Boulder prepares for first Pearl St. Music and Arts festival

Written by Sara Kassabian in Boulder living, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music on Apr 25, 2011 5:00 / comments

The first annual Pearl St. Music and Arts Festival is a time for Boulderites to revel in live music with the company of a summer breeze.

On May 6 and 7 community members will be able to stroll down Pearl St., enjoying good music while taking advantage of exclusive deals from some local businesses.

Travis Albright, President of Silverfox Productions and the man in charge of the festival, said he drew inspiration from Austin’s annual South by Southwest festival.

“We live in such a great area for music with a great downtown district,” Albright said. “So why not put the two together?”

The live music lineup will headline national acts like Dr. Dog and Mason Jennings, along with local favorites like Paper Bird and Gregory Alan Isakov.

Albright said the festival has been a hectic six months in the making, and will give ticket holders access to two days worth of music from early shows to headline shows followed by late-night disc jockeys.

In addition to two days full of concerts at venues like Conor O’Neill’s and the Boulder Theater, local businesses have come together to provide exclusive discounts with the purchase of festival wristbands.

“I hope everyone enjoys the way downtown businesses are pulling together in a great community event with an emphasis on live music,” Albright said. “Folks should take advantage of being able to walk from venue to venue to check out artists they love as well as artists they’ve never heard.”

Special prices at Tahona Tequila Bistro and studio deals at Color Me Mine allows patrons to explore downtown Boulder while enjoying a selection of live tunes.

“The discounts more than pay for the price of admission on their own,” Albright said.

Albright said he sees the festival as a great opportunity for students to relax after the chaos of finals and graduation, but has one key goal in mind.

“I hope everyone dances their asses off,” he said.

The tickets range from $15 for all venues (except Boulder Theater) to $69 for an all-inclusive 2-day pass and can be purchased at the official website.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Maranda Bodas at [email protected].

About Sara Kassabian

Sara is a senior news-editorial major. She has previously been the editor-in-cheif, and edited the opinion, news and entertainment sections of the publication. Sara has been working in journalism for six years, writing about everything from politics to pornography. She is pursuing a minor in philosophy and is participating in the International Media certificate program. Outside of classes and chasing down leads, Sara likes to collect vinyl records, read books, tell stories, lurk the Boulder Humane Society website and be generally enthusiastic. She hopes to someday apply her education to a career that requires writing, editing or reading in her own private library.