Moogfest Informations

Moogfest is an annual, multi-day music, art and technology festival. The event was previously held in Asheville, North Carolina, where the late Robert Arthur "Bob" Moog, the inventor of the Moog synthesizer and founding father of electronic music, spent the last 30 years of his life. Moog spoke at the event in 2004. Past performers who have played at the festival include Kraftwerk, Devo and Brian Eno. It is held in May, on the closest weekend to Moog's birthday (with the exceptions of Moogfest 2006 to 2014).

On July 14, 2015, it was announced that Moogfest 2016 would be held in Durham, North Carolina on May 19–22, taking place in downtown Durham and spread out across multiple venues. During the final day of Moogfest 2016, it was announced that in 2017 the festival would again take place in Durham, from May 18 to 21.

Moogfest is the annual event that honors Robert Moog and his musical inventions, celebrating his legacy as a sonic pioneer. Today, Moogfest is a multi-day, multi-venue event held in Durham, North Carolina. Moogfest hosts artists and audiences from throughout the world in different venues across Durham's downtown. The performing artists are not only those who use Moog instruments for their own works, but also those who create musical experiences that embody the essence of Bob Moog's visionary and creative spirit. The festival also offers interactive experiences, visual art exhibitions, installations, film screenings, panel discussions, question and answer sessions, and workshops.

Robert Moog, born on May 23, 1934 in New York City and died on August 21, 2005 in Asheville, North Carolina, developed his first commercial voltage-controlled analog synthesizer with American composer, inventor, and educator Herbert Deutsch in 1964. At the time, other synthesizers were already on the market, but Moog synthesizer began to gain wider attention in the music industry after it was demonstrated at the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967. The Beatles, Mick Jagger and Sun Ra were among the first customers, but the commercial breakthrough of a Moog recording was made by Wendy Carlos in the 1968 record Switched-On Bach, which became one of the highest-selling classical music recordings of its era.Keith Emerson first discovered the Moog when he heard Switched-On Bach, and one year later in 1970, he wanted to take it on the road with him. Robert Moog replied that there was no chance because the machine was too fragile and required extensive training to operate properly, but Emerson finally convinced Moog and the Minimoog was released.

Keith Emerson was the first musician to tour with a Minimoog during Emerson, Lake and Palmer's Pictures at an Exhibition shows. The Minimoog became the most popular monophonic synthesizer of the 1970s, and it was quickly taken up by leading rock and electronic music groups such as Yes, Tangerine Dream, Parliament-Funkadelic, Pink Floyd, Devo, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Gary Numan, and Rush, and musicians such as Pete Townshend, George Harrison, Ray Manzarek, Stevie Wonder, Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Isao Tomita, and Herbie Hancock. In 1974 the German electronic group Kraftwerk further popularized the sound of the synthesizer with their landmark album Autobahn, which used several types of synthesizer including a Minimoog. Italian producer and composer Giorgio Moroder helped to shape the development of disco music. The Minimoog was highly popular in the 1970s and 1980s, and has been used by many artists. The Moog also became synonymous with funk and West Coast hip hop, techno, sci-fi sounds, and the instrument figured in the most classic of classic rock albums such as Abbey Road and Who's Next.

David Borden, former director of the Cornell University Digital Music Program, who worked alongside Robert Moog in his Trumansburg studios and later founded the first live synthesizer ensemble, Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company, in 2000 performed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. with his Mother Mallard and Keith Emerson, in an event honoring Moog called The Keyboard Meets Modern Technology. This event, somehow, came just four years before the first Moogfest was held in New York City.

Moog Music, David Olivier, Moog Music's New York area representative, contacted Charles Carlini, a New York-based music and concert promoter, about producing an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the company and its involvement in electronic music. The first event, presented by Clinic Crafters Workshop and Sam Ash Music, entitled Manny's Music Presents MoogFest!: A Free Moog Clinic Featuring Keith Emerson and Bob Moog, was held at Manny's Music store on May 17, 2004, just one day before the official date for the Festival. The first Moogfest was held at B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in Times Square on Tuesday, May 18. Randy Fuchs, the artist relations director for Moog, contacted Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Jordan Rudess, Bernie Worrell and other well-known Moog users and put them in touch with Charles Carlini. It was a sold-out, one-night, one-time, four-hour gala that saw Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman of Yes on the day of his birthday, Bernie Worrell of Parliament-Funkadelic, and jazz fusion guitarist Stanley Jordan among those who played in front of an audience of around 600. The Moogfest 2005 at B.B. King's on May 31, was a great success and saw the participation of Edgar Winter, Will Calhoun of Living Colour, Brazilian Girls, Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater, Frank Zappa's keyboardist Don Preston, Miles Davis' keyboardist Adam Holzman, Money Mark of the Beastie Boys, Steve Molitz of Particle and DJ Logic, but not Bob Moog, who was sick and died from brain cancer on August 21, 2005.

Carlini continued to cultivate Moogfest as a tribute to Bob Moog. He said that "[m]y vision was to work with musicians who defined the instrument and had a very tight relationship with Bob; most were actual friends who would call him on the phone. I wanted to keep it pure." The Moogfest 2006 at B.B. King on Thursday, June 22, saw Keith Emerson returning to headline, together with Jan Hammer, Roger O'Donnell of The Cure, Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater, The Mahavishnu Project with Miles Davis' keyboardist Adam Holzman, The School of Rock, and DJ Logic. Part of the event was filmed and then released in DVD format by MVD on June 2007. Keith Emerson and Jan Hammer were the recipients of the first ever Bob Moog Legacy Award. Mike Adams, president of Moog Music announced the inception of the award and called on the stage Roger O'Donnell and Jordan Rudess to present them. On the evening of Thursday September 20, 2007, Moogfest, in conjunction with the Bob Moog Foundation, presented the first annual Moogfest Symposium. Herbert Deutsch, Gershon Kingsley, Joel Chadabe, John Eaton, David Borden, and Trevor Pinch attended the symposium arranged by Bob's daughter Michelle at the Music Department of the Columbia University, an afternoon of lectures and talks to discuss how the Moog synthesizer has affected their own work. The Moogfest 2007, once again at B.B. King on Saturday, September 22, included Thomas Dolby, after a 15-year hiatus from the music business, Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater, Miles Davis' keyboardist Adam Holzman, Spiraling, Frank Zappa's keyboardist Don Preston, Gershon Kingsley, Herbert Deutsch, and Erik Norlander, among others. Thereminist Shueh-li Ong with Xenovibes; reportedly the only thereminist who has performed at a Moogfest so far, opened. Herbert Deutsch and Gershon Kingsley were the recipients of the Bob Moog Legacy Award for their unique, lasting artistry as expressed through Moog instruments. This was the last time that B.B. King held the festival.

The fifth edition of Moogfest in 2008 brought a change of venues, from the B.B King to the more expansive Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center. Carlini explained this shift: "Mike Adams wanted to see a younger generation learn about Moog and pushed for jam band Umphrey's McGee as headliner." The show was set for October 13, the second Monday of October, an official holiday celebrated as Columbus Day, but also a date that turned out to be right after the financial institution crisis hit its peak and several major institutions such as Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Washington Mutual, Wachovia, and AIG either failed, were acquired under duress, or were subject to government takeover under the Bush administration. The event, featuring Umphrey's McGee, Eric McFadden Trio, Bernie Worrell of P-Funk, Aron Magner of Disco Biscuits, Jamie Shields of The New Deal, Joe Russo and others, had a very poor turnout and Carlini relinquished the Moogfest name to Moog Music. Bernie Worrell was the recipient of the Bob Moog Legacy Award for his groundbreaking use of the synthesizer in the areas of funk, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll.

This was the last time that Moogfest was held in New York City and there was no Moogfest in 2009.

In 2010, Moog Music partnered with AC Entertainment, a music promotion company that co-produces the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, moved Moogfest from New York City to Asheville in North Carolina, and expanded it from a one evening event to a three-day, multi-venue festival during the last weekend of October. The sixth Moogfest, but first in Asheville, took place in five stages at places in downtown Asheville that ranged from clubs to arenas, and drew 7,000 to 7,500 people a day. The festival, from Friday October 29 through to Sunday October 31, 2010, featured more than 60 acts that ranged from rock to hip-hop to electronica, including Massive Attack, Sleigh Bells, Caribou, MGMT, Thievery Corporation, Hot Chip, Disco Biscuits, Big Boi, El-P, Four Tet, Pretty Lights, Bonobo, Jon Hopkins, and Dan Deacon.Devo were the recipient of the Moog Innovator Award, but the band could not perform, because its guitarist, Bob Mothersbaugh, injured his hand. Though Moog instruments, such as the Voyager, Moogerfooger, Etherwave Theremin, and Little Phatty were highly used by the performers participating in the event, the bands requested to play were not chosen by their involvement with Moog, but rather by their overall creativity and likeliness to Bob Moog's creative entity.

The seventh edition, second for both Asheville and AC Entertainment, of the Moogfest was held on October 28–30, 2011, on Halloween weekend with a line-up of popular artists from varied genres, including The Flaming Lips, Terry and Gyan Riley, Moby, Passion Pit, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Tangerine Dream, and TV on the Radio. The 2011 festival also featured "SYNTH: A Group Art Show Inspired by Bob Moog", which is a showcase of handmade limited-edition screen prints by some of the top concert poster artists and graphic designers working today, and 77 Million Paintings, an art exhibit and talk by electronic music pioneer Brian Eno, and moreover panel discussions, question and answer sessions, art exhibitions and installations, film screenings, and workshops. Minimalist composer, Terry Riley, performed a set lasting for almost two straight hours. In 2011, Moogfest updated its festival technologies by releasing a Moogfest iPhone app. The app contained a festival map and schedule, and also sent users real-time updates about festival news and unannounced secret shows.

After the festival weekend, Asheville's local newspaper released that over 30 arrests were made during Moogfest 2011. Most of these were drug- or alcohol-related charges.

The 2012 Moogfest featured Primus's 3D Tour, Orbital, Miike Snow, Santigold, Richie Hawtin, Squarepusher, Explosions in the Sky, The Magnetic Fields, Four Tet, Divine Fits, GZA performing Liquid Swords, Carl Craig, Pantha Du Prince, Shpongle, Thomas Dolby, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Actress, Cold Cave, El-P, Prefuse 73, Bear in Heaven, Killer Mike, Blondes, Julia Holter, Disclosure, Exit Music, Trust, Death Grips, and Wick-it the Instigator.

After the 2012 Moogfest it was announced that AC Entertainment was not renewed and for 2013 the corresponding event was called the "Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit". There was no "Moogfest" in 2013. In 2013 it was announced that there would be a Moogfest in 2014.

Moogfest 2014 took place in Asheville over five days, from Wednesday, April 23 to Sunday, April 27. It featured performances from Kraftwerk, Pet Shop Boys, M.I.A, Giorgio Moroder, CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers, Flying Lotus, Keith Emerson, Dillon Francis, El-P, YACHT, RJD2, Riff Raff, Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks, Just Blaze, Holly Herndon, Chris Clark, Machinedrum, Le1f, Metro Area, Com Truise, Dan Deacon, Saul Williams, Zeds Dead, TOKiMONSTA, The Gaslamp Killer, Green Velvet, Moderat, Shigeto, Factory Floor, Wolf Eyes, Tiga, Teengirl Fantasy, and many more.

There was no Moogfest in 2015, as the organizers considered it a biennial event. For 2016, the festival was moved from Asheville to Durham. Festival organizers took the opportunity to publicly denounce the controversial North Carolina Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, commonly referred to as "House Bill 2". In response, the festival partnered with activist groups for a campaign called "Synthesize Love", raising funds to fight HB2 through T-shirt sales. They also held an anti-HB2 forum and "Open Mic," and provided gender-neutral bathrooms at most venues.

The festival's 2016 headliners were ODESZA, Grimes, Miike Snow, Gary Numan (3 night residency), GZA (2 night residency), Laurie Anderson, Explosions in the Sky, Blood Orange, sunn O))), Oneohtrix Point Never, The Orb, and keynote speakers Dr. Martine Rothblatt and Jaron Lanier. Other performers and presenters at the festival included Reggie Watts, Silver Apples, Actress, Tim Hecker, Ben Frost, Suzanne Ciani, YACHT, Robert Hood, Hundred Waters, HEALTH, Daniel Lanois, Son Lux, Julia Holter, Ryan Hemsworth, The Body, Floating Points, The Range, Empress Of, DJ Lance Rock with Yo Gabba Gabba!, Disasterpeace, Laurel Halo, Lunice, Kode9, Tyondai Braxton, Janelle Monáe, and more.

New York City was the home of the festival for its first five editions, from 2004 to 2008.

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