Harvesting The FAM Festival IV (Oct. 1 - 4 in Windsor, ON)

Over the past few years, Harvesting The FAM Festival has emerged as Windsor, Ontario's premiere creative arts festival, focusing on local Film-makers, Artists and Musicians. What started as an ambitious one day event at the University of Windsor back in 2007 by co-founders Murad Erzinclioglu (who performs locally in Windsor as the electronic artist (wh)y.m.e.(??)) and film maker Ben Young ("Hot Twat", "Gingerlip", "Vagabond") has progressed to a multi-day, multi-venue showcase of not only Windsor's finest in creative arts, but now brings in acts, arts and films from outside of Windsor-Essex county.

FAM IV runs this year from Thursday October 1st until Sunday October 4th and admission to the festival is free. That's right. Free! Tickets are available throughout Windsor at many fine local establishments and these tickets are then exchanged for a wristband at each participating venue that will ensure you entry throughout the festival.

Musically, FAM Fest still continues to be an annual showcase of some of the area's finest working musicians and in the past has featured music from such nationally recognized talent as Coco Love Alcorn, The Golden Hands Before God, Orphan Choir, The Square Root of Margaret, Kero, Days Fade, MicLordz & Sauce Funky, Ron Leary and much more over the past few years.

This year features a great cross section of Windsor's musical tapestry alongside some great out of town talent.

The entire festival kicks off on Thursday October 1st with a launch party at The Loop (156 Chatham St. West, above Pogo's), opening with Erzinclioglu's (wh)y.m.e.(??) followed by heavy rock favourites Explode When They Bloom and Blenheim's dynamic Peace Leeches.

Friday October 2nd marks the first full night of musical action at multiple venues across downtown Windsor, Ontario.

• Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West) hosts their first night of the festival with a show headlined by Toronto's grunge-folk hybrid jam band Datura, backed up by Windsor's high energy Detroit-style punk rockers High Mother, Windsor/Detroit rock veterans Blasternaut and the jazzier sounds of Shawn Ladd & The Wall of Bees. Show start at 10pm SHARP, last act at 1am.
• Milk Coffee Bar (68 University Ave. West) hosts an intimate singer-songwriter showcase starting with Windsor's Bree Gaudette and Shawn Daniel who are joined by Toronto's Patrick Sanjzer and Corrina Keeling. This show starts at 9:30pm sharp, last act on at 12:30am.
• The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West, beside Pogo's) hosts some great folk-influenced music, headlined by Magic Hall of Mirrors, the new project from Golden Hands Before God songwriter Sean Barry. They're joined by the fantastic rustic rock sounds of James O-L & The Villains and local singer/songwriter Andrew MacLeod. Show starts at 9:45pm sharp, last act on at 12:45am.
• Empire Lounge (128 University Ave. West, above California Sushi) is the home for the electronic enthusiasts at FAM Festival. Local electro artist FURS opens the set, before resident [GrounD] DJ's J-Wild and Mach-X take over. Ian Hamilton closes out the night. The show starts at 10pm sharp.
• The Loop (156 Chatham St. West, above Pogo's) becomes a haven for the hard rock as they showcase some newer bands to the scene who have been turning some heads. Silent Movie Type opens the show at 10:30pm, followed by new "supergroup" Which Witch (rumoured to contain members of Measured in Angles and Explode When They Bloom), melodic metal masters Tyburn Tree and headlined by the theatrical bombast of The Vaudevillianaires, which features past and present members of The Golden Hands Before God, Big Daddy A & The Merves, Hogfat and The Tyres, who close out the FAM's first full night with the last show of the night at 1:30am.

Saturday October 3rd picks up where Friday left over, with more great music across the downtown core.

• Empire Lounge (128 University Ave. West, above California Sushi) follows its electronics from the previous night with a showcase of Windsor and Detroit hip-hop, starting at 9pm. So So Sammie and Mass start off the show, followed by Detroit's Sponge (not the 90's alt. rock band), Magestik Legend, Marcus Flow & Nav and Nick Speed (accompanied by Windsor's FURS), and then headlined by Windsor hip-hop ensemble Academy and local hip-hop legend Lyrical Bliss.
• The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo's) jumps in to the FAM Fest with a hard rock show headlined by Windsor's The Golden Eagles, the new project from former Foreign Film Star songwriter Jamie Reaume. They're joined by Niagara's Foiled Villains and London's The Stand Stills. Show starts at 9:30pm, with last act on at 12:30am.
• Milk Coffee Bar (68 University Ave. West) combines an electronic showcase featuring Adora Morales and VEX with an Eye Candy Fashion Show, beginning at 9pm.
• The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West, beside Pogo's) is host to a variety of Windsor-bred indie music, from the folky sounds of critically acclaimed Same Latitude As Rome (which reunites the three Boyer sisters from Anneke's Star together on a Windsor stage), to classic alt. stylings of The Original Lady Eyes, the grunge intensity of Crash Kondition and 60's-inspired pop of The Tyres. The night is headlined by ASK (formerly Another Saturday Knight), which features a new line-up that has integrated in several members of City Wide Vacuum.
• Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West) ushers in its second FAM night with a combo heavy meets hip-hop showcase. Dante LaSalle and The Definition from Detroit kick off the party at 10:15pm sharp, followed by Windor's infamous piano metal warlords Sledgehammer. VEX (fresh off his set at Milk earlier in the night) brings his Computer Rock Show to the stage at 1:15am for the final performance of Day 2 at The Fam Fest.

Sunday, October 4th marks the fourth and final day for Harvesting The FAM Festival in downtown Windsor, Ontario.

• Milk Coffee Bar (68 Universty Ave. West) combines their first two nights to bring a singer/songwriter showcase as well as a foray into the electronic realm. Local solo performers Den-igan and Nicole Wood begin the evening at 9:30pm. They're followed up by the electronic soundscapes of 87 Things For The Future before local legend Trevor Malcolm (ex-Butthole Surfers, City Wide Vacuum, Luxury Christ) and his Jazz Trio close out the night at 12:30am.
• The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo's) switches gears on his last night of the festival, switching to a hip-hop showcase, beginning at Crush at 9pm, followed by Detroit's Midcoast Most and Of Mice & Musicians, Copenhagen, Denmark's Pato, Welland's Black Magic Movement and locals Rose City Squadron and Nykle & Trynyty at 12:25am.
• Empire Lounge (128 University Ave. West, above California Sushi) continues to promote a great series of electronic artists for the last night of the Festival, beginning at 9:30pm with Matt Herdman and then Justin James. Detroit faves Mobil, Drummer B, Eddie Logix, DJ Sciari and Nick Speed carry through the night, with Frankie Banks closing out the Festival with one of the final performances of FAM at 1am.
• The Loop (156 Chatham St. West, above Pogo's) throws a big indie rock blow-out to close out the FAM Festival featuring a monster line-up of some of Windsor's most notable gems: The Eric Welton band kicks it off at 9:45pm, followed by Tara Watts & The Vamps, and Chatham's psychedelic kings Square Root of Margaret. The always superb The Locusts Have No King close out the night, and The Loop's FAM Festival weekend, at 12:45am. This will be their last show for some time as they go on hiatus to begin work on their long overdue sophomore album.
• Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West) closes out FAM with another indie rock bang as well. Monique Belanger opens the show at 10pm with her inspiring singer/songwriter sounds, followed by Steph Copeland's incomparable electronic alter ego Perilelle. Toronto's indie rock sensation Modern Boys Modern Girls hits the Little Stage That Could at midnight, and local heavyweights Yellow Wood close out the entire festival at 1am.

Like each year, this year's festival continues to grow in diversity and geography of the artists involved. While I'm a little perplexed over the decline in representation from the local heavy metal and punk scenes - two of Windsor's most vibrant and strongest scenes - the increase in electronic and hip-hop is encouraging, especially considering Windsor's connection to electronic music (Windsor is the hometown of Richie Hawtin, aka Plastikman) and closeness to Detroit. There are a few noticeable absences by some of Windsor's more notable acts of the past few years but some are on hiatus' to record or done touring (Fiftywatthead, Lodown, The Golden Hands Before God) while others are currently on the road (Michou, Pat Robitaille, Ron Leary, Field Assembly, Orphan Choir). But the ones who are on the bill this year more than make up for their peers absence.

For the price tag - this year the festival is free (although you must get a pre-ticket to ensure you get your wristband) - it's a great weekend to soak in a sampling of all those bands you normally miss out on during the year.

For more information, including complete band times and Festival Art Exhibitions, Spoken Word performances and Film Screenings, check out the Official Harvesting The FAM Website.

Any outside Media who wishes to cover this year's FAM Festival should contact Festival organizer and co-founder Murad Ezrinclioglu at (519) 980-4367