Hyperion Music and Arts Festival holds a special place in the hearts of jam and electronic music fans in Indiana. The festival has brought some of the most exciting acts in the festival scene to Spencer, IN over the last 4 years including Snarky Puppy, Gramatik, the Floozies, and Break Science. On top of that, Hyperion has built a reputation of bringing in groups that are talented regional fan favorites. The festival functions as an ideal end of summer get together for music fans all over the Midwest.

I have had the pleasure of performing at the festival each year since its inception in 2012. This year they have asked me to return as an Artist at Large. It feels good to finally be recognized for my skills as a large artist. 

It seems like once someone pops they can’t stop when it comes to Hyperion. I’ve hardly ever met someone that has been to the festival only once. Those that have been before understand why this is true. Here are the top 5 reasons you should go to Hyperion if you have never been before.

1. The location – It is held every year at Stable Studios in Spencer, IN. The venue is a horse farm that has been converted into a concert venue/recording studio and is almost a headliner in and of itself. Those that don’t like camping in sweltering open fields will be glad to know that shaded camping is widely available at this family affair. Stable Studios is located just an hour Southwest of Indianapolis and just 20 minutes outside of Bloomington, IN, the home of Indiana University.

2. The production – The party has been described by some as a “mini Electric Forest”. This largely surrounds the production value of the festival. Herm Productions pulls out the stops every year when it comes to stage and site lighting. They even manage to light up the island in the middle of the lake every year. I’m not sure of a festival where someone can get more bang for their buck when it comes to lights.

3. THE CLAM – Located deep in the woods of Spencer, IN is one of the most fun side stages of the summer, THE CLAM. It’s hard to describe the clam other than just saying that it is an inflatable clam located in an opening in the woods where pretty much anything goes. The BRSTNKTR set was my favorite particular set at THE CLAM last year. I hear there’s some weird thing going on there this year with some band that broke up or something.

4. Balance – One huge advantage of this festival is that the three-headed monster that runs it. Sara Elifritz, Alex “Herm” Schneider, and Brent “Brent” Nixon are all production pros that have been running and lighting up festivals for years. They understand that musically balanced line ups are the best line ups. This is what led them to cultivate an artisanal line up featuring acts like The Werks, Future Rock, BRSTNKTR, Ultraviolet Hippopotamus Ft. Fareed Haque, Cofresi, BRSTNKT, Shy Guy Says, Joe Marcinek Band ft. Members of Snarky Puppy, and BRSTNKTR. (Full lineup here). These bands and DJs will be supplemented by a loaded roster of visual artists and performers.

5. Affordability – The festival will be held September 8th through the 10th. A tier 1 weekend ticket can be had for $70 with the Thursday pre party tickets costing just $20. Yes, this does include camping. This is a hard price to beat for a weekend-long experience. This must be why people keep coming back for more every year.

Hyperion is the perfect weekend for festival-goers that want to wind down their summer with a relaxing and affordable weekend. Locating on the edge of the rolling wooded hills of Southern Indiana, the festival gives attendees all of the experience of a big ticket festival at a fraction of the price. For more information please visit the website here.