Eagle Rock Music Festival 2012 Line Up

Dancing in the streets until midnight is probably not the most attractive idea in the hot and humid Miami-like weather we've been enduring lately. In a little more than three weeks, though, that’s precisely what tens of thousands of people are likely to do as Eagle Rock’s biggest annual event—the 14th Eagle Rock Music Festival—gets underway.

Last year’s festival, held on the stretch of Colorado Boulevard between Eagle Rock Boulevard and Townsend, started at 4 p.m. This year, the festival kicks off at 2 p.m. to enable more “family friendly programming,” in the words of Renée Dominique, development director at the , which presents the festival along with the office of .

As always, the festival is the result of months of collaborative work among sponsors, programming partners, musicians and the community. This year, the Center collaborated with Dublab, KOXY, FYF Fest, LA Record, Stone’s Throw, The Ship Studios, and Kingsize Soundlabs to create the handpicked and artfully curated lineup that the Eagle Rock Music Festival is known for.

Stone’s Throw, a local independent hip-hop record label, will make its festival debut by co-curating a stage that will “get you boogying down” with dub reggae musicians The Lions, beatmaker turned rapper Jonwayne & Friends and Stones Throw creator Peanut Butter Wolf.

The redoubtable will feature the folk and Americana sounds of Leftover Cuties, which you might recognize from HBO’s The Big C’s theme song). Ragtime blues band Sadie and the Blue Eyed Devils and the backwoods blues band The Record Company will give you more reasons to—grab your partner! If that doesn’t do it for you, trust the music of Echo Park’s Triple Chicken Foot to make you and yours break out into the do-si-do.

Over at and , delicious food will be on offer along with the intricate jazz/blues/soul music of Dan Olivo and His Jazz Combo, Duniven and the Eagle Rock group Curve Line Quintet.

Those who develop tired festival feet—whether connected to the 2 p.m. early start or not—can grab a rest by taking a seat on the lawn at the Family Stage, prominently located at Eagle Rock City Hall. Kicking off the Family Stage will be Apple Brains, a children’s band focused on healthy eating for kids, followed by “kindie rock” musicians Ellen and Matt and The Ukulele Orchestra of the Western Hemisphere, which will play arrangements of mash-ups and songs ranging from Radiohead and Hank Williams to Aerosmith and Justin Bieber. Eagle Rock native Glen Iris will give an enthusiastic take on modern pop.

Festival favorite Dublab presents a collection of Future Roots/Global sounds with Contact Field Orchestra, Damon Aaron’s new project, and the LA-based psychedelic band VUM, not to mention punk bassist turned jazz, funk and electronic artist Thundercat.

The , located across the boulevard from City Hall, opens its doors for the first time for a festival blast of gospel music blended with world and experimental music. Christening the new venue are gospel roots band Little Faith, a collaborative performance from Anenon & Andres Renteria, Brazilian musicians Fabiano Do Nascimento’s Group and SASSAS soundShoppe.

The Emerging Stage, presented by KOXY Radio in conjunction with FYF Fest and LA Record, offers a fascinating collaborative lineup, featuring experimental bedroom pop band So Many Wizards, indie pop group Imperial Teen and garage surf rock band Tijuana Panthers.

Another festival favorite, , will host international sounds guaranteed to get you shimmying and swaying to the beat. Acts include the Eagle Rock High School Latin Jazz Combo, tropical merengue/punte/cumbia fusing group Buyepongo, Latin boogaloo/cha cha cha band The Boogaloo Assassins and much more.

The parking lot of the Thai restaurant will be the site for 13 bands playing back-to-back. Kingsize Soundlabs and Ship Studios curate quirky postpunk Silverlake artists Cigarette Bums, LA based experimental neo-soul band Bloody Death Skull, Buck Shot Bill, an alternative country rock band from Northeast LA, music collective Beat Club, and Rooney front man Robert Schwartzman & Friends.

Amid—or after all that jiving—enjoy some of LA’s best food trucks, ranging from Fresh Fries and Slice Truck to Greasy Weiner and Palazzolo Truck. Or duck into any number of restaurants along Colorado Boulevard, including , , , , , and the aforementioned featival venues Colombo’s Italian Steakhouse and Camilo’s California Bistro. The will host a food court at Caspar and Merton Avenue, with tables and chairs for Al Fresco dining.

The Eagle Rock Music Festival is presented with generous support from The James Irvine Foundation, , , , KOXY, Los Angeles Music Academy, Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles, and businesses in Eagle Rock.

Stop by at sponsor booths for a range of alluring discounts, coupons and samples. And don't miss checking in at the Patch booth, where we will be taking photos of you and your beloved and posting them on the site the next day in something of a who's-who line up you'll definitely get a kick out of. Click her to see photos from last year's festival.

A free shuttle service to and from the festival will be available from Eagle Rock Plaza, where free parking will be available for festivalgoers.

A $10 suggested donation can be made at the main festival entrances located at Argus Drive and Eagle Rock Boulevard. The contribution will support arts in the community. Donate in advance through Ticketfly.com at either of the festival’s two levels for special gifts, including an exclusive digital download featuring handpicked tracks from bands playing at the 2012 festival. The donations come with access to a VIP entrance for the festival and an Eagle Rock Music Festival T-shirt.

For a glimpse of the full line-up and schedule information, visit the Center’s website at www.CFAER.org.

14th Annual Eagle Rock Music Festival, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2 p.m.–11 p.m.