Photo by Sabrina Romano

Erika Laing, Chelsea Attwood, and Mike Dugan of the band Working Breed perform during the VIP cocktail hour at the Deutschtown Music Festival fundraiser held at the Warhol Museum on Saturday, April 11.

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By Sabrina Romano

Usually museums are quiet spaces for patrons to appreciate art and other significant pieces, but that wasn’t the case Saturday, April 11 when the Andy Warhol Museum hosted the Deutschtown Music Festival fundraiser. During the event, five bands performed on a stage in the lobby for upwards 200 people.

Cody Walters, a resident of Deutschtown, is in the process of organizing the third annual Deutschtown Music Festival, which will take place July 11. But this is the first time he, along with organizers Ben Soltez, Kevin Saftner, and Jess Winghart, launched a fundraiser in hopes of paying each band.

“All the bands have played voluntarily for the past few years,” Walters said. “The goal is to raise $10,000 to give each band $100.”

Walters created an Indigogo fundraising page, which will be open until the festival gets closer.

Walters expects the Deutschtown Music Festival to be a great success, just like in past years. According to Walters, it brings a bit of vibrancy to the community.

“(The Deutschtown Music Festival) raises awareness of the live music we do have here on a regular basis,” Walters explained. “The idea is also to encourage other venues to have other live music. Just to kind of make (Northside) a home for live local music.”

The band Working Breed opened the show by performing during the cocktail hour presented to Wigle Whiskey. This will be Working Breed’s second year performing at the music festival. Chelsea Attwood, a singer and multi-instrumentalist in the band, appreciates Walters’ effort to pay the bands and was happy to be part of the fundraising event.

“I think playing at the Warhol is pretty fitting for us. I think because we bring a little avant-garde with us when we play,” Attwood said.

Chet Vincent, the lead singer of Chet Vincent and the Big Bend, has also participated in previous Deutchtown Music Festivals, and his band frequently plays in venues such as the Parkhouse in on East Ohio Street.

Vincent explained that he likes the idea of paying the bands that perform, although it is ambitious.

“It’s totally worth it to do it for free because so many people come and are enthusiastic about the music,” Vincent said. “But to recognize all the hard work that all of the bands have put in day in and day out practicing and to try and reward them with some money for their time is like extra bonus.”

Mary Armstrong, a resident of the Northside, attended the event to support the music festival.

“(The music festival) is a great event for the neighborhood,” Armstrong said. “It brings in a lot of people from outside of the Northside.”

Bobby Wilson, a resident of Spring Hill who’s running for the City Council District 1 seat, also attended the event.

“The fact that they are able to have a fundraiser in one of the most important museums speaks to how much (the music festival) is going to grow,” Wilson said.