Manchester, Tenn. has Bonnaroo, Indio, Calif. has Coachella, Chicago has Lollapalooza, and Ithaca has Musefest, a three-day-long, end-of-summer tribute to the variety of bands and solo artists that populate the Ithaca music scene.
The line-up for the fest is extensive — there are 40 acts of all genres performing on four different stages. Notables include long-time Ithaca rockers and MuseFest-founders Papa Muse, hip-hop fusion band Thousands of One and local folksy, pop-infused crooners Linda Stout and Alan Rose.
Aily’s Lyon, a five-piece ambiance indie rock band, is a newcomer to MuseFest. According to Joel DeMartino, the singer for the band, Aily’s Lyon is a “fictional character that symbolizes a safe place, a security blanket.”
“MuseFest is similar to Grassroots,” DeMartino said. Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance is held in Trumansburg in late July. “Everyone in Ithaca knows about Grassroots because of the magazine, Muse Magazine.”
The festival takes place in Newfield at Newhart’s Lodge, a 10-mile drive west on Route 79, from August 24-26. Festival-goers can camp out onsite for free: the Musefest website describes the camping grounds at the festival as a “weekend community village” and mentions the “intense tribal rhythms and dance” at the drum dome.