Dance it up arty style at the Basilica Music Festival, begins today

The Basilica Music Festival makes its debut tonight (Friday, August 10) in the upstate New York town of Hudson. Tonight's festivities include a live show called "Metal Machine Music: Solo Noise Artists and Their Machines," featuring performances by Liturgy, Mick Barr, C. Lavender and Brian Dewan. Yes, we know that part sounds kinda dull. But there's also a DJ set by Rainbow in the Dark, "NYC's monthly party for gay men, metalheads and Satanists," which will include appearances not only by Robin Corolan of Tri Angle Records (Balam Acab, How To Dress Well, Holy Other, etc.) but also Critical Mob's own T. Cole Rachel.

Saturday includes not only an art exhibition featuring sculptures and paintings and an afternoon dub, roots and dancehall reggae set courtesy of Zebrablood's Blazer Sound System, but also a 90-minute sunset boat cruise on the picturesque Hudson River. Yes, the Hudson actually is pretty up around there. The festival ends with an evening concert headed by CM favorites Gang Gang Dance.

The Basilica Music Fest takes place at 110 South Front Street in Hudson, NY. Tickets are $15 per night or $25 for both; the harbor cruise is an extra $25 per person. Camping is available for those who camp. There's only so many weekends left to get out of the city for a while, so what are you waiting for?