Mile of Music: The First 50
Photography by Graham of Graham Images & Photography
Mile of Music organizers announced “the First 50” artists who will perform at this year’s festival, occurring August 3-6. The announcement took place April 20 during a special event at OuterEdge Stage in downtown Appleton.
The original music festival showcases hundreds of artists with musical backgrounds from roots and indie rock to country, soul, R&B, jazz and folk. Mile 5 will offer nearly 1,000 live performances by 225 singer-songwriters, duos and groups in 70 venues throughout Appleton’s downtown and riverfront.
The First 50 represent artists from 19 states and three countries including Mile of Music veterans such as LOLO (Jackson, TN), Wild Adriatic (Albany, NY) and Swear and Shake (Nashville, TN) as well as many first-timers like San Fermin (Brooklyn, NY), Ron Gallo (Nashville,TN) and Cat Clyde (Ontario, Canada). Another grouping of artists will be announced next week, with artists being added to the lineup until the full schedule release in late June.
The First 50:
| ARTIST/BAND NAME | CITY | STATE | GENRE |
| Cat Clyde | Stratford, Ontario | CANADA | Blues / Jazz |
| San Fermin | Brooklyn | NY | Indie Rock |
| Campdogzz | Chicago | IL | Indie Rock |
| Terra Lightfoot | Hamilton, Ontario | CANADA | Roots Rock |
| Octave Lissner | Paris | FRANCE | Blues Rock |
| Liz Cooper & The Stampede | Nashville | TN | Folk / Psychedelic Rock |
| Diane Coffee | Los Angeles | CA | Psychedelic Motown |
| Boy Named Banjo | Nashville | TN | Americana / Roots |
| Valley Queen | Los Angeles | CA | Folk / Soul / Rock |
| Dylan LeBlanc | Shreveport | LA | Americana / Folk / Rock |
| Smooth Hound Smith | Nashville | TN | Blues / Folk / Soul |
| Ron Gallo | Nashville | TN | Punk / Garage |
| Christopher the Conquered | Des Moines | IA | Interstellar Soul |
| Andrew Leahey & the Homestead | Nashville | TN | American Rock & Roll |
| Molly Bush | Nashville | TN | Folk |
| Maybe April | Nashville | TN | Country / Americana |
| Harpooner | Nashville | TN | 70s Pop |
| The Vegabonds | Nashville | TN | Rock |
| Beach Tiger | Charleston | SC | Indie-Rock |
| Wild Fur | Durham | NC | Pop / Rock / Soul |
| The Kernal | Jackson | TN | Country |
| The Artisanals | Charleston | SC | Rock |
| The Still Tide | Denver | CO | Indie-Rock |
| Frederick The Younger | Louisville | KY | Pop / Rock |
| High Up | Omaha | NE | Soul |
| Captain Ivory | Nashville | TN | Rock |
| The High Divers | Charleston | SC | Americana / Rock |
| Suck the Honey | Cincinnati | OH | Rock |
| Slothrust | Brooklyn | MA | Indie-Rock / Blues |
| Fast Romantics | Toronto, Ontario | CANADA | Pop/Rock |
| The Kickback | Chicago | IL | Alternative Rock |
| JC Brooks | Chicago | IL | Post Punk Soul |
| Desert Noises | Provo | UT | Indie-Rock |
| Quiet Hollers | Louisville | KY | Indie-Rock |
| Mo Lowda & The Humble | Philadelphia | PA | Alternative Rock |
| LOLO | Jackson | TN | Rock / Alternative |
| The Dove and The Wolf | Philadelphia | PA | Pop / Indie-Rock |
| Swear and Shake | Nashville | TN | Americana |
| Wild Adriatic | Albany | NY | Rock |
| Kristin Diable | New Orleans | LA | Rock / Americana / Soul |
| Motherfolk | Cincinnati | OH | Indie Rock |
| Me Like Bees | Joplin | MO | Indie / Alternative |
| Jamie Kent | Nashville | TN | Americana |
| Sun Parade | Northampton | MA | Sun-Soaked Rock |
| Dan Rodriguez | Minneapolis | MN | Americana / Soul |
| The Noise FM | Chicago | IL | Indie Rock |
| Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts | Rockford | IL | Rock / Pop |
| Tenement | Appleton | WI | Punk |
| Raquel Rodriguez | Los Angeles | CA | Soul / R&B |
| The Lowest Pair | Olympia | WA | Country |
Mile 5 will creatively utilize several venues to help offset the loss of its largest outdoor location, Jones Park, which is currently undergoing expo center construction. This includes the addition of the large-capacity Fox Communities Stage at the Grand Ballroom of the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, as well as the addition of the Empire Room in the lower-level of the hotel, which will be themed “The Underground” during Thursday and Friday of the festival. There will also be significantly more music and showcases at Lawrence Memorial Chapel, Stansbury Theater and Houdini Plaza.
Festival Co-Founder Cory Chisel and Oshkosh Corporation president and CEO Wilson Jones announced a partnership for a charitable program called “Feed the Body, Feed the Soul.” Chisel’s Refuge Foundation, Oshkosh Corporation and Fox Communities Credit Union are curating a Friday-Saturday-Sunday experience at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center that will be embedded within Mile of Music. Each day will feature musical guests, visual art, and speakers while raising money for “Feed the Body, Feed the Soul.”
The four-day, multi-venue downtown festival is presented by Tundraland Home Improvements. Updates on the festival can be found on the Mile of Music social media channels and online at www.mileofmusic.com.
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