For five days in March, more than 400 bands infiltrate one city’s clubs, bars and makeshift street stages. No, we’re not talking about Austin’s South by Southwest — this is Boise’s Treefort Music Fest, the City of Trees’ annual stab at raising awareness about indie bands of every ilk. While the city is modest in size, its corporation-averse music festival is anything but: It’s a welcome overdose of concerts for music heads throughout the Northwest (and a massive annoyance to locals who savor the status quo).
The festival is intended both to draw rising national talent and showcase what Boise’s own music scene has to offer. And, as it occurs just as brisk breezes replace patches of ice in the downtown area, the spring-timing couldn’t be better.
This year’s edition of Treefort featured big names like Liz Phair, Dan Deacon and Built to Spill; breakout acts including Toro y Moi, Vince Staples and Mandolin Orange; and heavy hitters Black Mountain, American Football and Low. Also participating were hundreds of local bands, many of which use Treefort as their single opportunity of the year to play live.
Below are a few snapshots from the thousands of hours’ worth of musical performances that plastered the city from March 20 through March 24:
Photos by Kurt Orzeck
Photo of Eleador Balou by Tasia Suslov
