Weekend Music Festivals: DOT AIR, Summit and FloodFest

On Saturday, August 15, you have your pick of music festivals. You can’t make a bad choice, but we’re here to help you make the best choice.

From 4pm till 1am at Machines with Magnets in Pawtucket will be the 2nd annual DOT AIR Experimental Music Festival, which will be full of imagery inspired by Pawtucket’s industrial past. Close to 20 bands will be performing on two stages and you’ll be able to hear everything from ambient electronic to blenders run through processors. This year’s lineup includes Blistex, Work/Death, Spiritual Recess, Birdlady, Craow/St, Sitting Adult, Laurie Amat, V. Sinclair, Mares Laig, Belarisk, Reverse-Engineering, Domestique, House Red, Apathy and Steel, Vision Control, Virusse, Morgan Packard, Vehement Caress and Shambling Mound. But this festival isn’t about just music. As darkness falls, experimental films will be projected onto the outer wall of Machines with Magnets. Artists will be available to screenprint a t-shirt you bring from home or one you purchase to help fund next year’s event. And between musical acts, attendees can check out a sound installation that is a mystery even to event organizer, James Toomey. “The creators want this sonic experience to be a surprise to everyone,” he explained.

Festival attendees also can take part in some public art as they decorate a 6-foot-tall capsule that was once used in a factory, donated by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Association. “Providence has its roots in industry,” said Toomey. “In order for this city to move forward, we have to continue to create. Making art out of an old factory piece is symbolic of that notion.”

For ticket and festival information, go to dotair.org

Also check out the Summit Music Festival, taking place on August 15 at 1pm at the East Side’s Lippitt Park. This is the 6th annual festival and every year, the whole neighborhood comes out to hear some good music, eat the finest food truck fare, entertain the kiddos and seek a little shade in the beer garden. This year’s lineup includes The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Garrin Benfield, And The Kids, Torn Shorts Duo, Extraordinary Rendition Band and Brother Henry. The free festival starts up as Lippitt Park’s farmers market winds down, so get there early and pick up some locally grown festival snacks!

For event information, go to facebook.com/events/987865844598393

Then in Foster, school is definitely in session for FloodFest ’15! Not only will there be two stages featuring local musicians, there will be food vendors, artisans and alcohol for those old enough to grab a shovel instead of a sled when snow days hit. Performing at Flood Fest are All About Buttons, The Kennelly Family Band, Red Hot Rascals, Tai Chi Funk Squad and Box Of Roses at the inside stage; and The Mill Rats, Neal Vitullo & The Vipers, Back Rhodes, Steve Malec & The Electric Flood, ClamBake and Rat Ruckus at the outside stage.

For tickets and festival information, go to theelectricflood.com