The Dreamy Draw Music Festival takes place Nov. 3-4 at the newly remodeled Scottsdale Civic Center. The outdoor concert event, announced on Wednesday, will feature more than 20 different indie bands and artists of the country, bluegrass, folk, roots, and Americana variety.
Midland and Lord Huron headline the two-day festival. The rest of the lineup includes Margo Price, Luke Grimes, Watchhouse, Breland, Hailey Whitters, Trampled by Turtles, American Aquarium, Jamestown Revival, Mighty Poplar, Stephen Wilson Jr., Pony Bradshaw, American Hustler, Breland, JD Clayton, Matt Farris, Taylor Glasheen, Nat Myers, Emily Nenni, Grady Spencer and the Work, and The Senators.
Performances will take place on three stages within the civic center, which recently received a $35 million overhaul.
Dreamy Draw Music Festival co-founder and talent buyer RJ Largay tells Phoenix New Times the “multifaceted experience” will encompass the various genres connected with country music.
“We're going to lean into the southwestern sort of vibe but will have more than just country music," he says. "We're going to have bluegrass. We’re going to have folk. We're going to have Americana. Some of the bands on the lineup, like Midland, blur the lines between all those genres, but we also want to be inclusive of Americana and some of the more traditional country [music]."
The festival will also tie into Old Town Scottsdale’s history as a Wild West destination, which dates back to the founding of the city in the late 1800s.
“We’re also going to tap into the roots of Old Town Scottsdale, which is a cultural space with a rich history that extends back more than a century.”
Country singer-songwriter Margo Price is scheduled to perform at Dreamy Draw Music Festival.
Alysse Gafkjen
What inspired Dreamy Draw Music Festival
Largay knows a thing or two about local cowboy culture. As a kid, he regularly attended local rodeos with his family and dressed up as a cowboy.“My grandpa was originally from Arizona, there was this rich heritage of southwestern Americana culture that's been a part of our culture and part of our family," Largay says.
His family has also been involved with the Valley's music scene for decades. His father, John Largay, launched M3F in 2004. The local festival was known as the McDowell Mountain Music Festival back then.
RJ also has a history in the music and concert industries, working in talent buying and artist management for years. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and help start his own festival.
“I'd had desires to do something in the country and Americana space for years,” RJ Largay says.
In February, he got his wish. Largay was approached by Gerd Wuestemann, president and CEO of Scottsdale Arts, the nonprofit organization that oversees the Civic Center space. “We discussed how he wanted to bring festivals into the space and create unique immersive experiences [for concertgoers],” Largay says.
Largay says only 8,000 tickets will be sold for Dreamy Draw Music Festival. According to a press release, each of the event’s three stages will offer intimate spaces to view performances.
The festival will also feature art activations, a "Dreamy Trading Post" with local artisans and vendors, southwestern-inspired cuisine and a cocktail program. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Scottsdale Arts.
How to get tickets to Dreamy Draw Music Festival
Tickets for Dreamy Draw Music Festival go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday through the event’s website. General admission starts at $70 per day or $135 for the weekend. VIP tickets include a variety of perks and are $150 and up each day or $290 and up for both days. Largay says he expects tickets to go quickly.
“The chances of us selling out, given the artists we have, are actually pretty good,” he says.
