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Musical Family Tree is celebrating it's 20th anniversary October 11th and 12th!

We will be going back to where it all started, Bloomington, IN. MFT starting in 2004 when founder, Jeb Banner, started digitizing cassettes from the 1990s, recordings from Second Story and various 4 track recordings were uploaded to MFT and then a flood of submissions grew the archive from there to its current size of 50s gigs of MP3s from hundreds of Indiana artists. MFT turned 20 this year and it felt like a good time to celebrate!

Meanwhile, Jeremy Baron from the Japonize Elephants, and a group of his college buddies, were starting to plan a 90’s Bloomington reunion, and wanted add a musical element to the weekend. He reached out to his fellow Japonize Elephants, and decided this would be a perfect way to celebrate their 30th anniversary. While they were booking other bands for the event, they joined forces with Musical Family Tree.

So to honor these milestones, and to have some fun, bands from the 1990s will be reuniting to play their first shows in years, decades!, and you are invited to join us as we celebrate the past and future of Indiana music.

Currently we have 15 bands/acts confirmed for the weekend (lineup subject to change and specific schedule to be released closer to event date):

United States Three

Japonize Elephants (celebrating their 30th anniversary!)

Stranded at the Drive In

Tribute to Lon Paul Ellrich

John P Strohm and friends

El Nino

Arson Garden

Uvula

Shine

The Academy

Dragstrip

Speed Luxury

Intro To Airlift

Neenah Foundry

Brando

Brown Betty

A.P.E.

Virginia Scrapings

We will announce specific show times as we get closer to the weekend.

The Fest will take place in Bloomington at Blockhouse (lower level) and Back Door (upper level), two venues in one building.

Your tickets get you into both venues, both days. Individual day tickets may be available as we get closer to the Fest, assuming it doesn't sell out first.

If you have any questions about the Fest, or if you were in a 90s band in Bloomington that would like to be considered for playing the Fest, please reach out to Jeb Banner, MFT founder and chair, at jeb@musicalfamilytree.org

FAQs (we will update as we get more questions)

Where does the money go?

20% of the ticket sales will go to the venues, Blockhouse and Back Door. MFT exists to help support local music and independent venues are a critical part of the ecosystem. We want them to have a very good weekend. Then the musicians will be paid. We will set aside 20% of the ticket sales for travel stipends which musicians traveling long distances can apply for- a form will be available before the Fest, we cannot guarantee that this stipend will cover 100% of everyone's travel costs but we hope it can help defer costs. Then the remaining 60% will be split evenly between all musicians. We have decided that is the most fair way to do this.

How can I support MFT?

You will have the option to make a donation to MFT while buying a ticket. As a 501c3 we welcome all donations since it helps keep the archive live as well as our newsletter and other activities. MFT will not collect and revenue from ticket sales unless a musician decides to donate their earnings back to MFT, which is entirely optional.

How can I make sure I see my favorite band?

We will announce specific show times as we get closer to the Fest. Please note! Blockhouse and Back Door are both small clubs with limited capacity (150-200 each). We will be alternating sets between both venues. So if you want to see a specific band we recommend you get to that venue well before they start so you can make sure you get in. A ticket does not guarantee that you will see a band if the venue has reached capacity for that set.

Is this All Ages?

No, 21+ only

Please considering adding a donation to Musical Family Tree (501c3). Thank you!