Indiana University announces festival dedicated to author Kurt Vonnegut, feat. Thee Oh Sees, Father John Misty, Shabazz Palaces, and more

Indiana University announces festival dedicated to author Kurt Vonnegut, feat. Thee Oh Sees, Father John Misty, Shabazz Palaces, and more
Kurt Vonnegut received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree from IU in 1973.

The world undoubtedly needs more author-themed music festivals — and since a festival dedicated to George Orwell would necessarily involve the booked artists violating our personal liberties, we should all be more than enamored/supportive of the following Granfalloon-come-true : A Kurt Vonnegut Convergence, a new hybrid “conference and festival” which the Indiana University Arts & Humanities Council (and TMT writer Ed Comentale, full disclosure) are hosting this May 10-12.

Vonnegut passed away in 2007, and there’s little debate as to his ridiculously awesome legacy of writing ridiculous/absurd novels that simultaneously hold mass appeal. He was also a notable non-basketball product of The Hoosier State, so it obviously makes sense that the IU vicinity in Bloomington would be the site to honor the iconic, curly-haired satirist. I’m told via press release that IU’s Lilly Library is “home to the largest collection of Vonnegut books and manuscripts in the world.”

That library will be the site of an archival exhibit set up for the “convergence,” while a two-day “academic conference of panels and keynote speakers” essentially rounds out the non-musical homages.

Musically, however, we’re looking at performances from Father John Misty, Damien Jurado, Oh Sees, Noname, Shabazz Palaces, Baths, Waxahatchee, Amy O, Voces Novae, and Rodeola at various Bloomington venues. FJM in particular is recognized in press as a noted Vonnegut fan. (Though TBH, I can’t imagine any non-fans accepting this particular gig. It seems too risky to basically vouch for an unfamiliar author.)

Anyway, check out the FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS HERE. And don’t forget, my dear prospective attendees: “If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you’re a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind.”

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