s first day.
Acclaimed emcee and actor Vince Staples will headline the festival’s second night, Saturday June 22. Toronto-based jazz outfit BADBADNOTGOOD, the wildly talented Sudan Archives, Lane 8, punk rockers PUP, Oh He Dead, Brooklyn’s THICK and a curated collection of local and regional acts will round out the festival’s final day. The festival’s full music lineup is below.
The conference portion of the event welcomes music industry professionals from around the world to help educate and form relationships with musicians and music workers in the Midwest, an area that’s historically undervalued and underserved by the music industry, despite its rich musical and creative history. The Greater Wichita Partnership will host one-on-one speed meetings where attendees are matched with other members in the music community in a curated setting. Elsewhere Festival will also have two full afternoons — June 21, 2024 and June 22, 2024 — of programming featuring panel discussions and workshops tackling many of the biggest concerns and issues facing the music industry, including how to find your own path in the music industry, creating a fanbase out of virality, balancing yourself in an unbalanced industry, how to utilize your platform for change, what you need to do and know to have a successful first tour, a workshop on how to talk about yourself and not feel weird while doing so, the risks and rewards of a career in music.
By creating a hub for like-minded music workers and artists, Elsewhere Festival and Conference emphasizes innovation and progressive ideology that will encourage experimentation, push artistic boundaries, nurture a culture of collaboration, and expose attendees to organizations that are bringing positive transformation to the community.
“As a not-for-profit music event, Elsewhere is reimagining the accessibility of conferences and festivals, both for those attending and those performing,” says Jessie Harke, Director of Midtopia. “This is being done by providing globally significant artists and industry leaders at an accessible price point not available in traditional music spaces. Uplifting artists, music workers, and our local community has been a priority from the start. We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with many local and national organizations committed to social change, and hope that Elsewhere has a lasting impact not only on our local community, but also the greater music community. Elsewhere started as a dream and this full schedule across two days is that very dream come to life. We’re excited to welcome everyone to Wichita and show off all that this wonderful city has to offer.”
As I’ve previously mentioned, Midtopia along with their partner Marauder invited me to be a panelist at the inaugural festival. I’ll be speaking on the risks, rewards and challenges of making a career in music. I’m humbled, flattered and deeply honored to be a part of the conference. I’m looking forward to meeting my fellow panelists, networking, catching new artists, seeing some old favorites, drinking beer and eating some good food. Hey, festivals are equally about the food, as they are about the music in my book. As always the conference’s full list of panels, speakers and workshops are below.
Elsewhere Fest and Conference’s visual and immersive artists have bene curated by local nonprofit Harvester Arts to bridge local, national and global scenes and to active the urban and festival footprint with cutting-edge projections, street art, playful installations, striking murals, dance performances, and more. To help kick off the 2024 festival, internationally renowned muralist GLeo will create a mural for Elsewhere Works, a new community hub described as “the go-to place for simultaneous creativity, a micro campus and a place of work,” where artists, musicians, and other creative workers gather to co-create, alongside Midtopia, Elsewhere, and other local and national collectives and programs.
And in addition to music programming, the festival and conference will incorporate Café Momentum, an award-winning nonprofit restaurant and training program committed to supporting justice-involved youth through paid internships. Proceeds from a pop-up dinner with HomeGrown at Naftzger Park will go towards the Wichita youth program School Halls Not Prison Walls. The Phoenix, a community-driven program for anyone impacted by addiction, will host a block party for the greater Wichita community on Friday, June 21, as well as workout classes throughout the weekend.
I recently spoke with Midtopia and Elsewhere’s Jessie Hartke during a break in between very busy schedules for everyone. Of course, in our fairly wide-ranging conversation, we spoke about Wichita, the festival and its inspiration, the conference and what attendees will get from it, whether you’re an aspiring artist or music professional or a jaded artist or music professional — and of course much more.
As of this post, tickets are still available y’all. And they’re some of the most affordable ticket out there right now. Single Day, Single Day VIP, Two-Day, Two Day VIP and Conference tickets prices are as follows: single day tickets are $59, two-day tickets are $99. Single day VIP tickets are $119. Two-Day VIP tickets are $199. The two-day conference pass is $25.
If you’re in the region — especially in cities like Kansas City, KS, Colorado Springs, Omaha, Lincoln, Dallas, Oklahoma City and Tulsa which are within a day or so drive away — y’all should come on down catch some great music, network and maybe even meet me while you’re there. Seriously, Elsewhere has got something for everyone.
More information can be found here: https://www.tixr.com/groups/elsewherefest/events/elsewhere-fest-conference-102303
Elsewhere Festival Lineup
Friday, June 21, 2024
Wave Outdoor:
Killer Mike
Snow Tha Product
D Smoke
Josue Estrada Presents: Volcan ICT feat: Angelo Tomas, June.MP3, Jai37, F.Y.I, Marrice Anthony, Shvkxir, Rail G, James Porter Jr, Jet Lattimore, Shocker Sound Machine
Wave Indoor:
Rudy Love & The Encore
Marcey Yates
Soothsayerz
Paris Jane
WherElse:
Steve Aoki
TOKiMONSTA
NOTD
Massane
Goaty the Kid
Norton’s:
A Place To Bury Strangers
Jesus Christ Taxi Driver
Kiss The Tiger
Yae
The Phoenix:
Zach Crow
Barleycorn’s:
Mambo Sauce
TF Bundy
Vehicles
Flake
Unknown Venus
The Macks
Breeding Brainbow
Mx Vx Railroad industry
Phantom Black
Los Narwhals
Naftzger Park (Free):
Blu DeTiger
Sunflower Bean
The Motet
French Cassettes
DJ Carbon
Saturday, June 22, 2024
Wave Outdoor:
Vince Staples
BADBADNOTGOOD
Sudan Archives
The Encore with: XC, Miss V, Chris Barnett, Sir Charles, Cash Hollister
Wave Indoor:
Josue Estrada Band
Mambo Sauce
Keo & Them
The Whips
WherElse:
Lane 8
Sultan + Shepard (DJ Set)
Le Youth
QRTR
Norton’s:
Oh He Dead
Jigsaw Youth
Curl
Delirium
Barleycorn’s:
Chew
Glass Age
Gildahouse
Horse Bitch
Buddy Crimes
JACK
The Travel Guide
Milkwave
Apathy Unit
Naftzger Park (Free Stage):
PUP
Thick
King Youngblood
Social Cinema
Ferris Wheel Regulars
DJ Carbon
Conference Programming
Friday, June 21, 2024
At Greater Wichita Partnership:
One-on-One Meetings
Speed meetings where attendees are matched with other members in the music community in a curated setting. (advance sign-up encouraged for better matchmaking opportunities)
At Norton’s Brewery:
Finding your Own Path in the Industry
With Eric McLellan (Yo Peep This), Alyse Velturo (Pronoun/The Orchard), and Gooding (independent artist)
Support your Local Music Factory
With Christina Long (Create Campaign), Julia Heath (Mayor’s Office of Nighttime Economy, City of New Orleans), and more
One-on-One with Killer Mike
In conversation with Rudy Love Jr.
Creating a Fanbase out of Virality
With Blake Loggans (FLAKE) Michael Palmisano (@guitargate), Michael Hardesty (Content Creator Strategist), and Ulf Oesterle (Aux Records/@seventypoint3
Balancing Yourself in an Unbalanced Industry
With Zach Ulrich (WAVE), Nicole Blonder (Nicole Blonder Coaching), and Scott Strode (The Phoenix)
Saturday, June 22, 2024
At Greater Wichita Partnership:
Workshop: Building a Partnership Proposal
Led by Marauder with Jen Sullivan (MemBrain), Gary Fortune (Mondo.NYC) and Kristin Owen (DoStuff)
Workshop: How to Talk About Yourself and Not Feel Weird Doing So
Led by Marauder with Lior Philips (Author & Journalist), Laina Dawes Ph.D. (Case Western Reserve University), and Hilary Saunders (No Depression)
At Norton’s Brewery:
Utilizing your Platform for Change
With Colette Weintraub (Stand Together), Hilary Saunders (No Depression), Chad Houser (Café Momentum) and Shell Love (Midtopia / artist)
Going on Your First Tour?
With Grace Blake (City Winery), Jake Diamond (Union Stage), Tobi Parks (xBk/DTour/NIVA), and Logan Bush (Social Cinema/Midtopia)
Will Work for Music
With Sharon Tapper (Music Managers Forum), William Helms (The Joy of Violent Movement), Jim Weatherson (Left Seat Management)
There’s No Place Like Home to Start your Music Career
With Rev. Moose (Marauder), Jessie Hartke (Midtopia), and more
Visual Artists
Aaron Asis
Chloe & Connor Lang
chpndl
Dreamverb
Harvester Arts
Kat Wilson
Lamphouse Photo Co.
Lisa Rundstrom
MFDynamics
Mike Miller
Mulberry Gallery
Nathalia Gallego (GLeo)
Smack Dab Dance Lab
Ty Defoe
Social Change Partners
The Neighboring Movement
Mulberry Gallery
Story Corps
Create Campaign
The Phoenix
Greater Wichita Partnership
Harvester Arts
The Learning Lab
Cafe Momentum
Empower North End
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)
Thrive Restaurant Group
Local Partners
D Tour
WAVE
Barleycorns
Norton’s
Public
Kirby’s
Hilton Garden Inn
Courtyard by Marriott
Hotel at Oldtown
Reverie Coffee Roasters
Marauder
R Coffee
Intrust Bank Arena
Thrive Restaurant Group
Single Day, Single Day VIP, Two-Day, Two Day VIP and Conference tickets are available and incredibly reasonable: single day tickets are $59, two-day tickets are $99. Single day VIP tickets are $119. Two-Day VIP tickets are $199. The two-day conference pass is $25. So if you’re in the Wichita area, come downtown, catch some great music, network — and maybe you’ll meet me while you’re at it. More information can be found here: https://www.tixr.com/groups/elsewherefest/events/elsewhere-fest-conference-102303
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