Gonerfest returns for its 20th edition and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of prominent rock label Goner Records who have shaped punk, garage, soul and beyond for two decades! The gonzo independent music festival hosted by the label and iconic Tennessean storefront takes place in Memphis’ Railgarten from Thursday, September 28 through Sunday, October 1, 2023.
Today, Gonerfest 20 announces its initial lineup which so far includes performances by headliners Osees (Thursday), The Gories (Friday) and The Mummies (Saturday). Spanning genres and generations, Gonerfest 20 will showcase another unique and wide-ranging bill featuring bands, MCs, and DJs from around the world. Highlights include a number of acts coming from overseas, including performances by UK artists Chubby & the Gang and Vivron Vavron, Australian bands CIVIC, Dippers, 1-800-Mikey, TV Repairmann, Vintage Crop and C.O.F.F.I.N., Denmark’s The Courettes, Japan’s The Smog, and Lewsberg from the Netherlands, among others.
Gonerfest 20 tickets go on sale now. Golden Passes, which allow entry to all official GF20 events, are $130. Single-day passes will be available at the door, according to venue capacity. For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.
Since The King Khan & BBQ Show headlined Gonerfest 1 back in January 2005, the festival has grown to become an exciting and eclectic collision of four days of non-stop action that welcomes bands and fans from around the world. With a round-the-clock schedule of official shows, afterparties, art events, and more – at Gonerfest, the concept of community is truly at the heart of the event.
Goner Records’ co-founder Eric Friedl says, “There’s not a whole lot of separation between fans and bands and everything else in Gonerfest. It gives it a different feel, rather than seeing someone up on stage that isn’t interacting with the people at all.”
With the publication of an annual program guide, Gonerfest also works to support local business while promoting the music, arts, and culture of Memphis to its attendees. “Gonerfest has become a rite of passage,” says Goner Records co-owner Zac Ives. “It allows us to showcase our city and celebrate our little part of the music world in front of an extremely wide audience.” More than 1,000 tourists make the pilgrimage to Memphis for Gonerfest, which culminates in a substantial economic impact for its city. Gonerfest attendees eat at locally-owned restaurants like Payne’s BBQ and Cozy Corner, drink Goner-inspired beer brewed at Memphis Made, and visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Graceland, and the National Civil Rights Museum.
GONERFEST 20 INITIAL LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT INCLUDES:
The Mummies, Osees, The Gories, Marked Men, Chubby & the Gang, Sweeping Promises, Ibex Clone, CIVIC, The Cool Jerks, Bill Orcutt / Chris Corsano, The Courettes, C.O.F.F.I.N, Alien Nosejob, Dippers, Virvon Varvon, Cheater Slicks, Lewsberg, 1-800-Mikey, TV Repairmann, Vintage Crop, The Smog, Laundry Bats, Turnt
Additional artists, DJs, MCs and more TBA!
Over the last two decades, Gonerfest has featured a dazzlingly international array of performers including Jay Reatard, Thee Oh Sees, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Mudhoney, Cobra Man, Lydia Lunch, Wreckless Eric, Simply Saucer, The Black Lips, The Carbonas, Rev. John Wilkins, Negative Approach, Shannon & the Clams, Cosmic Psychos, Amyl & the Sniffers, Robyn Hitchcock, The Mummies, Ty Segall, Fred Lane, The Spits, The Gizmos, Guitar Wolf, and more.
Recalling the first year of Gonerfest, Friedl says, “It was amazing that people wanted to come to Memphis to see this music. The first time I realized we were doing something more than just putting on a show was when we saw this guy from Italy walking down Cleveland Street in the middle of the day. I was like, ‘Okay, if people are willing to come from Italy to watch these bands over a weekend in Memphis, we might be doing something interesting here.’”
More About Goner Records: An independent music label and record store, Goner Records is based in Memphis, Tennessee and co-owned by Eric Friedl and Zac Ives. Goner Records is internationally recognized for its roster of artists including Oblivians, Jay Reatard, The King Khan & BBQ Show, Cobra Man, the Carbonas, NOTS, Ty Segall, and Eddy Current Suppression Ring. Goner Records has been named a top 10 record shop in the U.S. by SPIN and Rolling Stone, and a top 3 independent label by Billboard.
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[Thanks to Bailey at Another Side.]
