Recently we mentioned that WRFL Fest was bringing Faust and Os Mutantes, but since then, the FreeKY Fest sequel has received a new name and an incredible lineup. On the weekend of Oct 9-11, WRFL 88.1FM will kick off the BOOMSLANG celebration with performances by:
The timing of the festival falls perfectly, given the talent, with Rachel’s new album “Book of Leaves” set for release on Sept. 22nd, and The Black Angels recently canceled their Louisville performance. Atlas Sound’s Bradford Cox is finishing up the absurd Round Robin tour as Deerhunter with No Age and Dan Deacon. Additionally, Atlas Sound released one of the best albums of the year last year as everything he seems to touch turns to gold. Bardo Pond recently visited Louisville for the Terrastock Music Festival, while Shipping News, the hometown heroes who played Skull Alley’s Birthday party and also played Louisville back in November, have largely been a rare sight to see and have been silent for a few years on the album front. Admittedly, my desire to see Psychedelic Horseshit stems from their comments against Wavves, No Age & TVOTR and of course who can miss an opportunity to see David Pajo as Papa M. Although “Pajo” released an album earlier this year, his pseudonymous “Papa M” has been silent on the album front since 2004, so Boomslang represents a rare opportunity to catch Pajo performing as Papa M. Nevertheless, I’m unsure whether this means he’ll perform only Papa M stuff, or whether all of his personalities will come out for the night. Even more bands will be announced in the upcoming weeks, including a handful of local and regional artists and DJs, who will round out the festival & after-party roster.
Overall, Boomslang is going to be an incredible weekend of music, and what’s more, an incredible weekend for seminal Louisville musicians (only it’s in Lexington).
The full press release 
On the weekend of October 9-11, WRFL 88.1FM will kick off the first annual BOOMSLANG celebration – a three-day, multi-venue festival featuring music, art and other curiosities. In the true spirit of independent media, the festival will showcase a world-class roster of artists from a variety of genres – musicians who have been internationally-acclaimed for their innovation, experimentation and influence, but who have fallen (or hidden) beneath the mainstream shuffle. At the same time, we will showcase many of Lexingtonʼs unique and intimate venues, as well as the local culture that has nurtured WRFL over the past 21 years into one of the premiere college radio stations in the country.
We are excited to announce that the line-up, meticulously handpicked by WRFL DJs of various influences, will include Faust – highly influential forefathers of Germanyʼs 1970ʼs krautrock music scene – as well as Os Mutantes – legendary Brazilian masters of the psychedelic Tropicalia movement. Other confirmed acts include The Black Angels, Atlas Sound, Bardo Pond, Shipping News, Papa M, Disappears, Psychedelic Horseshit, Casino versus Japan, Lush Life, Hair Police, Burning Star Core, Teeth Mountain and Sound/Vision.
Special events include a solo piano performance from Rachel Grimes (of Louisvilleʼs cult avant-minimal outfit, Rachelʼs) and “Adventures in Illegal Art,”a multi-media presentation by Mark Hosler of Negativland, to be followed by a Q&A. In addition to live music, Boomslang will feature a number of exciting and participatory events, including an electronic music workshop (presented by Lexingtonʼs DorkBot contingency); a circus-themed fashion show; film screenings; an experiment with radio waves from Lexington drone lords Everyone Lives, Everyone Wins; and more. More bands will be announced in the upcoming weeks, including a handful of local and regional artists and DJs, who will round out the festival & after-party roster. The event follows April 2008ʼs hugely successful FreeKY Fest, a free, all-day music event that drew around 4,000 people to the parking lot of the downtown Lexington Transit Center, to enjoy a line-up that included Apples in Stereo, Jolie Holland, Mahjonng and The Coup. Approximately 1,000 tickets will be available, and will go on sale August 15.
More information coming soon at www.boomslangfest.com.
