The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California may be the biggest national music fest of the year, but even those concertgoers would shrink at the thought of spending a whole day exposed to Cleveland's winter. On Feb. 15, Ohio City's Brite Winter Festival offers 10 stages and more than 70 bands from Cleveland and throughout the country. That's a lot to take in — especially when your brain's a tad bit frosted over. So here's a surefire itinerary, complete with the best bands, food and drink.
Homecoming Performance
Ryan Winnen left Northeast Ohio for Nashville in 2011 after high school. The South Euclid native played drums in several metal bands before joining Coin, which formed in September 2012. The band brings its indie party pop-influenced sound to Brite Winter Festival for their first cold-weather outdoor show. We talked to Winnen about influences and coming home.
The Influences / "We're in our early 20s and this is an age where so many people, especially musicians, start to take themselves too seriously. I think it just reminds us to stay youthful and stay excited about life."
The Homecoming / "I haven't played a show [in Cleveland] since I moved. I feel that I've accomplished so much in that time, and I'm so proud to have these guys with me. I'll be able to show them around my hometown. That's exciting to me."
The Future / "We want to continue maturing, which I know sounds cliche. But we're in this interesting wave of indie-pop music right now. There's a lot of catchy bands and synthesizers. There's a lot happening. But we all realize what we each bring to the table musically, individually, and I think everyone's brain has expanded since we've gotten more comfortable playing together."
