NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A new two-day music festival will bring 23 bands to Old Dominion University’s campus March 10-11, with shows going on simultaneously on two different stages.
YES Fest is happening at ODU’s Goode Theatre and the Baron & Ellin Gordon Art Galleries, off Monarch Way near the Ted Constant Convocation Center.
The artists span the music spectrum, from the psychedelic indie vibes of Norfolk’s Community Witch to the soulful Americana of Richmond’s Holy Roller and the “melodic hardcore” of Norfolk’s Mean Jesus.
“The goal is trying to reach new people, especially get the ODU students coming out and seeing how many great local bands there are, regional bands coming through and nationally touring bands as well,” said promoter Josh Coplon, who books shows throughout Hampton Roads and in Richmond as LAVA Presents.
Coplon is collaborating heavily with ODU Arts and the greater Monarch community for the inaugural festival. ODU graphic design senior Kris Cameron created the artwork and ODU students will be running the whole production with help from Goode Theater facility manager Josh Knibbs (who wants to break out the fog machine for the festival).
ODU Program Manager for the Arts Sarah Glaser and Executive Director for the Arts Cullen Strawn are also key contributors.
“We’ll have ODU light engineers and sound engineers running sound for all the bands and getting real life experience, which is really important especially as students are about to enter the real world,” Coplon said.
Doors open at 5 p.m. Friday and music is set to start at 5:45 p.m. The action picks back up on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $7 for ODU students as of March 2. Single-day ticket prices go up starting March 4 and two-day passes increase on March 8.
The Goode Theater has the vibes of a baby NorVa: intimate with the balconies that go straight up on three sides. But there’s also theater seating, some which will be removed for the event to have more standing room. The official capacity is just under 200 people.
“I’ve had some LAVA shows here in the Goode over the years, and I was trying to figure out how to engage more with the student population, which for some of them maybe they don’t have cars here, maybe there’s not a way for them to get to where the show’s going on in Norfolk or Virginia Beach,” Coplon added. “To try to say ‘hey this happening right here.'”
Meanwhile the other stage next door at the Gordon Art Gallery will be standing room, with a smaller capacity. There you can hear acts such as Pearloid, The Are Gutting a Body of Water and Ten Pound Snail.
You can preview the artists on the festival’s Spotify playlist before you go. Student-run radio station WODU has also been playing all the bands to promote the festival.
“Hopefully maybe you find your new favorite band,” Coplon says.
You can follow LAVA Presents and YES Fest on Facebook and Instagram.