Killer Mike, Vince Staples, Steve Aoki, Lane 8, Snow Tha Product, and BADBADNOTGOOD lead the eclectic lineup of the inaugural Elsewhere Festival and Conference, set for June 21 and 22 in Wichita, Kansas. Sudan Archives, A Place to Bury Strangers, Blu DeTiger, Sunflower Bean, D Smoke, and PUP will also be among the dozens of performers.
You can find the full lineup in the poster below. Tickets are available here.
Part of what distinguishes the event is its community focus—specifically within the Midwest, a region often overlooked despite its vast influence and vibrant musical history. The fest was created and produced by Midtopia, a “creative nonprofit think tank” striving for “new models of sustainability for the independent music ecosystem.”
Elsewhere is specifically geared toward musicians and other music workers—fittingly, it features low-cost admission and the opportunity for one-on-one meetings with established industry pros. According to a statement, the event aims to serve the local community by “modeling partnerships with organizations committed to social change.”
In addition to his performance, Killer Mike will appear as a speaker at the conference, addressing the need for freedom of expression. Other guests will span numerous facets of the music industry, including representatives from City Winery, Stand Together, No Depression, Berklee College of Music, Union Stage, and Primary Wave, among others.
“Midtopia was created to serve a need in Wichita, but really applies, well, elsewhere,” says Jessie Hartke, Midtopia’s CEO and Director, in a statement. “There are so many talented artists and music workers alike, and such wonderful local scenes, but industry support is really lacking and systematically flawed. Midtopia is an opportunity to reimagine the traditional industry structure and its ability to positively impact society, and create a new framework that puts artists and music workers first. We want to do the same thing with Elsewhere and create a new kind of music event that is truly built to support the community and artists, both local and from afar.”
Local entrepreneur and philanthropist Chase Koch adds, “As leading advocates for music community growth, Jessie and Adam Hartke’s vision to foster opportunity and inclusivity in Wichita seamlessly aligns with my own goals of uniting with others to find new transformative solutions that break down barriers and empower people. Midtopia’s Elsewhere Festival and Conference is a new effort to bring a unique community experience to Wichita. By combining fresh and innovative musical and visual artists across multiple genres, music industry leaders that are smashing old paradigms, and local social change entrepreneurs demonstrating better solutions to fix hard problems, participants will have an opportunity to discover, learn, and enjoy a transformative experience.”
