3-Day Pass for MidWest Friends Fest 2026 - May 28, 29, 30
Thu, 28 May, 7:00 PM EDT
Doors open
6:30 PM EDT
The Southgate House Revival
111 E Sixth Street , Newport, KY 41071
Description
New to MWFF
Box Elder (Utah)
Can you not? (Washington D.C.)
Cardboard Giant (Alabama)
Common Sage (New York)
Corduroy Brown (West Virginia)
Fat Heaven (New York)
Fredii Astraia (Tennessee)
Goalkeeper (Pennsylvania)
Hit Like A Girl (Pennsylvania)
Jared McCloud (Michigan)
Joey Aich (Ohio)
Katherine Paterson (Texas)
Little Low (Massachusetts)
Luke Hummel (Ohio)
Lunar Moth (Wisconsin)
Micah Schnabel & Vanessa Jean Speckman (California)
MK Naomi (Massachusetts)
Nick Kizirnis (Ohio)
No. (Ohio)
no problemo! (Michigan)
OK Koala (Tennessee)
Old Neon (Pennsylvania)
Origami Summer (Colorado)
Sayryn (Tennessee)
Secret Gardens (Tennessee)
Small Steps (Kentucky)
Spoils System (New York)
Stars Hollow (Iowa)
STMNTS (Maryland)
Times Tables (West Virginia/North Carolina)
Unseemlier (Massachusetts)
Weak Daze (Tennessee)
Wilmette (Illinois)
Local Legends (Cincy/NKY)
80H2O
2-22s
Aaron Crary
Andy Erb
Bear The Moon
Coy Comer
Danbient
Elijah Batson
Get Wrecked!
Gloss Ave.
GrandAce
J. Stout
Jacob Perez & The Boy Howdies
JIMS
Kate Haralson
Khara
KNOTTS
The Laurelys
Lung
Lydia Shae
Mr. Watt
Nervous Verbs
Noah Smith
Patterns of Chaos
Pickle Bucket
Sami Riggs
Sundae Drives
The 2th
Tim Reisert
Tooth Lures A Fang
Back for More
Bat Boy (Virginia)
Boy Clothes (Tennessee)
Caitlin Edwards (Illinois)
Dad Hats (Tennessee)
FinalBossFight! (Michigan)
Ghost Town Remedy (Tennessee)
Hussy Fit (Tennessee)
Kat and The Hurricane (Wisconsin)
Over Anna (Georgia)
Teens In Trouble (South Carolina/California)
The 1984 Draft (Ohio)
The Dreaded Laramie (Tennessee)
Year Twins (Ohio)
Young Animals (Missouri)
Event Information
Age Limit
All Ages
Indie Rock
JIMS
JIMS
Indie Rock
aka JIMS & his Mandareenians
Since 1996, at the ripe age of 11, JIMS has been performing his unique blend of styles and movements that have held a profound influence through the years. Holding frontman/guitar duties with his early projects Code Red, GDS and Prick B. Mafia, once he reached his 20s he started up his longest project to date, Sweet Ray Laurel.
During the same period he was moonlighting as a drummer in Silver Bridge Disaster then as guitar and vocalist in Good Night Noises. Soon after he picked up the sticks again for Martin Luther & The Kings and then Smoke Signals… respectively.
In addition to two unnamed new secret projects, JIMS continues to play with Sweet Ray Laurel and Smoke Signals… while also performing solo.
Alone on the stage armed with just an acoustic guitar and loop station, his songs reflect a love for all styles of music ranging from punk, world, folk and everything in between. The years of influence and experimentation with various groups has helped mold a unique, concise and focused approach which, is evident in his compositions.
Always opting for the most visceral and vulnerable outlet, his solo output is every bit of raw, in-your-face, personal and delicate as you may expect as a document of such a storied sonic past.
JIMS is currently in the process of producing his debut solo album which, should see a release during Summer of 2015 on the label//collective he helps curate with his older brother, AndRecordings.
Emo
Wilmette
Wilmette
Emo
Ambient
NO.
NO.
Ambient
Alternative
Khara
Khara
Alternative
Alternative Rap
Patterns of Chaos
Patterns of Chaos
Alternative Rap
Indie Rock
Spoils System
Spoils System
Indie Rock
Alternative Rock
Year Twins
Year Twins
Alternative Rock
Singer-Songwriter
Jacob Perez
Jacob Perez
Singer-Songwriter
Ambient
Danbient
Danbient
Ambient
Alternative Rock
The 1984 Draft
The 1984 Draft
Alternative Rock
Ambient
The 2th
The 2th
Ambient
Grunge
Sayryn
Sayryn
Grunge
Alternative Rock
2-22s
2-22s
Alternative Rock
Experimental Ambient
80H20
80H20
Experimental Ambient
Indie Rock
Nick Kizirnis
Nick Kizirnis
Indie Rock
Americana
Katherine Paterson
Katherine Paterson
Americana
Alternative Rock
Secret Gardens
Secret Gardens
Alternative Rock
Power Pop
Sami Riggs
Sami Riggs
Power Pop
Riggs is from Independence, Kentucky, where the midwest meets south, and the roots of American rock, pop, country and soul have jointly influenced her style. Riggs’ music is reminiscent of Sheryl Crow, early Liz Phair, Juliana Hatfield and The Bangles. Aided and abetted by Cincinnati based co-writer, guitarist and producer, Brian Lovely, 24 year old Riggs continues to explore the origins of her influences in the singer-songwriters and classic power pop of the sixties and early seventies.
Alternative Rock
Young Animals
Young Animals
Alternative Rock
Emo
Cardboard Giant
Cardboard Giant
Emo
Singer-Songwriter
Elijah Batson
Elijah Batson
Singer-Songwriter
Alternative Rock
FinalBossFight!
FinalBossFight!
Alternative Rock
FinalBossFight! (Flint, MI) formed in March of 2020, a very cool and normal month for the entire world. Sage and John became acquainted in high school after playing in a classic rock cover band together. After a few years of playing in a handful of separate bands after high school, the two would reunite and begin writing songs to cry and dance to.
FinalBossFight! would release their debut EP The Light in Your Room in 2020, followed by their 2021 single House Rules. With live shows out of the question due to the pandemic, FinalBossFight! took to the internet to build a network of fans and peers in the DIY emo scene. One of these connections was Billy, a musician from Southeast Michigan, who would join FinalBossFight! in the summer of 2021 on bass guitar.
In July of 2021, shows were beginning to re-emerge and the band was eager to finally play to a live audience. An invite to play a Lansing house show at The Church of Elvis Presley, a venue run by members of corduroy pants & Dad Caps, would prove to be a watershed moment for the band. Alongside corduroy pants, Dad Caps, Tequila Mockingbird, Tournament, Dear Heretic, Clipboards and many others, FinalBossFight! would find themselves immersed in a passionate community of fellow musicians, fans, and best friends in the Lansing emo scene.
Alternative
GrandAce
GrandAce
Alternative
Ambient
Gloss Ave.
Gloss Ave.
Ambient
Indie Rock
Bear The Moon
Bear The Moon
Indie Rock
Formed in the fall of 2022, Bear The Moon combines a widely influenced line up of midwestern musicians to create a refreshing indie alternative sound.
Emo
Times Tables
Times Tables
Emo
Indie Rock
Little Low
Little Low
Indie Rock
Pop Punk
Caitlin Edwards
Caitlin Edwards
Pop Punk
Caitlin Edwards resides in Chicago, IL, and plays in three bands - Bumsy and The Moochers, Caitlin Edwards, and Calico Plaid - and is an active member of the Chicago music scene.
Caitlin decided to venture into a solo project back in 2017. Her sound combines pop rock, punk, indie, and alternative, and her band’s live trio sound packs a punch with honest lyrics and relentless melodies.
She has independently released three EP’s - Candy Corn (2024), Heart Plasticity, and Jump The Fence. She also released her first full-length album, Pluto Party, in 2023.
Caitlin has performed in many states across the USA with her trio. FFO: The Muffs, The Beths, Best Coast, and Weezer.
Emo
Origami Summer
Origami Summer
Emo
Emo
Can You Not?
Can You Not?
Emo
Folk
Tim Reisert
Tim Reisert
Folk
Punk
Small Steps
Small Steps
Punk
Country
Noah Smith
Noah Smith
Country
Noah Smith is a touring songwriter from Cincinnati, OH, whose sound resonates with both country and rock n roll fans alike. Mixed whiskey blues, soulful roots, and a road dog spirit, his high energy full band live performances have landed him on national stages opening for artists such as Ashley Mcbryde, Chris Janson, Joe Diffie, The Steve Miller Band, and many more. Noah splits his time between his home studio, Nashville, Tennessee, and the road. He has gained a following in the US and Europe as a featured artist on the Nashville Nights International Songwriter Festival in Odense, Denmark, where he will return for a third appearance in the fall of 2024. Noah is a staple in the Cincinnati songwriter community, and has fostered relationships with over 300 songwriters and artists on his monthly songwriter showcase “Noah Smith’s Crooner Circus,” for over 5 years in Cincinnati, OH, Nashville, TN, and Georgetown, KY. Noah has a growing fan base and is releasing new music to pair with his past releases featured in American Songwriter, Country Rebel, Raised Rowdy and more
Emo
Unseemlier
Unseemlier
Emo
Alternative Rock
Kat and the Hurricane
Kat and the Hurricane
Alternative Rock
Kat and the Hurricane is an all-queer and trans synth rock/indie-pop band from Madison, WI composed of guitarist/vocalist Kat Rhapsody (they/them), keyboardist/vocalist Benjamin Rose (they/them), and drummer Alex Nelson (they/them).
The band has stirred up a storm across the Midwest since 2017 thanks to their energetic live shows, strong sense of community, and genre-defying songwriting.
While preparing their debut full length album, Got It Out, the trio has appeared at several regional and national festivals, completed 3 regional and national tours, and received the coveted Artist of The Year award from their local Madison Area Music Association.
Rock
Get Wrecked
Get Wrecked
Rock
Wrecked music for Wrecked people or whatever you figure it out
Ambient
Aaron Crary
Aaron Crary
Ambient
Punk
Bat Boy
Bat Boy
Punk
Bat Boy began as a way to maintain a long-distance friendship between Hannah Eagle (Philadelphia, PA) and Jake Guralnik (Richmond, VA), two people who hate talking on the phone.
They had developed a great friendship on tour with Spraynard where Jake was playing bass and Hannah was slingin’ merch.
When the tour was over, instead of going, “Welp, see ya,” they decided to start a band of their own and keep the good times rolling. With Cory Chubb from Richmond, VA’s Sundials on board to play drums, and many back and forth iPhone recordings later, the rest was history!
Indie Pop
Fredii Astraia
Fredii Astraia
Indie Pop
Alternative Rock
Box Elder
Box Elder
Alternative Rock
Alternative
Common Sage
Common Sage
Alternative
Pop
Corduroy Brown
Corduroy Brown
Pop
Pop Punk
Goalkeeper
Goalkeeper
Pop Punk
When opportunity knocks, Philly natives Goalkeeper are the ones answering the door. Ryan Beebe (Singer/Bassist), Marc Juliano (Guitarist), and Cody Ritchie (Drummer), came together at a critical point to create the perfect storm of melodic hooks & hard hitting pure pop punk. Finding inspiration in the expanding genre , Goalkeeper wants to prove there’s still new sounds to be heard, and focuses on tight, driving song writing. Their music emphasizes a refined, fervent sound influenced by early pop punk front runners, with lyrics that are fixated on introspective growth. Goalkeeper has supported such bands as State Champs, The Starting Line, Hit The Lights, Real Friends, Can't Swim, With Confidence, and more.
Pop
Jared McCloud
Jared McCloud
Pop
Alternative
Joey Aich
Joey Aich
Alternative
Alternative
Micah Schnabel & Vanessa Jean Speckman
Micah Schnabel & Vanessa Jean Speckman
Alternative
Alternative
Lunar Moth
Lunar Moth
Alternative
Alternative
MK Naomi
MK Naomi
Alternative
Alternative
no problemo!
no problemo!
Alternative
Alternative
OK Koala
OK Koala
Alternative
Pop Punk
Old Neon
Old Neon
Pop Punk
Alternative
Stars Hollow
Stars Hollow
Alternative
Alternative
STMNTS
STMNTS
Alternative
Alternative
Weak Daze
Weak Daze
Alternative
Ambient
Aaron Crary
Aaron Crary
Ambient
Ambient Electronica
Andy Erb
Andy Erb
Ambient Electronica
Singer-Songwriter
Kate Haralson
Kate Haralson
Singer-Songwriter
Dream Pop
Knotts
Knotts
Dream Pop
The Oxford dictionary says a knot is, “A fastening made by looping a piece of string, rope, or something similar on itself and tightening it” or is, “A tangled mass in something as hair or wool.” What a knot is, is not as important as the potential of what it can be, or what it started out as. Knots are shape shifters, they take something, make it in to something else and can be untangled and started again, they are not fixed but hold infinite possibility.The story of Knotts began with Adalia Boehne back in the angst filled greasy tween days, staring at the ceiling wanting desperately to drop out of high school and "do" music. Within those seasons of self musical discovery as well as spiritual discovery, Adalia continued to pursue songwriting. The best part about a knot is it can be untied or cut free, which is what Knott's music does, unties and cuts free.
Folk
The Laurelys
The Laurelys
Folk
The Laurelys are a husband and wife folk duo from Newport, Kentucky, inspired by the haunting melodies of Old-Time Appalachian music and the beauty of the mountains where it was born. The Laurelys use interwoven harmonies and the clawhammer banjo to tell stories about love, life’s challenges, and finding solitude in nature.
Alternative Rock
Lung
Lung
Alternative Rock
Alternative
Mr. Watt
Mr. Watt
Alternative
Alternative
Nervous Verbs
Nervous Verbs
Alternative
Nervous Verbs is the solo project of artist, songwriter, and audio engineer Mike Montgomery.
Mike owns and operates Candyland Recording Studio in Dayton, KY and plays in the groups R.
Ring and Ampline.
Punk
Pickle Bucket
Pickle Bucket
Punk
Pop Rock
Sundae Drives
Sundae Drives
Pop Rock
Sundae Drives is an Acoustic driven Soul / Pop / Hip Hop / R&B act from the east side of Cincinnati, Ohio featuring singer - songwriter Adam Lee. Known for his unique sound and intense yet intimate live performances, SD plays a raw, stripped down & creative style of music. Through unorthodox guitar playing and melodic vocals infused with organic percussion, emotional keys and slick bass lines, Sundae Drives is sure to find a place in your heart.
Alternative Rock
Boy Clothes
Boy Clothes
Alternative Rock
boyclothes is an indie rock band based in cincinnati, oh bringing a fresh mix of original songs with melodic harmonies and reinvented covers with genre bending sound for upbeat, easy listening. boyclothes took root in cincinnati’s queer scene in september 2024, and has kept people dancing and singing along ever since. led by vocalist and guitarist Lauren Metz, and supported by vocalist and bassist Zoë Lynn and drummer Maggie McClarren, we are guaranteed to bring a good time to any stage!
Alternative Rock
Dad Hats
Dad Hats
Alternative Rock
Meet Dad Hats, a four-piece rock outfit from Nashville, Tennessee, whose music oozes "indie rock charm mixed with the grit of upbeat pop-punk" (thepoppunkdad.com). Their sophomore release, Spill, comes complete with earworm guitar riffs, locomotor rhythms, and lyrics that are equal parts poignant and self-depricating.
Tyler Coleman (guitar), Joe Halberstadt (drums), Nate Sorg (guitar), and Craig Turner (vocals/bass) harness the sound of parties you barely remember and embarrassing memories you kinda wish you could forget.
FFO: The Wonder Years, The Menzingers, PUP, early Fall Out Boy
Alternative Rock
Ghost Town Remedy
Ghost Town Remedy
Alternative Rock
Nashville’s Party Punker Shredders Ghost Town Remedy wouldn’t know how to stop adding Guitarmonies even if they tried and it's becoming a serious problem. They are constantly late to weddings, family gatherings, the birth of their firstborn sons, and work at their lame ass day jobs due to adding just ONE MORE guitar part. Loved ones have tried time and time again to intervene but their efforts have only added fuel to the fire or whatever the fuck Metallica was singing about.
If you come to a GTR show thinking you’re going to hear only one guitar playing the Grammy Award Winning 1999 hit SMOOTH by Santana feat. Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty off the Multi-Platinum Album Supernatural, THINK AGAIN!
FFO: Guitarmonies, NOT standing at the back of the show with your arms crossed, having fun in spite of our increasingly not fun world, and more guitarmonies!
Alternative
Hussy Fit
Hussy Fit
Alternative
Hussy Fit is a four-piece band from Nashville, TN, blending raw energy and candid lyricism into their self-described "bubblegrunge synthpunk riot" sound. Gritty yet infectious, their music fuses grunge’s heavy textures with catchy pop melodies.
Since their formation, Hussy Fit has become a staple in Nashville's music scene through their high-energy performances and thought-provoking themes, tackling mental health, self-empowerment, and societal expectations.
Their breakout single, “Over It,” is an anthem for anyone who’s ever felt stuck, unheard, or lost. With biting guitar riffs, pounding drums, and vocals that teeter between defiance and desperation, Hussy Fit channels the kind of unfiltered energy that turns restlessness into rebellion. The lyrics cut through like a sharp-tongued conversation with yourself, confronting cycles of exhaustion and the need to finally step away, let go, and move on.
Rooted in the DIY ethos, they prioritize community and inclusion, making every show feel like a shared experience rather than just a performance. Whether it’s in a packed venue or a sweaty basement, they bring the same intensity, the same honesty, and the same unshakable belief that music is meant to connect.
This is Hussy Church – no doctrine, no judgement, just a reminder that you are enough and you belong. Believe in yourself, love freely, and take up space.
Pop Punk
Over Anna
Over Anna
Pop Punk
Punk
Teens In Trouble
Teens In Trouble
Punk
“Does it make you want to rock out? Does it make you want to cry?”
If the answer is both at once, you’re probably listening to Teens in Trouble. Specializing in catchy hooks, heavy guitars, and disarmingly direct lyricism, the bright-blazing creative project of Lizzie Killian makes anthemic, emotionally driven indie-rock that merges the snappy, confessional style of Weezer with the Pixies’ soaring, fuzzed-out melodies. The band’s ever- evolving sound is most informed, though, by Killian’s ability to refract these influences through a prism of memory, melding past and present with sun-dappled clarity and a cathartic vocal power that’s distinctly hers.
A California native who moved to Raleigh, North Carolina in 2019, Killian crafted Teens in Trouble’s self-titled debut EP during the pandemic, on a quiet street in Asheville, where she rekindled her love of songwriting following an extended hiatus. Since its 2022 release, Teens in Trouble has been featured in Alternative Press, BrooklynVegan, Consequence, Stereogum, and more. The EP’s singles, “I’m Not Worried” and “Decomposing,” have also been featured in the popular online battle royale game Fortnite.
In 2023, Teens in Trouble teamed up with bluesy alt-country artist Desert Mambas on a split EP released by Kill Rock Stars and Asian Man Records.
Teens in Trouble is named one of idobi Radio's “100 Rising Artists You Need To Listen To in 2024.”
Punk
The Dreaded Laramie
The Dreaded Laramie
Punk
The Dreaded Laramie is a power pop band based in Nashville, TN. They recorded their forthcoming debut LP with producer/mixer/engineer Dave Schiffman (PUP, NOBRO, Olivia Rodrigo). The new record comes on the tail of their 2022 EP, “Everything A Girl Could Ask” (produced and co-written by Rozwell Kid’s Adam Meisterhans), which Punk News described as “gender bending … marbled with sickly sweet, hyper feminine vocals encapsulated by indie rock tinged boppy pogo punk and sprinkled with sudden moments of very macho displays of musicianship.” In 2023, The Dreaded Laramie conquered a 60-city tour across North America, joining festival lineups from Gainesville’s Fest to Montreal’s Pouzza Fest, and sharing stages with the likes of Soccer Mommy, Bad Moves, Rozwell Kid, and Tsunami Bomb.
RIYL: Weezer, No Doubt, The Darkness, Charly Bliss, Frankie Cosmos
Alternative Rock
Year Twins
Year Twins
Alternative Rock
Alternative Rock
Young Animals
Young Animals
Alternative Rock