The Black Swamp Arts Festival showcases a lot of local talent, but this year’s headlining band comes all the way from Austin, Texas.
The Bright Light Social Hour just had a couple weeks off after a summer of touring mostly in Canada, said Jack O’Brien, bassist for the band.
The band also traveled to Chicago, New York and made a stop at Bowling Green’s Grounds for Thought.
“I really liked Bowling Green,” O’Brien said. “I felt at home. We met a lot of younger people, but the older crowd came out too.”
Sarah Smith, a manager at Grounds for Thought, saw the band perform when it came to town July 18.
“They’re amazing, a lot of fun and they have lots of energy,” Smith said. “Live, they get to jam out a little bit.”
Smith said anyone who likes to dance should check out the band.
“There’s some throwbacks to bands in the 60s and 70s, but they have a newer rock ‘n’ roll sound too,” Smith said.
Bridg Earwood of Findlay went to the preview show at Grounds for Thought during the summer even though she had never listened to the band previously.
“I’m surprised they’re not more popular than they are,” Earwood said according to a July 18 column in The BG News. “The show was awesome and it definitely had a Led Zeppelin influence.”
The band consists of O’Brien (bass), Curtis Roush (guitar), A.J. Vincent (keyboards) and Joseph Mirasole (drums) and started in 2008.
“We try to mix a lot of different sounds together,” O’Brien said.
Psychedelic, blues, southern rock, electro, hard dance and soul are different styles O’Brien said the band mixes to form its unique sound.
The Bright Light Social Hour will perform at 10 p.m. Friday on the main stage and at midnight Saturday at Howard’s Club H.
“I want to see them at Howard’s because I think it will be a more intimate experience in a smaller setting,” Smith said.
Smith is not familiar with all the performers this weekend, but she said she does want to see Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside who will perform before The Bright Light Social Hour on the main stage Friday.
“Sallie Ford is awesome. It’s a throwback to the 40s and 50s,” Smith said. “Her voice is very unique.”
Artists will perform each day of the Black Swamp Arts Festival this weekend, according to blackswamparts.org. Three stages will have performances throughout the day and there will also be after-hours shows at midnight at Howard’s Club H and Nate and Wally’s Fishbowl.
For a list of performances on the main, family and acoustic stages, check the Black Swamp Arts Festival’s website blackswamparts.org.
