Music at the Intersection just keeps growing. Now, the ºüÀêÊÓƵ music festival is kicking things off with new activations and events to encourage community connection before it begins on Sept. 13.
Folks can explore MATI Places, a one mile walk through the Grand Center Arts District on Sept. 12. It will feature activations, or interactive brand experiences, from 12 different businesses and organizations. Also new to the festival this year is the Friday Night Kickoff Party at the Big Top with performances from Lani Rose, Brock Seals, Tonina and more.
Kranzberg Arts Foundation Executive Director Chris Hansen says the new activations allow them to collaborate more with festival partners and the surrounding neighborhood.
“This is just an extension of the way we look at bringing together community and making our events more accessible,†Hansen says.
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Hansen says MATI Places began as the brainchild of Larry Morris, director of programs and partnerships for Music at the Intersection. A member of the music collective IllPhonics, Morris remembered visiting South by Southwest Conference and Festival in Austin and exploring the various house activations showcasing local businesses and major brands. He wanted to bring the same entrepreneurial connectivity to Music at the Intersection.
Initially, Morris only had four businesses interested in participating in MATI Places, but that grew to 12. They include both local businesses and creative organizations that support the arts like the co-working space Hey Days HQ, performance venue Work and Leisure and Turn Restaurant. The path of activations lining the ºüÀêÊÓƵ central corridor leads guests straight to the festival grounds.
“Next year, it may span out, but we wanted to make sure that we’re including a lot of the businesses that are in proximity to the festival so we can activate those communities,†Morris says.
On Sept. 13, the official Kickoff Party takes over the Big Top. Hansen says the festival’s footprint was slightly modified this year, leaving the Big Top available for a pre-festival celebration. MATI partnered with the ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC’s Homegrown Artists program to bring five local acts to the stage. To conclude the evening, Chicago’s dance-pop music act Drama will hit the stage for a dance party.
“This is an opportunity for us to really engage some of the younger audiences that really love coming to the festival and just some people that love celebrating our local music,†Hansen says.
Returning this year is the festival’s daytime conference. Rooted in music and creative education, the conference is free and open to the public. There are nine curated sessions and a keynote address from hip-hop artist Big Boss Vette.
The pre-festival events and conference embody MATI, the festival’s official acronym that will evolve along with the event. Although it will always stand for Music at the Intersection, MATI also represents the “music, art, thought and innovation†happening in the city, Hansen says.
“ºüÀêÊÓƵ has a legacy that is unrivaled globally,†he adds. “We need to own it and we need to be proud of it.â€
Although it isn’t an official Music at the Intersection event, Kranzberg Artist in Residence and hip-hop artist T-Dubb-O is hosting the Day All Hell Breaks Loose showcase at .ZACK on Sept. 7. The rapper joined the artists-in-residence program earlier this year and was originally slated to perform at the concert alone. However, after some thought, he realized the opportunity was bigger than just him.
“I always look beyond the scope of just me as an artist because I realize how much talent and untapped talent and potential that is here in ºüÀêÊÓƵ,†T-Dubb-O says.
The showcase features a collection of old and new voices from ºüÀêÊÓƵ’ diverse hip-hop scene. Kyjuan from the St. Lunatics will perform, and he’s bringing a few surprise guests along with him. Well-known artists like Pimerica Keem, formerly known as MC Keem; Saint Oeaux; and Rockwell Knuckles will hit the stage along with newcomers to the scene like OnlyTheMoney and KVTheWriter. T-Dubb-O says he wanted to showcase the city’s new talent while also giving flowers to artists he believes are underrecognized.
“These are people that should have been international superstars,†he says. “I really feel like our city let them down, especially people like Keem and Saint Oeaux. They had regional smashes and hits on the radio and our city just never got behind them like they should have.â€
Morris says MATI Places will continue to grow as Music at the Intersection does. He envisions inviting brands and organizations from other cities to activate in the corridor. He also would like to add a tourist component to the activation and encourage music lovers from across the country to come to ºüÀêÊÓƵ and experience the innovation being stirred up in the Grand Center Arts District.
“This belongs to ºüÀêÊÓƵ, and we need everybody to own it,†Morris says.
Hansen says the festival is focused on ensuring the event represents the people and remains something the community can be proud of.
“It’s a moment where we get to celebrate being in ºüÀêÊÓƵ,†he says. “We get to be proud of being from here and we get to share and showcase what makes it great.â€