KahBang Music and Art Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids KahBang Music and Art Festival |
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|---|---|
| Genre | rock, hip hop, pop, metal, electronic, indie |
| Dates | Second weekend in August |
| Location(s) | Bangor, Maine & Portland, Maine |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Founded by | Timothy Lo and Chas Bruns |
| Website | kahbang.com |
The KahBang Music and Art Festival was a yearly event in Bangor and Portland, Maine. It was a four-day celebration of music, art, and film.
The festival featured many different kinds of music, from rock to hip hop. It also showed independent movies and cool art displays. Other fun activities included boat rides, special parties, and even a kickball tournament. Sometimes, the festival offered places to stay or camp. The campsite often had extra music performances too. In 2014, the music part of the festival was canceled. The art and film parts moved to Portland, Maine.
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History of the KahBang Festival
Starting the Festival: 2009
The very first KahBang Festival happened in August 2009. Over 2,000 people came to the Bangor, Maine Waterfront. Bands like Matt and Kim and Ra Ra Riot played music. At first, it was a two-day music event.
Adding Film and Fun: 2010
In 2010, the festival grew bigger. It added the Bangor Film Festival. This part of the festival showed movies made by new filmmakers and independent studios. Films like Blood Into Wine and New Low were shown.
The bigger festival brought in over 30,000 people. Live music acts included BOB, OK Go, and Biz Markie.
New Experiences: 2011
In 2011, KahBang offered camping for the first time. The campsite was near the festival grounds. A new group called KahBang Arts was also started. This nonprofit group helped support the festival's art activities.
The festival also started the KahBang Connect Conference. This was a meeting where experts talked about social media and how people connect online. Music acts that year included My Morning Jacket, Lupe Fiasco, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.
Expanding Activities: 2012
In 2012, KahBang added a summer art walk. Local artists opened their studios and galleries for everyone to see. This was part of the festival's art celebration.
The festival also changed to its current four-day format. It ran from Thursday through Sunday. Music acts included Bassnectar, Deftones, and Lady Lamb the Beekeeper.
Challenges and New Ideas: 2013
The first day of the 2013 festival had a lot of rain. This made it hard for many people to enjoy the outdoor events. The ground became muddy, and it was tricky for some equipment to work safely. Some bands had to play later or in different spots.
The festival also hosted a "What’s Next Conference." This event brought in experts to talk about technology and business. Topics included social media and app development. There were also late-night music shows at local bars.
Performers included Earl Sweatshirt, Dr. Dog, and 12th Planet.
Moving and Changing: 2014
Just three weeks before big performers like DMX and St. Vincent were set to play, the festival announced a big change. It moved two hours south to Portland, Maine. The 2014 festival was planned to be mostly indoors at places like the State Theatre.
The festival had worked with Portland before in 2011. The move was partly because the festival couldn't find a good camping spot in Bangor. However, on July 31, 2014, the festival director announced that the music part of KahBang was canceled. He explained that some plans didn't work out, making it hard to put on the music shows.
