Boomslang (music festival)

Boomslang
Boomslang
	The Boomslang snake eyes logo
Genre	Music festival
Frequency	Annual
Location(s)	Lexington, Kentucky (2009–Present)
Years active	15
Inaugurated	2009
Most recent	10–12 September 2010 ; 23–25 September 2011
Website	boomslangfest.com

This article is about the music festival. For other meanings see Boomslang (disambiguation).

Boomslang: A Celebration of Sound & Art is an annual multi-venue music festival in Lexington, Kentucky, sponsored by the University of Kentucky's college radio station, WRFL. The festival is an extension of WRFL's mission to provide a platform for non-mainstream, non-commercial music and other programming not found elsewhere in the region, featuring a variety of artists from both the region and from around the world. Genres tend to be experimental in nature, but have included everything from alternative rock, post-rock, electronic, hip hop, punk rock, metal, and psychedelic rock bands. Other festival features have included dance performances, local craft booths, fashion and art installations, workshops, literary events and film screenings, with a special focus on the artists and arts organizers that make Lexington unique.

Boomslang is primarily volunteer-run, relying on the power of dozens of volunteer DJs, with only a handful of paid student directors.

Etymology

The name "Boomslang" was chosen in 2009 by a committee looking for a catchy word, after the highly unique venomous snake found in Africa. The coloration and "snake eyes" in the festival logo, designed by WRFL art director Robert Beatty, were inspired by the boomslang snake.

History

Creation

The inaugural 2009 festival was conceived and organized by WRFL DJs in the attempt to highlight Lexington's unique venues, artists and organizations, with an emphasis on the local counter-culture which WRFL has nurtured since its inception. The lineup included a couple of nods to the 1960s and 1970s with German krautrock pioneers Faust and masters of psychedelic Tropicalia Os Mutantes. The line-up was heavy on psychedelic and post-rock music, also including Mission of Burma, Papa M (the solo project of Slint guitarist Dave Pajo), The Black Angels, Bardo Pond, a mixed media presentation by Mark Hosler, a founding member of Negativland. The line-up also included the first live collaboration between Lexington-based Casino Versus Japan and Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox (aka Atlas Sound),^[1] who would later tour together in 2010.

Another key concept behind Boomslang is the inclusion of non-musical features, including a 2009 circus-themed fashion show and a carnival scene that took place in the parking lot of one of the primary venues, stretching the boundaries of traditional rock culture. The 2009 and 2010 events also included a tent for display of locally-made art for sale, games, and information tables for political and environmental non-profit groups promoting counter-culture and political awareness.^[2]

Boomslang 2011 is scheduled to take place September 23–25, and will largely reflect the atmosphere and ambiance of the earlier two incarnations.

Satellite Events

Boomslang strives to provide a platform for Lexington's left-of-center creative community, hosting a number "satellite events" organized by various local artists and organizations. In addition to those listed below, Boomslang has hosted a Dorkbot workshop on how to make your own music instruments.^[3]

Stars with Accents

2011 will be the third year that Accents, a WRFL radio show for literature, art, and culture, has hosted Stars with Accents, a literary celebration supported by the Kentucky Women Writers Conference and The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. Stars with Accents has featured readings by authors such as Crystal Wilkinson, C.E. Morgan, Sallie Bingham, and more.^[4]

Neighborhood Series Fashion Event

2011 will mark the third year Boomslang has teamed up with the Lexington Fashion Collaborative to bring innovative local fashion and art to the festival, with the second annual installation of The Neighborhood Series.^[5] Last year’s Neighborhood Series took place at Land of Tomorrow Gallery, a gallery owned and operated by University of Kentucky College of Design professors, and included eight installation pieces with coordinating fashion-forward costumes that reflected eight locally-owned businesses. The materials used to create the works of art came straight from each business’s trash.

This year’s Neighborhood Series Part Two will build upon the success of last year’s event, opening up to even more artists, more designers, more businesses, and more music, offering a deeply layered look into the people and places that make Lexington unique.

Queerslang

Boomslang 2011 marks the inaugural event of Queerslang, an all-day, multi-media, entertainment and education-based event, which strives to lift up the local, LGBTIQQA community. The mission of Queerslang is to create visibility for the LGBTIQQA community and to highlight shared interests in music, art and performance with the whole of the Lexington community.^[6]

Queerslang will provide free "skillshare" workshops, film screenings and a dance party. Workshops will be hosted by touring, as well as local artists and speakers, will be free and open to everyone, and will cover a variety of subjects both geared to the LGBTIQQA community and to a broader arts community. Film screenings will include special guest Meredith Heil from UC Santa Cruz who will be showcasing her short documentary, Whistlin’ Dixie, and music performances are scheduled from JAC Stringer (MidWest GenderQueer), Ellie Herring, Making Friendz and SSION.

Kid-friendly Music

2011 will be the second year that Boomslang has hosted a kid-friendly event, organized by the host of Ages 3 and Up!, a WRFL show geared toward kids of all ages. 2010's kid-friendly event featured children's artist and ukulele player Heidi Swedberg, perhaps best known for her role as Susan on Seinfeld.^[7]

Film

Boomslang has teamed up with local film-oriented institutions Lexington Film League and KET to incorporate film into the fest, including a 2010 screening of "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" in the parking lot of the venue Buster's. Many other artists have incorporated film and video projections into their performances, including Sound/Vision, offthesky, Wooden Shjips, and Strangers Family Band.