Nerdapalooza
Encyclopedia
Nerdapalooza is an annual music festival, the first of its kind to invite all genres of the nerd music movement under one roof, including nerd rock, nerdcore hip hop
, chiptune
s, and video game music. The idea for Nerdapalooza was conceived by John "hex" Carter, who hosted a nerdy music themed radio show through KRFH, the student-run radio station at Humboldt State University
. The word is derived from nerd and palooza, slang word for all-out crazy party, and is a reference to Lollapalooza
.
at the Kate Buchanan Room at Humboldt State University on September 22, 2007. Organized by John "hex" Carter.
in late 2007 to act as co-organizer. Michael "The Spork" Evans and Nicholas "Sir-Up" Carman were also key coordinators for the success of this event. The show was also hosted by 3 local radio DJ's from 91.5 WPRK. Josh Thew and Logan Donahoo of "Serious Business" along with Andrew Grey of "Talk Nerdy To Me". The event was to benefit Child's Play charity and had been the most successful of all of the Nerdapaloozas thus far, receiving press coverage from both bloggers and print media, including an article released in Blender Magazine
.
's "Child's Play" charity. Carter became Executive Director, along with other key directors Michael "The Spork" Evans, Joshua Thew, and Aaron "Masurao" Yarhouse. Official presenters were the members of the Letters Versus Numbers podcast among them Nerdapalooza UK organizer Stephen "MisterB" Brunton.
This show was the first time that the four major players in the nerdcore music scene (MC Frontalot
, MC Lars
, mc chris
, YTCracker
) all performed at the same event.
charity.
This year the show was presented by Nerdy Show, the official podcast of Nerdapalooza that Executive Director, John Carter is a co-host of along with Brian Clevinger
, "Triforce" Mike Pandel, and Cap Blackard.
Nerdcore hip hop
Nerdcore hip hop, is a sub-genre of hip hop music characterized by themes and subject matter considered to be of general interest to nerds, though it can appeal to others as well. Self-described nerdcore musician MC Frontalot has the earliest known recorded use of the term in the 2000 song...
, chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
s, and video game music. The idea for Nerdapalooza was conceived by John "hex" Carter, who hosted a nerdy music themed radio show through KRFH, the student-run radio station at Humboldt State University
Humboldt State University
Humboldt State University is the northernmost campus of the California State University system, located in Arcata within Humboldt County, California, USA. The main campus, nestled at the edge of a coast redwood forest, is situated on Preston hill overlooking Arcata and with commanding views of...
. The word is derived from nerd and palooza, slang word for all-out crazy party, and is a reference to Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
.
Nerdapalooza Southeast 2007
Nerdapalooza Southeast was a branch of the nerd music festival centered in Central Florida. The show showcased nerdcore hip-hop over the other "subgenres" of nerd music. Nerdapalooza Southeast was the first Nerdapalooza show to be held, and was a charity event with the proceeds going to benefit "The Purple House" homeless charity. Organized by Rob Tobias.Nerdapalooza Beta
Designed as a small show, it was sponsored by KRFH and was held in Arcata, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
at the Kate Buchanan Room at Humboldt State University on September 22, 2007. Organized by John "hex" Carter.
Nerdapalooza UK
Nerdapalooza UK was the United Kingdom equivalent of the American nerd music festival. Unlike its United States counterpart, it consisted of fewer artists and was a free event. Although supported by Nerdapalooza US's creator, the creator and organizer of Nerdapalooza UK was Stephen "MisterB" Brunton.Nerdapalooza Southeast 2008
A continuation of the previous years show, Nerdapalooza Southeast was again organized by Rob Tobias. However, Carter moved to Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
in late 2007 to act as co-organizer. Michael "The Spork" Evans and Nicholas "Sir-Up" Carman were also key coordinators for the success of this event. The show was also hosted by 3 local radio DJ's from 91.5 WPRK. Josh Thew and Logan Donahoo of "Serious Business" along with Andrew Grey of "Talk Nerdy To Me". The event was to benefit Child's Play charity and had been the most successful of all of the Nerdapaloozas thus far, receiving press coverage from both bloggers and print media, including an article released in Blender Magazine
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
.
Nerdapalooza 2009
Held July 11 and 12, 2009, the first full Nerdapalooza showcasing all nerd music, it was again a charity show with proceeds going to Penny ArcadePenny Arcade (webcomic)
Penny Arcade is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website loonygames.com. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have established their own site, which is typically updated with a new comic...
's "Child's Play" charity. Carter became Executive Director, along with other key directors Michael "The Spork" Evans, Joshua Thew, and Aaron "Masurao" Yarhouse. Official presenters were the members of the Letters Versus Numbers podcast among them Nerdapalooza UK organizer Stephen "MisterB" Brunton.
This show was the first time that the four major players in the nerdcore music scene (MC Frontalot
MC Frontalot
Damian Hess , better known by stage name MC Frontalot, is a Brooklyn-based hip hop musician and self-proclaimed "world's 579th greatest rapper". He is best known in nerdcore hip hop and video game culture, for naming the nerdcore subgenre, and performing at Penny Arcades annual Penny Arcade Expo...
, MC Lars
MC Lars
Andrew Robert MacFarlane Nielsen is an American rapper, known by his stage name MC Lars. He is the self-proclaimed originator of "post-punk laptop rap". He was one of the first underground rappers to sample and reference post-punk and emo bands...
, mc chris
Mc chris
mc chris is an American rapper, voice actor, writer and improvisational comedian....
, YTCracker
YTCracker
Bryce Case, Jr. , otherwise known as YTCracker , is a former cracker most known for defacing the webpages of several federal and municipal government websites in the United States, as well as several in private industry at the age of 17...
) all performed at the same event.
Nerdapalooza 2010
Held July 17 and 18, 2010 at the Orlando Airport Marriott, this Nerdapalooza marked the first year that the festival operated as its own company managed by John Carter and Aaron Yarhouse, along with press and talent directors Nina Talley and Josh Thew, respectively. The events fund raising will once again support the Child's PlayChild's Play (charity)
Child's Play is a charitable organization founded by the authors of the popular computer and video games-based webcomic Penny Arcade that organizes worldwide toy drives to children's hospitals. Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins founded Child's Play in 2003 to improve the lives of sick children by...
charity.
This year the show was presented by Nerdy Show, the official podcast of Nerdapalooza that Executive Director, John Carter is a co-host of along with Brian Clevinger
Brian Clevinger
Brian Clevinger is an American writer best known as the author of the webcomic 8-Bit Theater and the Eisner-nominated print comic Atomic Robo...
, "Triforce" Mike Pandel, and Cap Blackard.
Event history
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