To give you an opportunity to see what's new, and what has changed, we have taken the paywall down temporarily.
Currently, there is no need to log into the site.
We will provide instructions for creating new account and resetting passwords when the paywall is turned back on.
When Mary Howze organized the first Ozark Mountain Music Festival 10 years ago, the focus was on local and regional musicians and bands.
“We were fortunate that we were able to build from local artists when we first started,” Howze said. “We pulled from the regional area … that was our main lineup. No band came any further than four hours away.”
Howze admits that while optimistic, she also wasn’t sure how well the event would gain traction during the early years.
Eight events and one COVID-19 year later and it’s safe to say that the festival, known as OzMoMu for short, has even surpassed Howze’s vision in those early days.
“Oh my gosh, so much,” Howze said when asked how the event has evolved. “It has grown so tremendously mainly due to the community that has become so involved.”
The 2023 edition of the four-day Ozark Mountain Music Festival will feature musical acts from as far away as California and gets underway at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19.
Music continues from 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, Jan. 20, and from noon to midnight Saturday, Jan. 21. A “farewell show” will close things out from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22. All performances will take place at the Basin Park Hotel, making the event a rare all-indoor music festival.
“In the past having a musical festival in the winter helped us because the bands are doing what in January, right?” Howze said. “So, the competition was way less and that’s a bonus for us. But I’ve actually found that in the last few years it’s become a little more difficult to get bands in January because a ton of them are in their studios at that time. It’s their time to take time off of the road and produce their music.
“That was a very common trend this year as we are trying to build the bill.”
This year’s lineup includes 26 bands and musicians, primarily featuring “Americana folk music,” Howze said.
“I am branching out from that style more this year than ever,” she said. “We’re bringing in a bit different, still Americana-based, but we’ve got a progressive jazz rock band, Marbin, out of Chicago and on Sunday, we’re going to close out with a gospel band, The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers (from Los Angeles).”
The headliner, scheduled to perform at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan 20, is singer-songwriter and Michigan native Lindsay Lou, who is known for her soulful vocals and has released a number of albums.
“We’re pulling all the way from California, so that shows one way that it’s grown for sure,” Howze said. “And our production has grown tremendously as well. We are very fortunate to work with a high-end production company, Brin-Son’s Sound, and they have elevated us to a level that I don’t know if I ever knew was possible.”
This year’s festival will continue to include vendor booths, other activities such as “Yoga and mimosas,” and will continue its partnership with Chelsea’s Corner Bar, which hosts daily festival after-parties.
“We’re going to have more vendors and have themed nights where everybody dresses up in different themes every day,” Howze said. “And Chelsea’s bar has been a partner with us since the very beginning and they help us do the late-night jams. We end the music at midnight in the ballroom and we push the whole crowd down to Chelsea’s where all the musicians jam together on the stage there.”
Howze said OzMoMu sold out last year after being forced to cancel the 2021 event because of the pandemic. In fact, if it hadn’t been for COVID, the event would be having its 10-year celebration.
“We had the festival just before COVID hit in 2020,” Howze said. “People joke and say we were the last time they got to dance for a while.
“So, last year, 2022, we did sell out and we are trending very well to sell out again this year.”
An all-access pass to all four days of the festival is $85. Individual day passes will be sold, if available, Howze said. More information and tickets can be obtained at OzarkMountainMusicFestival. com.
“We’re already working on the 10-year festival for next year, too, so everyone can expect a really big, big lineup and presentation next year,” Howze said.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here