Architecture Aviva

Music fans of all ages migrated downtown Saturday night, braving threats of rain and cold weather to take part in Muncie Music Fest.

Students, townspeople and music fans from around the Midwest gathered in the streets for the late night festival, an event that junior Evan Owens considers a great representation of the local arts scene.

"Most people really don't know it, but there's tons of great art that's here," the guitarist of Architecture Aviva said.

For Owens, the experience was about more than just the performance.
"Seeing old friends, seeing new friends, meeting new people," he said. "Seeing all the different art that people make here in the city we live in was just a really great experience."

Muncie Music Fest hosted 50 local bands on three outdoor stages, as well as 10 stages indoors. Despite the chance of rain, many fans roamed the downtown streets, wandering from stage to stage as bands transitioned. - The Ball State Daily News

While its final Open Mic Night didn't get as big a crowd as organizers hoped for, it included acts ranging from the acoustic sounds of Mike Hughes and his guitar "Hargus", to the psychedelic rock sounds of Architecture Aviva, to the comedy of Ben Hail.

Architecture Aviva member Nick Carpenter said his unique style comes from a variety of sources.

"Our inspiration is like a blender," he said. "We get sounds from surf rock, psychedelic rock, punk rock, pretty much anything," Carpenter said.
He and his musical partner, freshman Evan Owens, utilized a keyboard, "compressor" and electronic "looper" to create the unique sounds of their instrumental music.

"The music is obscure in a setting like this," Owens said. "People don't know what to think about it, but they like it." - Daily News