{"id":2430853,"date":"2026-05-25T01:48:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T01:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2430853"},"modified":"2026-05-25T01:48:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T01:48:28","slug":"two-day-fromohio-music-festival-in-springfield-celebrates-homegrown-musicians-events-things-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/two-day-fromohio-music-festival-in-springfield-celebrates-homegrown-musicians-events-things-to-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Two-day FromOhio Music Festival in Springfield celebrates homegrown musicians | Events & Things to Do"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Curt Kiser, of Cincinnati indie band Carriers. Carriers is headlining the FromOhio Music Festival in downtown Springfield. A festival map and full schedule are available at<\/span> fromohiofest.com<\/span><\/a>. CONTRIBUTED<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ohio has long been fertile ground for influential artists and musicians. This spring, downtown Springfield\u2019s two-day FromOhio Music Festival returns for its eighth year with a renewed mission: celebrating the homegrown talent emerging from the indie corridor connecting Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus.<\/p>\n

The FromOhio Music Festival takes over downtown Springfield on Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30, bringing two days of live music, craft beer and local food to two venues. The event is free and open to the public.<\/p>\n

The 2026 lineup features Carriers, The Ophelias, M Ross Perkins, Heather Redman & The Reputation, Mol Sullivan, crabswithoutlegs, Visitor, Multi Ultra, Novel Vibrations, Rug and Jess Lamb \u2014 a cross-section of Ohio indie, soul, psych-pop, shoegaze and funk acts.<\/p>\n

Performances will take place at Mother Stewart\u2019s Brewing, 102 W. Columbia St., and at the historic State Theater, 19 S. Fountain Ave.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With the exception of Nashville\u2019s Multi Ultra, FromOhio narrows the focus to Ohio talent. Although the music is limited to this region, Greater Springfield Partnership Vice President, Destination Marketing + Communications Chris Schutte said that limitation doesn\u2019t affect the diversity of the lineup.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at our past acts, we\u2019ve been very diverse, and that\u2019s by absolute design,\u201d Schutte said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had everything from punk to shoegaze to rap to alt-country. We really want to keep that diversity moving forward.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Past performances have included Guided By Voices, Lydia Lovelace, Tommy Stinson and Brigitte Calls Me Baby.<\/p>\n

The venues themselves offer distinct atmospheres: Mother Stewart\u2019s has an outdoor beer garden vibe, while the State Theater is historic yet revitalized.<\/p>\n

Craft brewing is still pivotal to the festival. This year, a tap takeover at Mother Stewart\u2019s will host brews from across the state. There will also be a whiskey tasting at the State Theater on Friday. For those who don\u2019t partake, Beyond Bottleshop, which specializes in non-alcoholic beverages, will offer social alternatives.<\/p>\n

Plus, an activation station will allow attendees to stamp their own Ohio souvenir T-shirt or tote bag.<\/p>\n

In an era when artists increasingly break through online, regional festivals like FromOhio still offer something algorithms can\u2019t: discovery through community and live performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s ever going to be a replacement for the atmosphere of live music,\u201d said Kristina Jarrell, GSP Downtown Events Programmer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe community nature of live music is something you just can\u2019t replace,\u201d Schutte said. \u201cYou get that little electric charge from that live performance that you just can\u2019t get from listening to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

As FromOhio doubles down on its regional identity, one performer sees the festival as a reflection of the Ohio music community that shaped him.<\/p>\n

Curt Kiser \u2014 leader of Cincinnati heartland, dreamy indie rock band, Carriers \u2014 was born in Kettering. Although he and his family worked their way down to southern Ohio \u2014 via Lebanon, Springboro, Middletown and eventually Cincinnati \u2014 Kiser cut his teeth playing music in Dayton.<\/p>\n

The Dayton Dirt Collective, a bygone DIY spot downtown, was one of those early venues he played. Canal Street Tavern was another.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m proud to be from Ohio, and to be someone who continues to make art and push,\u201d Kiser said. \u201cI\u2019m a lifer. It\u2019s cool to be part of the story of music that comes out of our state. I grew up here. I\u2019m still not very far from here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carriers has shared stages with heavyweights like Big Thief, Band of Horses and Heartless Bastards, while the band\u2019s recent Brassland debut, \u201cEvery Time I Feel Afraid,\u201d earned praise from outlets including Stereogum, Consequence and Bandcamp.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But in a music culture that tells artists they need to leave home to matter, Kiser argues against that idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to, especially with how people hear music today,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is why so many artists love touring through here, because there are so many cities within a few hours\u2019 drive of here. There\u2019s also a community.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Kiser, festivals like FromOhio are proof that artists don\u2019t need to abandon the Midwest to build meaningful creative lives.<\/p>\n

Carriers has been around for the last 12 years, but Kiser\u2019s music story stretches back much further. At 36, he still remembers what his guidance counselor asked him in high school: Are you going to take your SAT?<\/p>\n

Kiser said no. He was going to travel and play music. And that\u2019s what he did \u2014 and continues to do, all while still living in Cincinnati and not forgetting where he came from.<\/p>\n