Brickside Music Festival 2025
Presented by Duke Coffeehouse and WXDU
SATURDAY, APRIL 5th, 2025 | 2PM
Tickets:
Full Price: $20 **CASH ONLY AT THE DOOR**Duke Students and Employees: FREE *Log in to your account to unlock Duke pricing
VENUE
Duke Coffeehouse
East Campus
Directions to Venue
PROGRAM
WXDU & DUKE COFFEEHOUSE PRESENT: BRICKSIDE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2025The annual Brickside Music Festival returns once again on Saturday, April 5th at Duke Coffeehouse! Presented by Duke Coffeehouse and WXDU, Brickside will feature exquisite performances by artists mentioned below. Doors open at 2:00 pm; with your Duke ID or a paid ticket, you can enjoy FREE food trucks, screen printing, and art-making activities in addition to musical performances ranging from fuzzy guitars and experimental electronic to pastoral post-rock and free jazz.
Hotline TNT
Formed in 2018 by guitarist Will Anderson, Hotline TNT is a New York City rock band commonly described as shoegaze, alternative rock, and noise pop. Anderson records and layers the guitar himself in the studio and recreates the “dense wall of sound of distorted guitar” with two other musicians live. Their newest album Cartwheel was released in 2023 and has been widely acclaimed by critics, with a sound described as a force multiplier for emotion and a constant search for true love.
Astrid Sonne
Astrid Sonne is a Danish, London-based composer, singer-songwriter, and violist. With a classical viola foundation since age six and self-taught digital composition from 18, she seamlessly blends electronic and acoustic elements. Her acclaimed discography showcases a distinct, evolving style, now enriched by her own vocals. On Great Doubt (2024), Sonne refines her signature contrasts, using sparse lyrics to frame emotional states while music fills the gaps. The viola remains central, intertwining with woodwinds, detuned piano, and beats. Also part of the duo Coined with Fine Glindvad, Sonne continues to push sonic boundaries with her experimental yet deeply expressive sound
Hour
Formed in the late 2010s in West Philadelphia by Michael Cormier-O’Leary, Hour is an ever-evolving collective blending pastoral post-rock with cinematic grandeur. Inspired by classic film scores, Frank Sinatra ballads, and pop orchestras, the band’s open-ended framework revolves around Cormier-O’Leary’s keen ear. Their 2024 album Ease the Work earned critical acclaim from Stereogum, PopMatters, and A Closer Listen, showcasing an expansive sound rich with strings, electric guitar, piano, synths, and field recordings. Their latest release, Subminiature (2025), captures this dynamic live, further solidifying Hour’s distinct balance of experimental texture and orchestral beauty.
Edsel Axle
With the performer name Edsel Axle, Rosali Middleman is a folk singer-songwriter and musician with an addictive and captivating sound. Middleman uses her voice and guitar to explore the emotional spectrum with deeply personal lyrics and striking guitar and has released lots of music under her full name. As Edsel Axle, Middleman takes a more experimental approach to songwriting, focusing on electric guitar soundscapes that travel freely through time and space. Her most recent album, “Variable Happiness,” was recorded in her own home and finds clarity and meaning in every chord.
The Smashing Times
Every song by the Smashing Times is a bundle of energy with jangly guitar and sparkling drums that sit beneath their easygoing vocals. The group is based in Baltimore, MD, and has released numerous records and singles. A fusion of psychedelic and indie rock, the band certainly lives up to its name. Their newest release, “Mrs. Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys,” is a joyful collection of longing ballads and upbeat tunes. Their sound is real and warm and every song tells a story.
Linda Smith
Linda Smith is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who began self releasing cassette albums in the late 1980s. Prior to her solo career, Smith was in a New York City band called the Woods. Beginning in the 1990s, some of her recordings were released through indie labels. Smith is known as a pioneer in the home recording movement, and the 2021 release “Till Another Time: 1988-1996” is a compilation of years of her work. Smith now has released two other companion albums, “Nothing Else Matters” and “I So Liked Spring” that showcase even more of her discography. Her music are a combination of bright and playful melodies and reflective and sophisticated storytelling. All of Smith’s albums highlight the charm of her songwriting and avant-garde sensibility, and her music continues to resonate with listeners through multiple decades.
Ballister
Ballister is an alternative free jazz group that features three powerhouse improv musicians. The free-wheeling trio was formed in 2009 after clicking immediately during a closed session. Their unwavering energy combined with an electric sound create music full of texture and conversation. With Dave Rempis on saxophone, FLH on cello and electronics, and PNL on drums, the band creates a strong underlying momentum with overlapping rhythms and melodic lines.
Friendship
Friendship was formed in 2015 and is a punk indie band that has released numerous albums, including their most recent, “Love the Stranger.” The band gets its name from the town Friendship, Maine, which is an hour away from where three of their members grew up. “Love the Stranger” feels both familiar and new, with layers of pedal steel, synth strings, airy folk guitar field recordings, and MIDI pad exploration work. The album combines all four members’ visions with harmonic exploration and sprawling lyrical references.
