If you don’t already live there, Georgetown might look like it
doesn’t have much to offer. Besides some private artist lofts and band
rehearsal spaces, there are only a few pockets of
action within its maze of mysterious industrial
buildings—Jules Maes, a great dive bar with usually raucous live
music on the weekends, and the tiny Squid & Ink, which serves some
really tasty vegan poutine (fries, gravy, “cheese” curds, oh my!) with
the occasional hardcore show on the side. It’s a long way from, say,
Capitol Hill.
Sure, Georgetown has character, but it’s hardly the dream locale for
a vibrant summer music festival. But when Stefan Schachtell and Chris
Beno founded the Georgetown Music Fest in 2006, they weren’t looking to
create a polished, predictable music festival. Schachtell and Beno
wanted to focus on local music, and they needed a neighborhood that
would appreciate their somewhat dissenting attitude. The oft-overlooked
Georgetown, Schachtell says, was perfect.
“It hit me when I was turning the corner on that main strip, 12th
Avenue, specifically,” he says. “It’s lined with all these old brick
buildings—you still see the grit. Nothing’s really pretty about
it, especially with the freeway on-ramp crossing over and the 727s
coming in for a landing 50 feet above your head. It has this vibe. It’s
close to Seattle, but it’s uncharted territory.”
The Georgetown Music Fest debuted in 2006 with two stages and 15
bands. Despite an already saturated summer schedule, crowds came out.
In 2007, the roster nearly tripled to over 40 bands. This year is their
biggest yet—nearly 60 bands are already on the bill (with the
possibility of more to come), and they’ve added a third outdoor stage
(with music inside Jules Maes, too).
Still, the creators maintain the festival’s local focus. Most of its
sponsors are
Seattle-based companies—Caffe Vita, Rainier
Beer, Viking Bank—and with the exception of Helmet as Friday
night’s headliner, the entire lineup comprises Northwest talent.
Schachtell doesn’t hire a lot of outsiders for help,
either—volunteers, friends, and family help run the “labor of
love” (that guy you’ve seen working the beer garden for the past two
years, for example, the one with the thick German accent—that’s
Schachtell’s dad).
But they have made one noticeable change: In response to criticism
that their lineup was too narrowly focused—on indie and power
pop, Schachtell’s favorites—Schachtell and booking partner Kate
Fernandez made a conscious effort to diversify.
“This year we really tried to cast a wider net,” says Schachtell.
“In the past, I tried to book bands I really wanted to see, but this
year we tried to bring a lot of different genres onto the stages.
Helmet is heavier than we’ve had in the past. We never had any sort of
hiphop before, and this year we have Cancer Rising and GodSpeed.”
The age of performers is just as varied. Helmet’s Page Hamilton is
pushing 50, while the Lost Episode, a soulful classic-rock band who
come highly recommended by Thee Emergency, are a trio of
14-year-olds.
Even though they don’t have a budget of hundreds of thousands,
there’s still a lot at stake for Schachtell if things don’t go well.
Sponsorships cover about half of the festival costs, so he has to cross
his fingers that the rest will be made up through good ticket sales.
Any money lost comes right out of his pocket, which is why he’s stacked
the bill with local favorites like Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to
Death, Helms Alee, the Lonely Forest, Aqueduct, PWRFL Power, the
Lashes, and the Valley.
The biggest obstacle remains convincing people Georgetown isn’t
located in a completely different universe.
“We’re trying our best to let people know there’s a great, cool
community down here; there’s something so unrehearsed, unguarded about
the scene. We get e-mails from people asking, ‘Where is Georgetown?’
‘How long does it take to get there?’ ‘Can I drive to Georgetown?'”
Schachtell says with a laugh. “People really feel like it’s a different
city; they have a misconception that it’s far away. But it’s really
easy to get to.” 
The Georgetown Music Fest is Fri June 13 and Sat June 14. Gates open
at 4 pm Friday and 11:30 am Saturday. Entrance to the festival is at
6000 Airport Way S. Tickets are $14 adv/$17 DOS; weekend passes are
available for $26. Visit www.georgetownmusicfest.com for a complete schedule and more information.
