October 14-16, 2026 @ First Unitarian Church
The Music Gallery is always in the process of becoming something else, so it's not entirely unusual to note that this year's X Avant Festival comes in a time of transition for the institution. While we wait for new Artistic Director Sara Constant's programming to come online, X Avant comes as retrospectively futuristic, with atrists approaching "effects pedals as inquiry and play, utilizing live processing to expand the sonic palette." (Something close to this blog's heart!)
I've heard excitement expressed by artists and the MG staff towards this year's venue, in Oakwood Village (and a ten-minute walk from Oakwood Station on the new Line 5). Tad Michalak curates the first night, featuring guitar wizardry from Ava Mendoza plus a cool duo from Andrew Noseworthy & Grace Scheele. Night 2 brings Sonic Bikes (" a bespoke ensemble of improvising percussionists will make use of reassembled and sonified bike parts to animate a familiar soundworld of gears, spokes, and pedals") plus Bilal Nasser playing solo and with a cool ensemble. The Festival wraps with Alexis Nanibush-Pamajewong's light and sound installation "For The Youth: Reilluminated" plus Mani Mazinani's Solar Organ Ensemble, which is filled up with a bunch of this blog's fave locals.
Recorded at Collective Arts (Burn Down The Capital presents), November 3, 2024.
Recorded at Sankofa Square (Intersection 2025: Day 2: All Day Music Marathon, August 30, 2025.
TICKETS + MORE INFO
Information for all shows and tickets are over at the MG's site. Tickets are available on a Pay What You Can Afford (PWYCA) sliding scale ($20-$30) and you can also grab a Festival Pass as well.
CONTEST
Thanks to the Music Gallery, I also have a Festival Pass to give away!
To enter, shoot me an email to mechanicalforestsound@gmail.com, with "contest" in the title and your name in the body. I'll randomly draw a winner on Tuesday, October 13th.
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