The third annual Ash Bash festival will feature more than 24 hours of music over the course of a weekend with 27 bands, three DJs and a $7,000 light show.
This year's Ash Bash will focus on making an impact on the local community by featuring local artists, staff and vendors, according to musician and organizer Michael Lane.
"That's what makes us different, is that we're strictly local people," he said.
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Smackdab will be among the headliners at the third annual Ash Bash, which will take place at 1136 Hoag Road, Ashville, beginning July 27.
Lane started the festival because, as a musician himself, he had difficulty finding venues to perform large shows like Ash Bash.
"What I'm doing is taking bands that play the small bar scene, and giving them a chance to play in front of thousands of people," said Lane. "And, at Ash Bash we play all kinds of music. If you can play spoons and it sounds good on a microphone, you can play on my stage."
Headlining this year's festival are Smackdab and the No Good DooGooders. But, there are also 25 other bands to enjoy, such as: Too Skinny, Blackend Rain, Black Rose, Payso, Kate Elfman, Beyond The Illusion, Derek Davis and the Tasty Groove, Greens Genes, The Hollow Society, Family of Notes, Prophecy, 730 Boys, Awaken The Ancients and more.
Each band is allotted a 45-minute slot with 15 minutes to break down. During the break-down time, the host DJ will play the band's CD.
"It's so that the people can hear their recordings too," said Lane. "One of the DJs will also be playing an hour-and-a-half set on Saturday."
One of the major sponsors of the event is The Q Sports Bar and Nightclub of Jamestown. Owner Justin Lindell organized the live DJ set scheduled for Saturday.
"Justin Lindell has had a major impact with the Ash Bash, and he has brought it to the next level," said Lane. "Other sponsors are Behind the Mic Entertainment, Ed Shults, Elite Creations and Red Bull. So, we got major sponsors for the festival."
Behind The Mic Entertainment is a label established by Lane that doesn't focus on any one type of music.
"If you do comedy, poetry, rock 'n' roll, rap, R&B or if you play spoons," said Lane. "So, it's not just a certain genre of music; it's everything that is behind the mic."
For more information on Behind The Mic Entertainment visit facebook.com/behindthemicent.
According to Lane, the festival has changed since years past. One major change is that the stage is now out in the woods.
"It's bigger because the stage has moved out into the woods instead of being in a yard with a house," said Lane. "We cleared out 5 acres and made an opening in the middle of the woods. There is a lot of shade because I know when you're at a festival there is a lot of sitting in the sun and baking, so I wanted to keep the trees up."
Also new to this year's festival is the addition of vending. Vendors will include both food and merchandise. There will also be a DVD made of this year's event that will mainly be used for promotional purposes.
Volunteers are still being accepted. Those who are interested need to be at the festival at 10 a.m. on the day that they wish to volunteer. If a volunteer works for four hours, admission is waived for the day.
"Come support your local music, held by local people, with local staff, to have a major impact on the local community," said Lane. "The festival is located in Ashville, and we're going to be bashing all weekend."
The festival is scheduled for Friday, July 27, through Sunday, July 29, and is $10 a day or $20 for the weekend. Camping is included in the price of admission.
Ash Bash will be held at 1136 Hoag Road in Ashville. For more information, search for "Ash Bash" on Facebook or call 763-8240.