Pitchfork

The mighty Brainwashed.com-- one of Pitchfork's fellow alums from the Internet class of 1996-- will this year celebrate its tenth year of online operations. Besides offering streaming audio/video and original editorial content on musical matters over the years, Brainwashed has also made itself super-useful by hosting the websites of numerous indie bands (!!!, Tortoise, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Antony and the Johnsons, etc.) and labels (Kranky, Stormy, Terminal Kaleidoscope, Tigerbeat6, Ba Da Bing!, etc.), as well as the site's own recording label, Brainwashed Recordings.

A successful, decade-long go at this calls for a party, and party they shall-- festival stylee! Hence, the Brainwaves Festival takes up residence at Arlington, Massachusetts' Regent Theatre from November 17-19.

With four "sets" spread over three days, Brainwaves will feature performances by Keith Fullerton Whitman, Stephen Stapleton (as DJ) and Colin Potter of Nurse With Wound, Greg Davis, Edward Ka-Spel and Silverman, Christoph Heemann, Andreas Martin, Volcano the Bear, Windy & Carl, Jessica Bailiff, Landing, and more-- including, oddly enough, the Dresden Dolls. Full lineup ahead.

Brainwashed founder and main-brain Jon Whitney told Pitchfork via email that he's predicted "surprised, unannounced guest appearances" because several unconfirmed performers "don't know if they can commit, or don't know about getting into the country, or don't want to be ambushed by the vicious indie paparazzi" (gulp!).

Only 500 tickets are available for the sure-to-be intimate event. Whitney said the venue ultimately set the limit for the ticket sales, but that "we're not bankrolled by major sponsors, we don't have a lot of coverage, we don't have money, we still all have day jobs, so, it's just not feasible to try and get a festival like this at a bigger place. Plus, [some] festivals cancel because they don't sell enough tickets. I'd rather sell out to the hardcore supporters and devotees than get the unpredictable drifters." That's right, drifters, move it along. Stop your lounging.

Brainwaves will also feature film screenings. Besides the (usually) winning idea of providing a visual complement to many of the musical performances over the three days, there will be an intermission on Saturday devoted entirely to film. Added Whitney, "We're hoping [to] show films after the music has stopped (maybe 11-12 at night or so) until the wee hours of the morning." Slumber party!

Whitney, who said he doesn't expect to sleep that whole week and wouldn't mind going tens of thousands of dollars in debt for the festival/site, said Brainwashed had no current plans to convert any of the festival experience into record releases (perhaps another Lisbon-styled KFW crusher, for instance?) or DVDs, but that those can't be ruled out.

"The idea has been tossed around to let everybody in with tape recorders and cameras, and trying to make a collaborative effort with everybody's sources, but, orchestrating that could take a long time too," said Whitney. There's also always the possibility of video snippets channeled through the website's video apparatus, The Eye.

He also could not rule out the possibility of the festival returning in subsequent years, adding that "I probably would be very open to somebody else organizing it if there is a next time!"

Lineup:

Friday, November 17: z'ev, Nadja, the Dresden Dolls, Edward Ka-Spel and Silverman
Saturday, November 18 (afternoon): Howard Stelzer, the Caretaker and V/Vm, Goodiepal, Cock ESP, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Greg Davis, Landing
Saturday, November 18 (evening): Aranos, DJ Steven Stapleton, Colin Potter, Irr.App.(Ext.), Volcano the Bear
Sunday, November 19: Charles Atlas, Jessica Bailiff, Christoph Heemann, Andreas Martin, Windy & Carl, Non, Thighpaulsandra