Harvest Moon Benefit Festival
Encyclopedia
The Harvest Moon Festival was an annual music festival based in Cincinnati, Ohio
, as a fundraiser for charities to benefit the homeless and hungry in Ohio. Created by Cincinnati natives Kent Meloy (Collins Gate, Staring at the Sea, Kelp, Kid Jupiter) and Jay Nungesser (Collins Gate, Staring at the Sea, Virgoblique), it ran annually from 1999 to 2004, growing in size and popularity each year. Originally conceived as a concert featuring bands that "sounded like fall" -- local folk and roots-rock bands—the Festival's musical scope grew to include jazz-rock (The Doug Perry Ensemble), jazz (Me or the Moon), experimental electronica (Sedate), and reggae (Kris Brown), with the only constant being Katie Reider
as the festival's headliner for its entire run. The Festival even grew beyond Cincinnati, as sister festivals of the same name sprung up around America, coordinated by Meloy.
The Festival brought together a wide variety of Ohio and Kentucky
-based musicians each year—each band donating its time to the cause—and raised additional money and awareness by selling CDs at the event collecting all the night's bands into a collectible album, called Voices of Harvest Moon (vols. 1-4).
The festival became one of the best-known musical events each fall, but increasing scheduling conflicts between bands and venues, a lack of sponsorship, and the difficulties in keeping an audience for an early-October music festival caused Meloy and Nungesser to cancel the annual event in 2004 and replace it with the Christmastime-themed Festivus Maximus festival, which proved wildly popular during its two-year run at the Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky
.
as a fundraiser for Freestore/Foodbank. The following bands played after a bagpiper ceremonially piped in the festival:
. Overall, the 2003 festival was marked by a dramatically low attendance (mainly due to construction on the roads surrounding the venue) which made the possibility of a 2004 show much less likely.
, Ashley Peacock, Abiyah, Kelp, The Screaming Mimes, Tracy Walker, and Boom Bip
. Due to scheduling conflicts with bands and the Southgate House venue, the festival was cancelled at the last minute.
, and founders Kent Meloy, Jay Nungesser, and Dave Storm were interviewed for a feature article in Cincinnati CityBeat
. The event benefitted the Autism Society and raised over $3000.
The lineup featured:
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, as a fundraiser for charities to benefit the homeless and hungry in Ohio. Created by Cincinnati natives Kent Meloy (Collins Gate, Staring at the Sea, Kelp, Kid Jupiter) and Jay Nungesser (Collins Gate, Staring at the Sea, Virgoblique), it ran annually from 1999 to 2004, growing in size and popularity each year. Originally conceived as a concert featuring bands that "sounded like fall" -- local folk and roots-rock bands—the Festival's musical scope grew to include jazz-rock (The Doug Perry Ensemble), jazz (Me or the Moon), experimental electronica (Sedate), and reggae (Kris Brown), with the only constant being Katie Reider
Katie Reider
Kathryn Ann "Katie" Reider was an American singer-songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio. Reider described her own music as "Folk/pop/rock fused together into some sort of 'genre-less' category." Reider released four albums, won five Cincinnati music awards and had her songs featured on television...
as the festival's headliner for its entire run. The Festival even grew beyond Cincinnati, as sister festivals of the same name sprung up around America, coordinated by Meloy.
The Festival brought together a wide variety of Ohio and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
-based musicians each year—each band donating its time to the cause—and raised additional money and awareness by selling CDs at the event collecting all the night's bands into a collectible album, called Voices of Harvest Moon (vols. 1-4).
The festival became one of the best-known musical events each fall, but increasing scheduling conflicts between bands and venues, a lack of sponsorship, and the difficulties in keeping an audience for an early-October music festival caused Meloy and Nungesser to cancel the annual event in 2004 and replace it with the Christmastime-themed Festivus Maximus festival, which proved wildly popular during its two-year run at the Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky
Newport, Kentucky
Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
.
1999
The festival debuted at the 20th Century Theatre in Oakley, OhioOakley, Ohio
Oakley is a middle-class neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio that borders Pleasant Ridge, Madisonville, and Hyde Park. Oakley's business district, called Oakley Square, lies along Madison Road. Oakley is a primary thoroughfare and a major crosstown artery in Cincinnati.In addition to Oakley Square,...
as a fundraiser for Freestore/Foodbank. The following bands played after a bagpiper ceremonially piped in the festival:
2000
The festival had its second year at the 20th Century Theatre and raised money for the Oakley Soup Kitchen. Ric Hordinski, formerly of Over the Rhine, joined the festival for a rare public performance with his band Monk.- Collins Gate (in their final performance)
- Katie Reider
- Monk
- Mohenjo Daro
2001
The festival had outgrown its venue and moved to the historic Southgate House. The response from local bands to join the festival was so great that three stages were used simultaneously: the main stage for full bands, a smaller stage upstairs for solo acoustic acts and small groups, and a third-floor experimental-music stage for electronica and DJs. The show raised several thousand dollars for Cincinnati Children's Hospital. 2001 also marked the first year that a compilation CD, Voices of Harvest Moon, was produced for sale at the show and at local music stores.- Katie Reider
- Staring at the Sea
- Gwendolyn Speaks
- Heidi Howe
- Janet Pressley
- Dave Purcell & Pike 27
- Kris Brown's Family Sauce
- Ryan Adcock Band
- Virgoblique
- Swarthy
- The Mood Rings
- Northern Road
- Perkolaters
- Sedate
- Tracy Walker
2002
With the huge public response in 2001, the festival again took over the Southgate House's three floors with over a dozen acts, ranging from folk to rock to experimental electronica, again benefitting Cincinnati Children's Hospital, and a second volume of Voices of Harvest Moon was produced. Kent Meloy organized sister Harvest Moon Festivals in Chicago and Los Angeles which were held simultaneously with the Cincinnati fest.- Katie Reider
- Staring at the Sea
- Vic Daniels Quartet
- Swarthy
- Doug Perry Ensemble
- Venus Mission
- Kenya DuBois
- Dave Hisch
- Eric Loy
- Me or the Moon
- The Locals
- Elizabeth Kemler
- Janet Pressley-Barr
- Lohio
2003
The 2003 festival, again held at the Southgate House, had much the same lineup as the 2002 festival, and again benefitted Cincinnati Children's Hospital, raising nearly $1000. The festival was broadcast live on local radio station WAIFWAIF
WAIF is a community radio station based in Cincinnati, Ohio.-Overview:WAIF is an all-volunteer community radio station, one of only a handful in the USA. Along with WJVS it broadcasts at 88.3 MHz...
. Overall, the 2003 festival was marked by a dramatically low attendance (mainly due to construction on the roads surrounding the venue) which made the possibility of a 2004 show much less likely.
- Katie Reider
- Staring at the Sea
- Vic Daniels Quartet
- Swarthy
- Doug Perry Ensemble
- Screaming Mimes
- Matthew Shadley Band
- Hungry Lucy
- Eric Loy
- When Elizabeth
- Me or the Moon
- Jimmy Joe and the Ramblin' Ramblers
2004
The sixth annual show, to benefit Cincinnati Children's Hospital, was scheduled for October 29, 2004, and was to have featured a lineup of The GreenhornesThe Greenhornes
The Greenhornes are an American garage rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in 1996 by vocalist/guitarist Craig Fox, bass guitarist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler. They released their debut album Gun For You in 1999, followed by a self-titled album in 2001. A third studio album, Dual...
, Ashley Peacock, Abiyah, Kelp, The Screaming Mimes, Tracy Walker, and Boom Bip
Boom Bip
Bryan Charles Hollon, better known as Boom Bip, is an American producer and musician. His music is mostly instrumental, but over the course of his career he has collaborated with several vocalists. He is currently signed to Lex Records, which, until 2005, was a division of Warp Records in the...
. Due to scheduling conflicts with bands and the Southgate House venue, the festival was cancelled at the last minute.
Festivus Maximus (2004-2005)
An impromptu festival was put together for December 18, renamed Festivus Maximus, and featured:- Katie Reider
- Screaming Mimes
- Kelp
- Venus Mission
- Lovely Crash
- Swarthy
- Whitney Barricklow
- The Smittys
- Holiday karaoke with the Ho Ho Ho's in the upstairs parlor
2005
Festivus Maximus was declared the Event of the Week on the front page of The Cincinnati EnquirerThe Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati (Ohio) and Northern Kentucky. The...
, and founders Kent Meloy, Jay Nungesser, and Dave Storm were interviewed for a feature article in Cincinnati CityBeat
Cincinnati CityBeat
Cincinnati CityBeat is an independent local arts and issues publication covering the Cincinnati, Ohio area. It has the second largest readership in the Cincinnati area behind the daily Cincinnati Enquirer.-History:...
. The event benefitted the Autism Society and raised over $3000.
The lineup featured:
- Screaming Mimes
- Kelp
- Sleepybird
- Steven Gregory
- Kohai
- The Factories (iTunes link)
- Matthew Shadley Band
- Visceral Elixir
- Pale Beneath the Blue
- Beau Alquizola Band
- Le Technopuss13s
- Infinite Number of Sounds
- DJ Empirical
- Stash
- Kelly Thomas and the Fabulous Pickups