By Jessica Hudgins
SDUN Reporter
If music is your thing, you won’t want to miss the third annual North Park Music Thing. Also known as the San Diego Music and Media Conference and Festival, the annual two-day event kicks off Friday, Aug. 13, and will continue all day Aug. 14. With live performances at 14 stages in the Uptown area, panel discussions, workshops and demo review sessions, North Park Music Thing is the one-stop shop for music lovers and anyone looking to step into the music industry. It is produced by the San Diego Music Foundation.
“For a musician, it’s very much like South By Southwest in Texas. That’s what we modeled it after,” said Kevin Hellman from the San Diego Music Foundation. “For the average person it’s about the music—they’re going to want to see the shows.”
The music festival will take place throughout North Park, Normal Heights and South Park and will feature more than 150 local and regional bands performing everywhere from Lestats Coffee House (3343 Adams Ave.), to the Soda Bar (3615 El Cajon Blvd.), to Bar Pink (3829 30th St.), to the Whistle Stop (2236 Fern St.), to the Kensington Club (4079 Adams Ave.) and more.
“It gives people the chance to see up-and-coming artists before they’re playing in the Sports Arena or The House of Blues. And you can see a ton of bands if you decide to move around a lot. A friend told me that last year he saw up to 40 bands in one night,” Hellman said.
Getting from one venue to the next won’t be a problem because the Park 2 Park shuttle service is offering free rides to anyone with a North Park Music Thing pass. Four shuttles will operate from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
“We are really discouraging drinking and driving. The shuttles should provide people plenty of time to get from one band to the next,” Hellman said. “We want people to go out and see good music and be safe while doing it.”
The idea for the North Park Music Thing started five years ago when the San Diego Music Foundation held a series of workshops for musicians.
“It was so successful that we decided we needed to do more, but we couldn’t do it for free,” Hellman said.
This year with dozens of panelists coming to North Park—some from as far away as New York—there continues to be expenses to pay, but Hellman said it’s not about the money.
“We’re not trying to make money on this thing. What we’re offering to musicians is unbelievably cheap, and it’s also great because the public can come out and enjoy the music,” he said.
The keynote speaker is Kim Fowley, who has worked with artists such as Cat Stevens, The Runaways, KISS and Guns ‘n’ Roses.
“He has recorded with anybody and everybody,” Hellman said. “If anyone wants to hear some cool stories about the business, you’ll want to hear his speech.”
All conference workshops will be held at the Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., and are open to the public.
A 2-day all-access badge is $34 if bought in advance. Other ticket options are available at lower prices. Proceeds will benefit the San Diego Music Foundation and its effort to provide musicians with assistance and to promote music education. For tickets or more information, go to sandiegomusicfoundation.org/npmt.
