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As you may have seen from our Facebook page early Thursday afternoon, Mile of Music: Mile 2 announced the first 50 acts expected to perform at this year’s festival, Aug. 7-10.

The organizers have an impressive show planned. Some of the highlight stats offered up by Dave Willems on the features of Mile of Music: Mile 2 include:

• More than 600 performances
• More than 215 artists
• More than 60 venues
• More than 25 states will be represented

The festival has clearly taken off. Cory Chisel perhaps described it best when he recounted how musicians he works with in Nashville keep asking him about “this music festival in Wisconsin.”

During Thursday’s announcement event – which including several live performances by Chisel and other performers – Chisel said the warm welcome from the community was one of the reasons performers from last year wanted to come back and why new musicians wanted to come this year.

Chisel also disclosed some of the bigger names that will be coming to Mile 2, “some rock -n-roll hall of famers” as he put it. Those performers include Chris Shiflett of Foo Fighters, members of the band Wilco and R.E.M alums Mike Mills and Peter Buck. The will all be bringing side projects to Appleton to perform.

“I know who I am going to see,” Chisel said in making the announcement.

The first 50 announced acts for Mile 2:

Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons*
Adriel Denae*
The Basebaîf Project (featuring members of REM)
The Autumn Defense (featuring members of Wilco)
The Dead Peasants (featuring Chris Shìflett of Foo Fighters)
Robert Ellis
Chelsea Crowell
Turbo Fruits
Ryley Walker
Andrew Combs
Stephen Kellogg
Water Liars
Patrick Sweany
Matrîmony
4 on the Floor
Taj Raj
The Crane Wives
The Bonesetters
Clear Plastic Masks
Israel Nash
Vic & Gab
Geri X
Sturgill Simpson
Jill and Kate
Nikki Lane*
Caroline Smith*
Charlie Parr*
Mutts*
Chase Cohl*
Swear and Shake*
The Winter Brave
Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes
Wild Adriatic
Belle Adair
White Like Fire
Bad Bad Hats
RaquelRodńguez
These Wild Plains
BB Gun
Fareweli Circuit
North by North
Pop Goes the Evil
Bruiser Queen
Simon Balto
Dan Rodriguez
The Kickback
Jaik Willis
Logan Venderlic
Xoe Wise
Briar Rabbit

More acts will be announced as the dates approach, but considering the festival didn’t even start searching for performers until May its first season, organizers are feeling pretty good about the lineup for 2014.

“The community has been really enthusiastic,” said Willems. “We had a lot of full venues and we know people are coming from around the state.”