Get ready to bring the funk to Wausau. Billed by organizers as the largest music event to ever hit downtown Wausau’s 400 Block, the first-ever Wausau Summer Shindig is poised to turn up the volume and deliver 10 hours of high-energy, original music from the Upper Midwest’s most exciting funk artists on Saturday, June 20.
The event is the brainchild of Jesse Bartnik, who owns Faraway Place on Third Street, right across from the outdoor venue.
“We sit and we see that 400 Block stage every day and it’s a shame to only see it get used on Wednesdays,” Bartnik said. “It’s such a great stage and such a great community gathering spot that I wanted to create something that was for the community and also something to bring people into the area.”
The Summer Shindig will bring music to the 400 Block from noon to 10 p.m., featuring seven funky acts:
The common throughline of this lineup is funk and jam. The bands have a lot of summer energy, Bartnik said, that will get people up and moving around the 400 Block.
“Hot Like Mars is kind of blowing up right now in Chicago. They’re a mix between some soul, some R&B notes but heavy on the funk,” Bartnik said. “People Brothers Band is the same thing. Rare Element is completely instrumental, lots of horns ... Earthlight’s got some jazzy influences.”
One of the most distinctive acts is Watt Millians, who will be ending the night with an electro-funk set.
“It’s one guy with a talk-box and keys to really finish the night with a sort of nightlife atmosphere outside before things move inside,” Bartnik said.
Once the music concludes outside, the party begins indoors across the street at Faraway Place, Bartnik’s bar and venue, where there will be a “super jam” featuring artists from throughout the festival playing together for a special late-night funkathon.
“Musicians from the different bands will be taking turns and that’s hosted by Billy Bronsted — he’s coordinating the whole thing,” Bartnik said. “You’ll be able to see musicians you’ve never seen play together before.”
As festival booker, Bartnik’s philosophy isn’t to gradually build the lineup to a headline act. Rather, he aims to book high-quality acts from top to bottom, with each band performing during the time of day that best fits their vibe — a philosophy further reinforced by the end-of-the-night jam session.
“The lineup is designed to have people out for the entire day, so BAMM, they’re opening the event right away at noon, but definitely not something to sleep on,” he said. “The lineup is not smallest to biggest. It’s really designed to have a flow throughout the day and they’re definitely not an act that you want to miss. So I would say don’t show up fashionably late.”
Food trucks and vendors will be on-site throughout the day, in addition to great bites and drinks from downtown bars and restaurants.
“I think people are gonna be blown away by what they see from everybody,” Bartnik said. “That’s going to be a ton of fun and the production value is going to be extremely high. We have a professional sound engineer and lighting engineer. It’s going to be pretty awesome.”
The event is free to attend. Donations to support another shindig can be made on the event website, wausausummershindig.com.
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