MACRoCk partners with HDR for next year
Brent Finnegan -- March 6th, 2007
MACRoCk, the Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference, is skipping its 11th consecutive year. Their new website is up, confirming rumors that it’s not going to happen at all this year, but will be back next year, hopefully with an excellent lineup.
According to the statement on the site, they’ve partnered with the Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance:
The MACRoCk committee has thought long and hard about our mission and has decided to partner up with the Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance. We are now in stride to become a completely independent conference, free of the legal backing of James Madison University, with whom we have operated over the past ten years. The conference will now be housed completely in the Harrisonburg downtown area with the support of local independent venues and businesses.
-finnegan
Talk about bad news, good news. Although there hasn’t been that many artists that I was interested in since the last MACRoCk I went to (2002? When was Dismemberment Plan there? It was back when I was actually involved in “CR”) I always liked the idea of MACRoCk and hoped for the best for them, esp. since I moved to Harrisonburg. Can’t wait to see what they do in ’08. I’ll be able to combine two of my favorite things: Indie rock and downtown Harrisonburg! Way to go HDR, too!
Yeah, the HDR earned a few cool points doing that.
From what I hear, they’re changing gears, doing away with the hardcore/metal elements, and running calls for submissions in Rolling Stone magazine.
TM or any other Dismemberment Plan fans out there should check the black cat web site, one night only D-plan reunion show sometime next month. Should be fantastic.
I have to agree with TM: I haven’t had interest in many of the bands showcased at MACRoCk in a few years. The HDR/MACRoCk combo could be a great pairing, and I’m excited to see what both organizations will do.
Yeah, that D-Plan show sold out in 3-4 min. They’re going to announce a Friday show soon, so I’ve heard, but I’ve been having horrible luck with the ticketb*stard lately. I was right there at 5 as were 3 of my friends, but came up empty handed.
Back to the topic at hand though, there has really only been 1-2 bands the past few years at each MACRoCk and since they did away with single show tickets, it wasn’t worth the badge price. I remember a few downtown venues 5 or so years ago. I know CST had some shows, as did the empty space that I think is now the Children’s Museum(?).
My most memorable MACRoCk shows: Fugazi, D-plan, Man or Astro Man at Maintreet (was that even for MACRoCk?), Servotron, Cave In, Ester Drang, Pedro the Lion. I wish I could say I saw Elliot Smith play at the Dodger, but I was in some basement watching some no name band play at the time. Oh, the regret.
Wow, I never knew they got Elliott Smith. I bet that was amazing at the Dodger.
I was definitely at Fugazi. Amazing show in the gym. My friends and I still laugh about how unbearably hot it was in there, but Ian insisted that he wouldn’t play any more unless the doors were shut because it was cold on stage or something. That Cave In show at Good Times (remember that?) was great because Moods For Moderns and Piebald played the same show. Incredible. Rainer Maria is the band that I saw the same year as Fugazi in the empty space that’s actually next to the Children’s Museum. Couldn’t get into Songs: Ohia at the same time at CST. Finally, we did see Travis from D-Plan at the Waffle House across from Shoney’s Inn in the early morning hours after they played. I could probably add more since I’m pretty sure I still have a MACRoCk guide from years ago at home. I could keep this thread going all day!
Some other greats, Explosions in the Sky, Avail, Dillenger Escape Plan… and how can leave out the great WESLEY WILLIS!!!
This does sounds like a great idea though.
Wow, I had a friend getting me D-plan tickets, I hope he had good luck. Talking about all the great bands that have played in Harrisonburg because of Macrock reminds me how much fun it was, maybe it’s better because non-college kids like me can be more involved next year since it isn’t with the university.
I’m still a little upset with Ian from Fugazi, it was so hot in there and he sounded like such a cry-baby up on stage. I could see the newspaper headline, “Fan passes out from heat stroke, rock star complains about breeze.”
When did Explosions in the Sky play? I know they played at College Center one time, but it wasn’t with Macrock.
Although the Fugazi year was nearly everybody’s favorite, I thought that Court Square’s lineup last year was exceptional. I stayed in the venue for almost the whole evening.
Explosions in the Sky was about 4 or 5 years ago. It was the first time I had heard of them and I immediately bought both of their CDs.