The 18th Annual Black Potatoe Music Festival is the country’s longest running and premier independent music festival, held July 10-13th 2014. For over 17 years Black Potatoe has programmed without the pressures of the industry and has become a leader in festival programming for new artists. The festival features 2 stages with 36 acts, with at least 15 slots reserved for Sonicbids artists.
Without catering to music industry trends, the Black Potatoe Music Festival has prese>...
The 18th Annual Black Potatoe Music Festival is the country’s longest running and premier independent music festival, held July 10-13th 2014. For over 17 years Black Potatoe has programmed without the pressures of the industry and has become a leader in festival programming for new artists. The festival features 2 stages with 36 acts, with at least 15 slots reserved for Sonicbids artists.
Without catering to music industry trends, the Black Potatoe Music Festival has presented diverse acts from the national, regional, and local levels. The one rule is that you must be an independent artist or on an indie label (Music Legends and their side projects are the only exceptions).
Selected artists receive:
- Compensation is available depending on artist.
- Artists get great promotion through radio, print, and internet outlets in the New Jersey, New York and Eastern Pennsylvania markets.
- Black Potatoe’s merchandise team will sell your products for you at the festival.
- Because of the festival's central location between New York City (60
miles) and Philadelphia (75 miles), this is a great way to route other dates in the region.
The festival, which originally began in 1997 by the artist-owned independent label Black Potatoe Records as a CD release party for the group Angus, has blossomed into a multi-day, multi-venue event. The festival was founded by Clinton, New Jersey native Matthew Angus and is hosted by Beth Williams of Black Potatoe Presents along with The Black Potatoe Music Festival Charitable Organization, a new 501c3. All proceeds from the festival go back to several non-profit organizations within the town of Clinton and the surrounding area. Black Potatoe has been presenting shows since 1996 at some of New Jersey finest venues. In years past, they have had acts from Reno to Nashville & from Texas to Canada and Japan, England, Ireland and Australia. This year, they look forward to you representing your state or country.
Past performers include: Edwin McCain, Shawn Mullins, The Smithereens, Levon Helm (The Band), Dickey Betts (The Allman Brothers Band), Andy Summers (The Police), Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane & Hot Tuna), The Matt Angus Thing, Marshall Crenshaw, Honeyboy Edwards, Donna Jead and the Tricksters, Ellis Paul, The Holmes Brothers, The Harlem Gospel Choir, Buckwheat Zydeco, Hayseed Dixie, Catie Curtis, Tony Levin, Kathy Phillips, Chris Barron, Michael Glabicki (Rusted Root), The Campbell Brothers, The Vivino Brothers from Late Night with Conan O Brien, Jimmy McGriff, Bernard Purdie, Jerry Jemmott, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas and dozens more.
2014 will mark the eleventh year that the Black Potatoe Music Festival and Sonicbids have partnered for submissions. Every submission is reviewed by at least 3 different judges. There are 7-10 judges and each submission will be listened to by at least 1 Grammy winning engineer.
“In this festival, it is not who you know, it is the quality of your submission. We want the best for our fans, not the friends of folks we know. We like being known as the festival with integrity, and now along with the proceeds going to local non-profits, it really is a festival that a real artist can believe in.” – Matt Angus (Founder, Black Potatoe)
P.S. Potatoe is spelled with an "e" because if you can become the Vice President of the USA and you spell potato wrong, you can do anything!