Orlando’s D.I.Y. Pulp Music Festival is returning for its third year in a row on September 8, and this time it’ll be an all-day, multi-venue outing in downtown Orlando. The eclectic, 31-artist lineup features a combination of both Florida and out-of-state acts, centering around emo, hardcore, and indie music, which makes for a hard juxtaposition to the electronic dance music festivals that bring thousands of people to Orlando each year.
This year’s Pulp Music Festival headliner is North Florida hardcore band Gouge Away, which has achieved mainstream success over the past year while managing to hold on to its D.I.Y. roots. Other standout acts include Atlanta math-rock band Blis, San Jose emo outfit awakebutstillinbed, New York punks Taking Meds, and forever-touring Philly indie songwriter Absinthe Father. The lineup is packed with popular Florida bands like Gilt, Palomino Blond, Woolbright, and Tampa Bay bands like Photo Fire and Snacking.
Gouge Away is also playing Crowbar in Tampa on September 29.
The 2019 rendition of Pulp Music Festival (not to be confused with science fiction convention Pulp Fest in Pittsburgh) will connect three small bars in downtown Orlando — Will’s Pub, Grumpy’s and Uncle Lou’s — which are all within within walking distance of one another. Local vendors will be set up throughout the festival “grounds.”
Pulp Music Festival’s founder and operator, Kyle Hoffer, is still working on adding a fourth stage at St. Matthew’s Tavern, which is down the street from the three Pulp venues. Last year’s Pulp Music Festival was held at the Milk District Pavilion, but still featured three separate stages. The growth of Pulp Music Festival can be attributed to a bigger team, corporate sponsors like PBR, and the growing ambitions of the festival’s founder.
“I do consider this D.I.Y. It’s mostly me who plans, coordinates, and books it all. I have help here and there, but it’s all from me first,” Hoffer told CL. “This year is slightly more stressful since I’m responsible for so much more.”
PULP FEST 3 – 2019 EDITION!! Super excited to finally announce this years lineup and date. Come see us again at @willspub! pic.twitter.com/8rF4RMBGF8
— Pulp Music Festival (@pulpmusicfest) August 1, 2019
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This article appears in Aug 1-8, 2019.