Ball State University senior James Nimmer hatched the idea for the Wuhnurth music festival by combining two of his greatest interests: live entertainment and love of the environment.
"It's a clever play off the phrase 'One Earth,'" Nimmer said. "We're using it to send a definite ecological message that people easily hear and understand."
The festival kicks off three days of environmental awareness Friday at the Water Bowl.
"I would like to see Muncie develop a much stronger music scene while becoming a more environmentally friendly community," he said.
To achieve this goal, Nimmer decided to throw a prefestival concert last March called Springfest to help raise money for Wuhnurth.
"My initial plan involved having several local bands and food venders set up along a stretch of Marsh Street for an all-day event," he said. "I soon realized that I cared to focus more on the music and thought it would be great if I could make it into an annual music festival."
After Springfest, Nimmer wasted no time getting ready for Wuhnurth. He contacted and booked all the bands, worked with several different vendors and raised money from donations through fraternities and many private investors, using no outside corporate sponsors to fund it.
Above all else, Nimmer described the festival's preparations and message as a grassroots movement.
"I'm just a BSU college student who had some ideas and worked his ass off to get it up and running," he said. "It's a completely grassroots movement, and I hope BSU will realize what they have."
A lot of bands playing this weekend feel the same way, including the headliner, Tea Leaf Green, an up-and-coming psychedelic rock band from San Francisco, Calif. One way the band continually contributes to environmental awareness is by using recycled materials in all of its CD packaging.
"[Wuhnurth] means bringing together a community of like-minded folks who are concerned about the environment and love the communal experience of live music," the band said in an e-mail correspondence. "We could not be more excited and honored to be a part."
Midwest Hype, who headlined Springfest, is another band scheduled to perform at the Water Bowl this weekend.
"It's just a great opportunity for like-minded musicians to get together and play for a cause," drummer Max Kepler said.
Nonmusicians involved with the event are also going green to show their support.
"Many of our food vendors have shown their commitment to the environment by using organic produce in their menu, replacing Styrofoam plates with biodegradable ones and implementing a recycling plan for their business."
After compensating the bands for their performances, the remaining profits will be donated to Full Circle Arts Co-op, a Muncie-based nonprofit artist organization, to fund environmental projects in the surrounding community.
Full Circle is a growing group of artists and art enthusiasts with a focus on helping one another and the surrounding community.
"The proceeds that they receive will fund environmental projects in the Muncie community, such as community gardens and an initiative to teach local businesses how to develop eco-friendly practices," Nimmer said.
Ironically, Nimmer's constant fixation on making Wuhnurth spectacular doesn't earn him one red cent, but he doesn't mind.
"I don't make a dollar out of it," he said. "I want to see people out there who support our cause and want to make the community more environmental-friendly and take from my example and say, 'Hey, maybe I can do this myself in a few years.'"
If you goTickets: $30 for entire weekendTime: 3 p.m. Friday until 10 p.m. SundayWhere: 6811 N. Old State Rd. (see page 2 for a map)
FRIDAYMain StageJack of Suede- 3 p.m.Red Light Remedy- 4:30 p.m. Spiritual Rez- 6 p.m.Back Forty- 8 p.m.Cosmic Railroad- 10:30 p.m.Field stageZmick- 4:30 p.m.8 Stories High- 6 p.m.Hip-O- 10 p.m.Brainchild- 11:30 p.m.Bump- 1 a.m.Beach stagePierce Duncan Band- 2 p.m.Jaiben- 4 p.m.Tow Mics and a Kit- 5:30 p.m.Bouncy C- 7 p.m.The Selifane Parade- 10 p.m.Speak Her Language- 11:30 p.m.Makeshift Prodigy- 1 a.m.
SATURDAYMain StageAlabaster Brown- noonEverthus the Deadbeats- 1:30 p.m.Daphne Willis & Co.- 3 p.m. Kinetix- 4:30 p.m.James Brown Car Alarm- 6 p.m.Tea Leaf Green- 8p.m.Midwest Hype- 11 p.m.Field stageCoyaba- noonFresh Hops- 1:30Jassy Grazz- 3 p.m. Shadyside Allstars- 4:30 p.m. JoBu- 6 p.m. The Twin Cats- 10 p.m. McSparkplug- 11:45 p.m.Groovatron- 1 a.m.Beach stageFive Til Dawn- 10 a.m.Romeo Champagne- noonSoltre- 2 p.m.Marion Square- 3 p.m.The Diggity- 4:30 p.m.Ladymoon- 6 p.m.Smoke Wagon Band- 10 p.m.The Freezing Scene- 11:30 p.m.Late Night Jam Session- 1 a.m.
SUNDAYMain StageMichael Martin Band- noonThe Ragbirds- 1:30 p.m.Euphonic Brew- 3 p.m.Sweet Japonic- 4:30 p.m.Ultraviolet Hippopatamus- 6 p.m.Jam Session- 8 p.m.The Giving Tree Band- 10:30 p.m.Field stageJason and the Punknecks- noonLand of Atlantis- 1:30 p.m.Funkshoe- 3 p.m.Chester Brown- 4:30 p.m. Original State of Mind- 6 p.m.Soraia- 10 p.m.Beach stageThe Splanchnic Ganglion- 10 a.m. Pet Monkey- noonFuture Nature- 2 p.m.Landon Keler- 3:30 p.m.The Electric Grapevine- 5 p.m.Daphne Willis & Friends- 6:30 p.m.Late Night Jam Session- 10 p.m.
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