UPDATE: Find more information on Bearstock here!
Fans of Bearstock need wait no more. On Wednesday, Quadworks held a press conference to announce the three headlining bands at this year’s music festival. Headlining the event are electro-hop group 3OH!3, Atlanta-based rapper Roscoe Dash, and indie pop-rock act Parachute Musical, who will be appearing courtesy of Macon music promotion group The Blue Indian.
More bands will be announced soon, and the application process is still open to any local bands wishing to play at Bearstock.
As with years before, this year’s Bearstock will be a completely free event, open to all Mercer students as well as Macon residents. The concert will be held at Tattnall Square Park on April 16.
3OH!3 (pronounced three-oh-three) is a Boulder, Colorado-based group that blends rock, hip-hop, and electronica into high-energy anthems. The single “Don’t Trust Me,” off their second album, Want, was rated double platinum by the RIAA for selling over two million copies in the United States. The group released a third album, Streets of Gold, in July 2010, which peaked at number four on the Billboard charts.
“I’ve been a big fan of 3OH!3 for a long time because their music is so much fun to listen to, and their live shows are the best because they basically turn it into one huge party. It’s just a lot of fun and I’m really excited to be able to see them live again,” said Brittany McGarity, who serves as the Live Chair for Quadworks and is responsible for organizing this year’s event.
Roscoe Dash, best known for his 2010 single “All the Way Turnt Up” with Solja Boy Tell ‘Em, is an up-and-coming rapper based out of Atlanta. The aforementioned single reached number 8 on the Billboard hot rap songs and established the young artist as a creative force to be reckoned with. His first album, Ready Set Go! is set to be released in March, and features tracks produced by Boi-1da, a highly sought out producers who has worked with Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Usher. In addition to the upcoming album, Roscoe Dash has released several mixtapes as well.
Parachute Musical, based out of Nashville, Tennessee, is an indie pop-rock four-piece with a penchant for captivating hooks and souring melodies. Their piano-based sound is at times reminiscent of a more melodic and slowed-down Ben Folds Five. The group recentlyreleased their debut full-length Everything is Working Our Fine in Some Town. Standout tracks include “Leave Me” and “Flashback ’83.”
As with last year’s lineup, which featured pop-punk groups We The Kings alongside rapper Jeremih, Quadworks has paired together headliners of various genres in order to increase interest for Mercer students and Macon residents who have divergent tastes in music.
“We want Bearstock to be representative of the students at Mercer as well as the Macon community. We have a lot of different people who like different things, and we want a well rounded day of music so that everyone can enjoy it, not just a select group of people. We also want to highlight the talent that Macon has to offer,” said McGarity. “We literally took the artists with the most votes and went down the list until we had someone who was free for our date.”
Unlike previous years in which the free, all-day festival was held on campus in Porter Patch, Bearstock 2011 will take place across the street from campus in Tattnall Square Park. Quadworks spokespersons say this move is so that Bearstock can engage more with Macon residents and the local music scene.
Be sure to join fellow students at Tattnall Square Park on April 16 for Mercer’s concert event of the year.
