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Los Angeles-based band Dawes will headline this year’s Pleasantville Music Festival. The festival, which is in its 19th year, will take place at Parkway Field July 12. Thousands of people are expected to attend to see live performances of bands, enjoy food and drink, shop, and participate in family-oriented activities.
Doug Panero, the music festival’s executive director, said he has been aiming to appeal to a wide range of tastes. The festival’s website has rolled out the names of participating acts on a weekly basis, along with some of their music, clips, and bios.
As per tradition, the festival will also include a battle of the bands component. Bands can submit their recordings, where about 10 finalists are chosen to play in front of industry musicians. Two bands are then chosen, and win the opportunity to open the main stage to kick off the festival. The Battle of the Bands final takes place May 3.
“Part of tradition of the festival is to support young musicians on their way up and give them a really big platform to strut their stuff,” Panero said.
Panero also said there will be expanded offerings for kids’ entertainment this year, including comedians, jugglers, face painting, and a capoeira group. There will also be a child prodigy guitarist, whose name Panero said would be revealed later.
Panero also said the vendor village area, where people go to get food, will be easier and quicker to navigate, so patrons will not feel like they are missing the performances.
Panero said planning this year’s festival has been all-consuming. “I live, eat, drink, go to sleep at night, wake up in the morning thinking about this festival. I’m a maximalist.
“I want to do everything that I can possibly do all at once and just blow people away. When you only have one day to do that, that’s quite a challenge,” he said. “I’m just thrilled to bring that kind of enthusiasm to a festival setting.”
Panero said he would be satisfied if “we all just have a great time together to come and experience the joy of music and seeing friends. I want people to leave saying, ‘I can’t wait until next year’s festival. I can’t believe what happened here today.’”
Tickets for the festival are already on sale. Tent City tickets, which allow patrons to bring their own shade to the festival, will go on sale April 26.
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