All Things Go 2019 Highlights: Chvrches, Betty Who, Mxmtoon, and more!
One of the cornerstones of the All Things Go festival is its celebration of female artists
“If you look across the festival landscape, lineups are skewed male,” says Stephen Vallimarescu. “You’ll see 75 to 80 percent of a bill be male versus female.” That’s not the case at the All Things Go Fall Classic, now in its 6th year, which Vallimarescu helps organize. “We’re really proud to have an all-female day as part of this year’s festival.”
Held over Columbus Day weekend, Melanie Martinez headlines the all-female day, Sunday, Oct. 13, taking the stage immediately after Betty Who. Meanwhile, the first day of the festival, Saturday, Oct. 12, features as many female musicians as male and is headlined by the female-fronted Scottish synth-pop trio, Chvrches. Both days will also feature food and drink from vendors including &Pizza, Arepa Zone, Bun’d Up, DC Empanadas, Insomnia Cookies, Jrink, Nando’s, Rocklands, Shake Shack, Swizzler Foods, and Taqueria del Barrio.
This year’s All Things Go also reprises last year’s women-centric Classic Conversations panel series, taking place the night before the festival on Friday, Oct. 11, at Eaton DC. Notes Vallimarescu: “We’ve partnered with She Is The Music, which is a really cool organization that kind of amplifies awareness around opportunities in the music industry specifically for women.”
From the outset of the Fall Classic, the focus has been on working “with artists that are forward-thinking and are looking to be part of more of a boutique festival that highlights new and emerging music. We try to separate ourselves from the crowded festival market by focusing on what’s going to be relevant, what’s going to be exciting, what’s going to be next in music.” Kygo, Sofi Tukker, Maggie Rogers, and Billie Eilish were all featured at previous All Things Go before rocketing to stardom.
Vallimarescu singles out Mxmtoon as one of this year’s 16-act roster who is most likely to succeed. The artist, a panelist at Classic Conversations as well as a performer on Saturday, Oct. 12, has “gained a ton of popularity on YouTube and TikTok and is now set to release an album. She’s getting a ton of press and is, I think, poised to be one of those artists that’s up next.”
A young bisexual woman of color, Mxmtoon is also one of at least four acts with members who identify along the LGBTQ spectrum, including Who, Melanie Martinez, and Muna.
Another highlight of this year’s festival for Vallimarescu is Chvrches. “They’re a band that we’ve been trying to book for many years, [one that] definitely fits in the wheelhouse of All Things Go fans.” While every year’s lineup is diverse in many ways and is not confined to any one genre or style, there is a rather distinctive sound and overarching appeal to All Things Go.
“It’s pop, but it’s pop, alternative, indie, it’s a little mix of everything,” he says. “We try to create an eclectic mix of artists that appeal to a wide variety of music fans. But also, if you like one and you don’t know the other, you can come out and you’ll likely enjoy the whole day.”
The All Things Go Fall Classic is Saturday, Oct. 12, and Sunday, Oct. 13, at Dock 5 at Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Advance Tickets are $69 for a 1-Day Pass, $99 for 2-Day, or $149 to $239 for VIP, if purchased by 11 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 27. Call 888-512-7469 or visit www.allthingsgofallclassic.com.
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