The Pygmalion Festival

Solid. Definiely an awesome reason to be in town if you don’t live here already. The shows are fun, the venues are small, the people are friendly!

I have gone to Pygmalion 2 out of the last 3 years. I didn’t go to every show, and had only heard of a few of the bands before seeing them. I enjoyed everything I heard. I am a certified fan of more than one band I was introduced to at Pygmalion. I think Canopy Club is the best place to see Pygmalion bands, since as soon as a band is finishing up in one room, the next is getting started in the other.
The music is solidly within the «Indie Rock» genre, though the 2009 version skewed heavily into dance music, which I did not realize was as cool as it is. The concert planners really do a good job at picking bands because those that come to town are really good at cooking in their particular flavor. The local bands that get the nod are the best of the vibrant CU music scene. I think the regional/​national bands also get a kick out of performing for each other, and the locals like the big crowds.
Getting the big ticket package is a bargain if you know that you can make all three days or you know you will be trekking back and forth to multiple venues. If not, It is probably best to buy individual bar covers, unless they make you buy the whole shabang just to see the big show at Krannert. The festival has not sold out to my knowledge, other than the big shows at Krannert, so you can pretty much walk up to your bar of choice with cash in hand.
If you are from out of town, there are a lot of cheap motels in town that you can find around the $ 40 a night range. Also, check out craigslist, as you might get some love there for rides/​lodging.
and
have pretty decent previews of who plays what when and where they play.
In all, the biggest strength of this festival is the fine taste of those who pick the bands. They know what we like as well as we do. I’d give it 5 stars if it was cheaper.