Running for its ninth straight year, the San Francisco-based Noise Pop Festival will fire up its amps up to ten starting February 27th with a performance by Beulah and wrapping up March 4th with a set by Grandaddy. New to the festival this year will be the addition of movie shorts and documentaries.

Fans of indie rock can look forward to a weekend of lo-fi madness that includes performances by Girls Against Boys, Young Fresh Fellows, Mark Eitzel, Creeper Lagoon , Spoon, the Minus Five, the White Stripes and the Fastbacks , as well as a number of local acts. For the first time in the festival's history, some shows will be running concurrently to allow for more acts to join the weeklong festivities.

"In the past we've been somewhat reluctant to do this, so that people wouldn't have to choose between shows, but as the festival has grown in size and styles, it's made more and more sense," said festival founder Kevin Arnold.

Once again, the festival will repeat itself a few months later running in Chicago from May 9th to the 13th. For more info visit check out Noise Pop's official Web site at www.noisepop.com.

STEVE FLORIO
(January 20, 2001)