“I thought it was great, except for the fact that it was in the south.” Junior Seth Kline is not talking about Disney World. He is talking about MACRoCk, the mid-Atlantic College Radio music festival, held April 5 and 6 at James Madison University.
Kline and a few other students from Cabrini and the surrounding colleges joined 3,500 other “scenesters” in Harrisonberg, Va. for two days of music and panels focusing on independent thought.
The music festival showcased a variety of music styles, everything from Fin Fang Foom to An Albatross. Music was everywhere. MACroCk cumulated with the performance of Fugazi. Fugazi is one of the biggest and most influential bands in independent music. “This was evident by the thousands of people who crammed into a gym just to hear the legendary gods of punk rock,” Kline said. “It is amazing how a band can receive so much attention when they never do any kind of advertising. During their set they talked a lot about the corporation of the music scene.” According to Kline, Fugazi finds it appalling how a few corporations control the airwaves.
Corporations were absent from the scene. Additionally, MACRoCk did not support the consumption of alcohol on the premises of any of the shows and panels. However, Kline said, “you could tell it was everywhere.” Tickets were $20 for the whole weekend, but tickets for individual events were sold. Over fifty bands performed throughout the two days. They were located on four different venues in and around James Madison’s campus. Eastern University junior Tim Bush attended the event with Kline. Bush said that it was a 20 to 30 minute drive or walk to the venues. “It was good exercise,” he said.
This was Bush’s first time at MACRoCk. “I saw some good bands, but I got tired of standing all day,” he said.
On April 6, seven panels were held from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. educating on topics from “Women and Girls in Punk” to “School of the Americans Movement.”
“They educate you on different social issues or teach you how to make your own tee-shirts or record your own demo-tape,” Kline said.
Most area hotels in the area gave discounts and area businesses gave out free merchandise to people who attended MACRoCk.
“I had a lot of fun,” Bush, said.
