This year’s event, Sideshow 18, features diverse contributions from 12 local visual artists and live entertainment from 13 bands and performers. Visual art on display will include photography, paintings, mix media, sculptures, and installations. Participating artists include Holly Wyss, DJ Justice, Rebecca Rowley, Misty Bankhead, Melissa Robison, Anders Young, Katherine Schwab, Jess Fecke, Steve Bennish, Samantha Farkas, Kimberly Weiss and Bradley the Dark.
A newer addition to Sideshow are the vendors, which include Rae of the Fae, M’hae Designs, and Traitor Joe.
“It’s important to help keep the community aspect of all the artists in Dayton in touch with each other,” said Sideshow art coordinator, Tara Moore. “We usually give them some time to hang or possibly even work on their stuff in the space. So it kind of keeps a lot of the artists in touch that don’t necessarily have a place to be involved in that kind of community.”
It also allows the public to experience local artists that might not have a chance to otherwise. The event is free, but donations are accepted at the door. This year’s funds will benefit Planned Parenthood.
“I personally like to think of Sideshow as kind of a cross-section of the Dayton art and music scene,” said music coordinator, Joe Augustine, who has been involved with the planning committee since Sideshow 9. “We don’t necessarily want to have the same acts every year, so we try to bring in new blood, and have some variety that’s representative of the scene.”
Music begins at 5 p.m. Friday, and will be performed on two separate stages: the main stage and in the back gallery. The bill includes songwriters Ellie Brock & Eric Cassidy, Americana from Kevin Milner, psych-rock from WAHFU, pop-punk from Never Try, blueswoman Sharon Lane, roots music from Basement Moonshine, shoegaze from David Berry, indie-folk from The Nautical Theme, and anthem rock from She’s Deadly. The Boxcar Suite, a power-trio with Byrds-like harmonies, will headline at 11:40 p.m.
While typically a two-day festival, Sideshow will just be one night this year. However, in lieu of that, an official pre-show music showcase is scheduled for Thursday, May 22, in the gallery room at Yellow Cab. Musical acts on Thursday include Mike Bankhead, Mandy Jewell and Debbie DeCasio.
Performance artists have also been a staple of Sideshow, with dancers and poets heightening the menagerie of talents. Dayton Poetry Slam, which offers community poetry open mics, will have a slot between breaks in Friday’s music lineup.
When asked why it’s important to have a music festival like this, one that brings together the Dayton arts, musically and visually, Augustine said it was “the community of it.”
“Most of my good friends in the Dayton art and music scene are people that I met through Dayton Sideshow,” he said. “It’s not just a cross-section of like talent and performers in the area; it also attracts people who want to get involved and be a part of those things, community-minded artists.”
Augustine said that the artists and musicians in the Dayton scene try to lift each other up, unlike perhaps the insular cliqueness of other cities. In fact, a lot of them are friends.
“Dayton is also very friendly to listening room environments, and encouraging that. It’s integral to the scene,” he said. “A lot of people assigned that to Mick Montgomery and the impact that he had with Canal Street Tavern. I think that’s probably also 100% true. The community here has liked that so much that there are a lot of people trying to carry that torch forward and keep it going.”
Brandon Berry writes about the Dayton and Southwest Ohio music and art scene. Have a story idea for him? Email branberry100@gmail.com.
How to go
What: Dayton Sideshow 18
When: 5 p.m., May 23
Where: Yellow Cab Tavern, 700 E. 4th St., Dayton
Cost: Free, donations accepted
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