The VIA Festival, an annual showcase in Pittsburgh of forward thinking musicians and visual artists from the burgh and around the world, is back for its fourth year this October 1st-6th. The VIA festival uses collaboration within the performance spaces to create a week’s worth of exciting events, spotlighting the intersection of art, music, and technology. Sticking with the decentralized festival set-up VIA used last year, this year’s showcases will be held at venues all around Pittsburgh from the expected to the as-of-yet unannounced (but likely to be cool) main pop-up space in the east end of Pittsburgh. For the past three years, VIA has showcased up-and-coming artists just as they are on the verge of blowing up and this year will be no different, featuring genres from hip-hop to West African folk songs to house and beyond. As one of VIA Festival’s media partners for the second year, LWE have put together an overview of the festival with our picks noted.

TUESDAY – OCTOBER 1ST:

Still from “Voudon Gods on the Slave Coast”

Screening @ PGH Filmmakers, Oakland – 7PM; $8 Advance Tickets/Included in All-Access Pass; All Ages

Voudon Gods on the Slave Coast (Sublime Frequencies)
The Divine River: Ceremonial Pageantry in The Sahel (Sublime Frequencies)

A/V Showcase @ Brillobox, Lawrenceville — 9PM; $10 Advance Tickets/Included in All-Access Pass; 21+

AUDIO:
U.S. Girls (US/Kraak, Siltbreeze)
with special guests:
Shockwave Riderz (PGH)
Nic Lawless and His Young Criminales (PGH/Ageless Curse)

VISUAL:
Annapurna Kumar (LA)

WEDNESDAY — OCTOBER 2ND:

Container

A/V Showcase @ PGH Filmmakers, Oakland — 7PM; $10 Advance Tickets/Included in All-Access Pass; All Ages

presented by the Consortium:
Raime – a/v set (UK/Blackest Ever Black)
with special guest:
Dream Weapon (PGH)

A/V Showcase @ Brillobox, Lawrenceville — 9PM; $15 Advance Tickets/Included in All-Access Pass; 21+

AUDIO:
Pharmakon (US/Sacred Bones)
Container (US/Spectrum Spools)
Aaron Dilloway & Richard Pinhas (US/Hanson) / (FR/Spalax, Cuneiform)
John Elliott (US)
Forma (US/Spectrum Spools)
Unicorn Hard-On (US)

VISUAL:
Jeremy Bible (Experimedia)

THURSDAY — OCTOBER 3RD:

Actress

Screening @ PGH Filmmakers, Oakland – 7PM; $5 Advance Tickets/Included in All-Access Pass; All Ages

twohundredfiftysixcolors
(2013, 97min. artist talk with Eric Fleischauer & Jason Lazarus, Curatorial Assistant: Theodore Darst)

Audio Showcase @ Thunderbird, Lawrenceville — 9PM; $12 Advance Tickets/Included in All-Access Pass; 21+

An evening with:
Tal National (NE)

A/V Showcase @ Rex Theater, Southside — 9:30PM; $20 Advance Tickets/Included in All-Access Pass; 18+

Obvious Productions Showcase
AUDIO:
Actress (UK)
Jimmy Edgar (DE/US)
Jason Burns (US)
Natasha Kmeto (US)

VISUAL:
Ian Brill / Transmission (PGH)

FRIDAY — OCTOBER 4TH:

Jacques Greene

Exhibition: 2013 Carnegie International @ Carnegie Museum of Art, Oakland — 9PM; Included in All-Access/Weekend Pass; 18+

Opening Night Event
Sharon Needles (PGH)
Total Freedom (US/Fade To Mind)

A/V Showcase @ TBA — 10PM; $20 Advance Tickets/Included in All-Access/Weekend Pass; 18+

AUDIO:
Jacques Greene (CA/Vase)
Lapalux (UK/Ninja Tune)
Total Freedom (US/Fade To Mind)
Sasha Go Hard (US)
Wise Blood (US/Dovecote)
Banjee Report (US)
Postlife (White Tuxedo, @cthemc, Yung Moth) (PGH)

VISUAL – h3D Space (Green Room):
La Turbo Avedon
Rollin Leonard
Kevin Ramser
TechShop
CMU Drama

SCREENING:
Casey Jane Ellison x Miss Daddie
Acid Rain Reflux

GAMES:
Joust

SATURDAY — OCTOBER 5TH:

Hunee

Performance @ Dance Alloy, Garfield — 1PM & 5PM; Free (Reserve your space online!); All Ages

Making its premiere at the VIA Festival, “group” is an interactive performance that draws upon conventions of rock concerts, spiritual rituals, exercise classes, team-building exercises, self-help seminars and group therapy. Activities are designed to generate intimacy and energy between you and your fellow participants through 7 platforms.

A/V Showcase Double Header @ TBD — 11PM; $20 Advance Tickets/Included in All-Access/Weekend Pass; 18+

PART 1
AUDIO:
Adult. (US)
Vessel (UK)
Trogpite (PGH)

PART 2
AUDIO:
KiNK (BG)
Hunee (DE/US)

VISUAL – h3D Space (Blue Print):
V5MT
Joe Hamilton (Hyper Geography)
Theodore Darst
Ben Tabas
TechShop
CMU Drama

SCREENING:
Casey Jane Ellison x Miss Daddie
Acid Rain Reflux

GAMES:
Joust

A/V Showcase @ TBD — 11PM; $10 Advance Tickets/Included in All-Access/Weekend Pass; 18+

presented by Honcho
AUDIO:
Men’s Room (US)

SUNDAY — OCTOBER 6TH:

Slava

Performance @ PGH Filmmakers, Oakland — 7PM; $5 Advance Tickets/Included in All-Access/Weekend Pass; All Ages

Special Effect (Cartune Xprez)

In his performance “Special Effect,” Peter Burr becomes the live presenter of a television show featuring new works commissioned from leading animators. Special Effect stops in Pittsburgh as part of an international tour including POP Montreal, TBA Festival, and many more.

Audio Showcase @ Bayardstown, Strip District — 3PM; Free with anything VIA related, $5 without; All Ages

Slava (RU/Software)
Beggars of A New Land (US/Amdiscs)
Shisa
+ more TBA