Fareveller: Memphis in March

When University of Memphis graduate Brandon Herrington decided to organize a three-night, four-venue, 36-band music festival, he had one word in mind — diversity.

"I knew I wanted a lot of different types of music represented," he said. "I've played in bands for the past 10 or 12 years and toured cities that had awesome indie music festivals, which is something I think Memphis has always lacked."

The inaugural Fareveller Music Festival began Thursday night and runs through Saturday. Herrington said the lineup is so diverse — ranging from local hip-hop artist Cities Aviv to punk rockers Modern Convenience — he decided to schedule four or five bands of the same genre to play at the same location to make the festival more fan-friendly. He said he liked the idea of keeping genres together, rather than making them listen to music they don't care for in order to see the group they want.

"At festivals like Memphis in May, they force you to walk all the way across the park to see the next band you want to see," Herrington said. "Of course, they do this because they want you to buy beer and merchandise, but I don't want people driving across the city all night long. Plus, I think people are going to be more excited to see four bands of the same style right in a row."

Fareveller is being held in Midtown at the Hi-Tone Cafe, Young Avenue Deli and P&H Cafe, as well as in The U of M area at Newby's.

Though he put the Fareveller festival together almost singlehandedly, Herrington said he couldn't have done it without the help of his younger brother, U of M sophomore Patrick Herrington. He said his brother played a huge role in advertising locally, as well as designing and screenprinting T-shirts with the Fareveller logo.

"Any flier that you see on The University of Memphis campus is because of Patrick," Herrington said. "He's helped in more ways than you can imagine."

Patrick said working with his brother was "awesome because it came from the heart."

"We have music in our blood. We've appreciated music our whole lives — it's like our calling," he said. "A concert like this gives people in Memphis a chance to check out awesome bands they may not have heard otherwise."

Junior education major Matt Qualls will be performing at Fareveller with his band, While I Breathe I Hope. He said festivals like Fareveller give the audience the opportunity to interact and become a part of the band's performance.

"This isn't like going to a show at Minglewood Hall, where there is a huge barrier between the audience and the band," Qualls said. "I like playing and attending shows like these because the crowd becomes a part of everything that's going on."

Fareveller continues tonight at the Hi-Tone, Newby's and Young Avenue Deli.  Individual ticket prices vary, and a three-day wristband for all performances can be purchased for $25 at any Fareveller event.