Freeman, Matt Pond, Young Magic Among 40 Bands to Play Fifth O+ Festival Oct. 10-12 in Kingston, N.Y.

3-Day Celebration of Art, Music, Wellness Includes Mural by Renowned Street Artist Nils Westergard, Plus Classes in Yoga, Gong Sound Healing, Meditation, Dance, QiGong

New in 2014: ChronO+gram Dance Party; Reading/Drawing Correspondence SalO+n; RecO+very Ride

KINGSTON, N.Y.—The non-profit O+ Festival, which enhances community well-being by connecting musicians, artists, volunteers, local businesses and health providers in a 3-day celebration of art and wellness, returns for a fifth year in Kingston Oct. 10-12. This year’s “Correspondence”-themed festival features more than 40 bands and 20 visual artists, kickoff parade on Friday night, wellness ExpO+, children’s programming, and ExplO+re — classes in Yoga, Gong Sound Healing, Meditation, Dance and QiGong. New events for 2014 include the community reading of published correspondence while sketching tableau culled from Outdated Cafe’s collection, Tin Roof Sessions, a dance party in collaboration with Chronogram magazine, a mural-to-mural bike ride for all ages, an 18- and 28-mile rail trail ride, and a 50-mile road ride for cycling enthusiasts.

“The idea of enhancing and strengthening community through the collected donated efforts of its members is the driving force behind the O+ Festival,” said Theresa Widmann, director of operations. “Artists gift the city of Kingston with murals and installations. Musicians donate their performances. Teachers gift classes in yoga and other modalities. Business owners and donors provide in-kind and financial support. And providers donate the health & wellness services that the artists, musicians and festival volunteers might not otherwise afford.”

That care may include traditional (medical, dental, ophthalmology) as well as complementary (chiropractic, Reiki and other energy work, massage, acupuncture and psychotherapy).

Festival attendees are easy to spot. Their monetary donations, which help cover the cost of putting on the festival, entitle them to all-access red wristbands that cover entry to Friday, Saturday and Sunday concerts, Saturday’s ExplO+re classes, Tin Roof Sessions on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, Saturday night dance party, Correspondence SalO+n, and Sunday bike rides. Early birds can take advantage of a special rate and be added to the donor guestlist by purchasing here.

Newly confirmed acts are Freeman (aka Aaron Freeman aka Gene Ween of Ween), Tony Levin’s Stick Men, Matt Pond, Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers, Flaws, The Bones of JR Jones, The Paul Green Rock Academy, kindie band Ratboy Jr., Festival favorite Monogold and “Shiva Arms,” a one-man play written and performed by Doug Motel.

As in years past, many incredibly talented and renowned musicians have submitted to play the Festival. Some highlights include: Folk-singer Kevin Devine (New York); Xylouris White (Greece, Australia), which features frequent PJ Harvey/Nick Cave collaborator Jim White and Greek lutenist George Xylouris; electro-pop act Young Magic (Brooklyn, N.Y.); a special collaboration between drummer Ben Perowsky and neo-soul/rap sensation TK Wonder (Brooklyn, N.Y.), who has opened for everyone from Sting to Die Antwoord; SXSW ’14 standouts Landlady (Brooklyn, N.Y.); and Arc Iris, the acclaimed anti-folk collective from Providence, R.I. (See the full list below.)

The public art-making that takes place during the O+ Festival is earning the city of Kingston a reputation as a must-see destination for murals. Last year, internationally renowned street artist Gaia created “Artemis Emerging from the Quarry,” Brooklyn-based Lmnopi made “Pretty Nose and the Dakota Unity Riders” and local painter Kimberly Kae gifted “Bilancia.”

This year’s artists make their own mark on the community as they visually explore the theme of “Correspondence”. Kingston-based artist Keith Carollo (formerly of Fred Flare) will seal the city with a kiss (SWAK); Jack Dishel (former lead guitarist of the Moldy Peaches) returns to his graffiti roots in collaboration with Vor 138; Richmond, Va.-based street artist Nils Westergard, known for celebrating everyday people’s contributions to community, will be back in the U.S. for O+ after a number of mural commissions in Europe; and an installation that examines the needs of the Kingston community will be mounted by the artist Complete of Mass Mosaic.

For up-to-date information about the Festival lineup, profiles of this year’s participants and sponsors, and donation protocol for the wristbands, please sign up for the O+ Festival mailing list and follow the Festival on social media.

The O+ Festival, which has plans to open a year-round multi-use facility in Kingston to provide artists and musicians with complementary care services, wellness education, and other preventative care options, was recently granted 501(c)(3) non-profit organization by the IRS. It was also recognized at the 2014 Ulster County Executive’s Arts Awards for Art in Public Places.

Last November, the Festival expanded to the West Coast with a 3-day celebration in San Francisco. This year, it heads to Petaluma, Calif., Nov. 7-9.

“O+ is the finest example of mutually beneficial symbiosis I’ve ever experienced. I had been on the road nearly full time for five years, without insurance. One of my teeth had gotten to the point that I could not eat solid food without pain. I had about given up on designs of a long life. Dr. Tom Cingel fixed me up in exchange for playing music. It honestly gave me a new lease on life, and made me feel as if what I did had a real value. It’s the best thing ever, and I hope the heart and soul of it becomes the central message of all good people.” — Jeff Bailey, member of Phosphorescent, 2007 -2013

CONFIRMED BANDS FOR THE 2014 O+ FESTIVAL IN KINGSTON, N.Y.:

Among the bands/acts that will play this year’s Festival are: Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers (Woodstock, N.Y.), Arc Iris (Providence, R.I.), Battle Ave. (Woodstock, N.Y.), Bella’s Bartok (Amherst, Mass.), Bobby Bird (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.), Burnell Pines (Chichester, N.Y.), Cassandra Jenkins (New York), Celestial Shore (Brooklyn, N.Y.), C. Lavender (Hudson, N.Y.), Cosmonaut (New York), Dead Unicorn (Kingston, N.Y.), Diet Kong (New Paltz, N.Y.), Flaws (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Freeman (Woodstock, N.Y.), Galanos (Kingston, N.Y.), Gustafer Yellowgold’s Show (Kingston, N.Y.), Hadeda (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Hand Habits (Albany, N.Y.), itsnotyouitsme (New York), Karlie Bruce (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band (Burlington, Vt.), Kevin Devine (New York), Landlady (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Matt Pond (New York), Monogold (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Pitchfork Militia (Palenville/Saugerties, N.Y.), Ratboy Jr., Rice Cultivation Society (East Meadow, N.Y.), Sam Kogon (New York), Secret Fangs (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.), Semi Femme (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Setting Sun (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Shilpa Ray (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor (Detroit), Stick Men (Kingston, N.Y.), SWF (Brooklyn, N.Y.), The Bones of JR Jones, The Gold Hope Duo (Kingston, N.Y.), The Paul Green Rock Academy, The Warp/The Weft (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.), TK Wonder/ Ben Perowsky (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Whitegold (Chicago), Xaddax (Kingston, N.Y.), Xylouris White (Greece, Australia), and Young Magic (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

CONFIRMED VISUAL ARTISTS FOR THE 2014 O+ FESTIVAL IN KINGSTON, N.Y:

Murals: Nils Westergard, Geddes Jones, Genie Canvas, Scott Michael Ackerman, Kevin Freligh, Matthew Pleva, Julia Santos Solomon, Jack Dishel & Vor 138, Keith Carollo
Performances: Jim Toia and YEAAAH!!!, Anna Rexia, Wayfinding Series, Susie Tarnowicz
Movement: Sarah Jacob
Installation: Complete, Micah Blumenthal, Claire Eder

For more information, contact Kathleen Murray, Director of Communications: kathleen@opositivefestival.org