35 Denton

Sarah Jaffe performing at NX35 2009

The Flaming Lips performing a free show during NX35 2010

35 Denton (formerly named NX35 and 35 Conferette ^[1]) is a walkable 4-day music festival that takes place every March in the heart of downtown Denton, Texas.

35 Denton is organized by a core staff of volunteers. The music festival has featured many nationally-touring acts, such as Portugal. The Man, The Flaming Lips, The Jesus and Mary Chain, !!!, The Mountain Goats, Bun-B, Devin the Dude, Dr. Dog, Big Boi (from Outkast), Reggie Watts, Miami Horror and Best Coast. Likewise, it also has a roster of notable local acts, such as Neon Indian, Midlake, Riverboat Gamblers, James McMurtry, New Science Projects, Ella Minnow, Matthew and the Arrogant Sea, Here Holy Spain and more.

History

From 2005-2008 festival organizer Chris Flemmons was running a South by Southwest showcase for Denton artists called North by 35 (or NX35 for short). Flemmons said as to the origins of the festival, "This started out as an afternoon fest at South By Southwest... We'd have this late afternoon party of acts from Denton that deserved to be seen along with groups that had a critical draw." After talking for years about having a festival in Denton a week before SXSW, Flemmons and a team of volunteers made that dream a reality in 2009. ^[2]. 35 Denton has since been a pre-SXSW affair centered around the historic Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square. ^[3] A publicist for 35 Denton said as to the goal of the festival "Our goals are to enrich and foster the local music and arts scene and to improve the economics and quality of life in Denton," ^[4]

2005-2008: NX35: The Afternoon Party of the Other, Smaller, Music Town in Texas

Location: Austin, TX. Big Red Sun (2005) Club DeVille (2006) Momo’s (2007, 2008)

35 Denton began as an exclusive, invite-only, day party to showcase Denton musicians during the SXSW Music Festival and Conference in Austin, TX. The name NX35 (North by 35) showed at- tendees that a drive along I-35N would eventually lead them to Texas’ other, smaller, music town.

2009

The first year of NX35 Music Conferette in Denton, featured 124 bands and over 4,000 fans.

NX35 also included a panel led by American Splendor creator Harvey Pekar^[5].

Band list for NX35 in 2009

^[6]

2010: NX35 Music Conferette

The 2010 NX35 Music Conferette featured 250 acts and attracted an audience of 20,000. The event’s second year gained national acclaim and drew an estimated 20,000 music enthusiasts to Denton for the 4-day festival and music conference. More than 200 up-and-coming acts at- tracted near max capacity crowds at a dozen venues within walking distance of Denton’s historic courthouse square. The main attraction was a first for North Texas, a free outdoor concert with the Grammy award winning Flaming Lips.

Notable keynote speaker for NX35- 2010 was Steve Albini^[7].

List of the bands that performed NX35 2010

• The Flaming Lips
• Midlake
• Horse Feathers
• Neon Indian
• Health
• The Black Angels
• Trespassers William
• Ola Podrida
• BigBang
• Pigeon John
• Unwed Sailor
• Jupitor One
• Feathers
• Via Audio

+ more: www.mydentonmusic.com/buzz.php?page=nx35-official-bands-1.19.10

2011: 35 Conferette

The event’s third-year expansion from venue shows to three outdoor stages realized the festival’s unique potential. A downtown worth fostering shined through 35’s new presentation and in- cluded a 250-deep band lineup featuring Mavis Staples, Dr. Dog, and Outkast’s Big Boi among the headliners that brought 11,000 people through the festival’s ten indoor venues and three outdoor stage areas.

List of the bands that performed 35 Conferette 2011

• Big Boi
• Mavis Staples
• Local Native
• Dr. Dog
• Pains Of Being Pure At Heart,
• !!!
• Portugal the Man
• Gayngs
• Cut Chemist
• Reggie Watts
• Secret Sisters
• Dan Deacon
• Miami Horror
• Kid Koala
• A Place to Bury Strangers
• How to Dress Well
• Esben & the Witch
• Big Freedia
• Japanther
• Damien Jurado

+more: http://www.mydentonmusic.com/buzz.php?page=35-conferette-1.21.10

Big Boi said of the festival "Love it, some of the best energy, man, some of the best crowds, they’re receptive – not saying other crowds aren’t – but it’s a little bit more loose...It’s free flowing music and energy, all about a positive experience.”^[8]

2012

As of July, 2011, under new leadership the festival was renamed 35 Denton.

35 Denton Performing Artists

+ more : http://35denton.com/artists/page/3/

Naming history

From 2005 to 2008, the festival was known as "NX35 (North by 35)". The festival began as a day party at SXSW showcasing Denton bands, and the name indicated how to get to Denton from Austin, as in go North by 35.

In 2009, the festival changed from an afternoon party to a small, walkable, alternative festival, and the name changed to "NX35 Music Conferette". "Conferette" was a neologism for "small conference".

In 2010, the name was changed slightly to "NX35 Music Conferette". The festival organizers agreed that this was the last year that they would have a name based on SXSW's. Referred to as "derivative apron-stringing on behemoth SXSW’s name/identity" from the 35 festival organizers themselves.

On a Friday in February 2010 before the festival, Austin's The A.V. Club published an article saying that the NX35 Music Conferette Lineup was better than SXSW's. SXSW called NX35 organizers within days of the article being published and stated that they took issue with the 'NX' in the title of the Denton born conference's name. Festival organizers opted to change the name to avoid legal difficulties.

In 2011, the name was changed to "35 Conferette", although many attendees just called it "NX" or "NX35" again.

In 2012, under new leadership- the festival's name change to "35 Denton".

See also

• South by Southwest
• Denton, Texas

References

External links

• Official website