Summer has ended, fall has begun, and now that CMJ has passed it’s time to close the festival circuit and settle in for the long winter until SXSW kicks off a new season of rock, booze, and badges. Well, almost time. Mountain Oasis Festival extends the party for one more week by taking it down to Asheville, NC. Festival goers will follow the birds south from Oct. 25-27 to see major acts like Nine Inch Nails and Animal Collective and discover up and coming talents like Shlomo and Big Black Delta.
Mountain Oasis Festival is a celebration of creativity and exploration in music using technology. Though billed as an ‘Electronic Music Summit’, it is by no means an EDM festival. Mountain Oasis aims to celebrate innovation across genres, including indie rock legends Neutral Milk Hotel as well as star electronic producer Pretty Lights and everything in between. Seeking to inspire in every way possible, the festival hosts workshops over the weekend to help attendees learn more about how the music is made and connect with the artists.
Mountain Oasis Festival is curated by AC Entertainment, the same company that puts on the Bonnaroo and Big Ears festivals, and they don’t take applications. Is this a bad thing? Not at all! AC Entertainment puts on concerts around Asheville year round booking the Orange Peel and other venues across town. They develop relationships with bands that come through the South on tour and so they understand which acts will fit well into each year’s festival lineup. Bands hoping to get on the Southern festival circuit should tour the South and focus on developing relationships with the agencies and musicians while there, learning about new fans and opportunities that await them south of the Mason-Dixon line, and upping their chances on getting asked to come back.