Aggiefest, an event featuring local musicians, artists, restaurants and bars, took place over the weekend. The festival included 19 Manhattan musicians, with multiple venues around Aggieville, including the main stage in Triangle Park, the Dusty Bookshelf, O’Malley’s Alley and the Salty Rim.
For Curtis Vogts and Shawnée Hudgins, the Manhattan natives responsible for running this year’s festival, recruiting local talent held special significance.
“We wanted to give as many local bands and performers as possible the chance to perform,” Hudgins, who is also a Kansas State graduate, said. “It’s great seeing all of the different types of music that come from Manhattan, especially the music that we have because of K-State and its students, and getting to work on bringing back the local music scene to the area.”Related:
Photos: Aggiefest
Aggiefest was an opportunity for new and returning talent to connect with the community. Such was the case for “Sounds of Many,” a garage rock band started only three months ago.
“It’s been great getting exposure as a new band, working with the sound department here, and just getting to play music for people,” said Kurt Curtis, sophomore in secondary education and “Sounds of Many” bassist.
For music enthusiasts in Manhattan, the event demonstrated an opportunity for city residents to connect with the bands’ content in ways that are not always available to them.
“For me, music fests like this are great for the community, to say the least,” Matt Ronchak, sophomore in open option and residential learning assistant for the Making the Ultimate Playlist Cat Community, said. “It encourages creativity and just provides an outlet for expression in the community. When people can have nearly any song at their fingertips, I think it’s so important to show how live performance can directly connect the audience with the performer in a more intimate way than any recorded song can truly do.”
