Mile 3: Looking back, looking ahead

Campfire+song+sing+along+led+by+Hillary+Reynolds%2C+Corey+Chisel%2C+and+AASD+Fine+Arts+coordinator+Jim+Heiks.

Photo by Laura Biskupic

Campfire song sing along led by Hillary Reynolds, Corey Chisel, and AASD Fine Arts coordinator Jim Heiks.

Molly Biskupic, Contributor

Most people can only dream of meeting their favorite musicians. They obsess over posters and tweets and interviews, imagining a connection. In Appleton however, residents are lucky enough to have a diverse group of artists from the entire country delivered right to their doorsteps.

Last August, Appleton celebrated the third annual Mile of Music (MoM). For four days, musicians from all walks of life became honorary citizens of Appleton. They ate breakfast at the Queen Bee and drank coffee at Copper Rock. They bought wildflowers at the farmers market and admired instruments at Heid. During the Mile of Music, musicians not only play music in Appleton, but they live their lives in Appleton. They remind those tired with Northeast Wisconsin that Appleton is a pretty cool place, even when it’s not inundated with musicians.

This year the festival boasted over 200 artists filling over fifty venues. Thanks to donations from Tundraland Home Improvement, every performance was free. Popular artists ranged from local celebrities like Corey Chisel and Hillary Reynolds — both Appleton North High School alums — to returning stars like Jordin Bass and Swear and Shake, to new favorites like The Suitcase Junket and Wild Adriatic. Sixteen-year-olds Genevieve Heyward and Jackson Mankowski held the honor of being the youngest performers, though their skill as musicians and creativity as lyricists would put many high-schoolers to shame. While this year did not include big-name artists like Norah Jones (Mile 1) and Ritchie Ramone (Mile 2), the festival’s headliners The Milk Carton Kids moved every seat in the Lawrence Chapel and several people standing outside with their graceful harmonies and beautiful lyrics.

Wild Adriatic performing at Mill Creek
Photo by Laura Biskupic
Wild Adriatic performing at Mill Creek

“[T]here is so much going on in one weekend — there’s never a rubbishy moment,” said Appleton North senior and MoM volunteer Jack Russell, despite the rather rubbishy rainstorm that hit the second day of the festival. Surprise concerts on Saturday and Sunday made up for the cancelled Friday concerts, and returning features like Tundraland’s Singing in the Shower, kept festival-goers busy despite the weather. Another returning favorite this year was the Mile of Music bus, which allowed the audience members to get up close and personal with artists as they shared a bus ride around downtown Appleton. The bus offered constant music from 1-10 p.m. every day of the festival.

North students were well represented at the festival as both patrons and volunteers. Volunteers got a unique and rewarding perspective of the festival. “I volunteered as a stage manager for the kickoff show at the PAC, and I met more artists at that one event than any other Mile I’ve been to so far,” said Russell of his first volunteering experience after attending every year of the Mile of Music so far. North senior Austin Grimmer has volunteered with the festival for the past two years, both through the Willems internship and the Appleton Downtown internship. “I think that one of the most valuable things the interns bring to the table is a younger perspective. We’re plugged into technology to a degree that [festival coordinators] aren’t,” said Grimmer. That focus on technology was evident in the festival’s mobile app, which allowed festival-goers to keep track of shows from their smart phone. The app also feature soundbites of each artist so users got a taste of their style.

If you missed the festival, however, despair not. Not only is the festival coming back for a fourth mile next August, but Mile of Music hosts shows throughout the year. While this year’s New Year’s Eve show is still 21 and over, the festival plans on holding more concerts before the end of the year. Plans are in the works for a show sometime this fall, but nothing has been finalized. Nevertheless, it is set to be a showcase of musical performances that, just like this summer’s event, should once again bring the music-lovers of Appleton together again.

Sisters Lily and Madeline performing at Houdini Plaza
Photo by Laura Biskupic
Sisters Lily and Madeline performing at Houdini Plaza

Be sure to follow @MileofMusicFest on twitter for updates on live music in the Fox Cities, as well as The Refuge, Corey Chisel’s community space just down the road from North, on Facebook to find out about upcoming musical and artistic events. For volunteer opportunities, visit http://mileofmusic.com/contact/volunteers/.