YES Fest Brings Double Day 20+ Artist Indie Fest to ODU

Did the region deserve another smorgasbord of breakout indie artists across double stages and double days? Probably not, but damn if LAVA Presents didn’t make it happen anyway.

After a strong first showing last year, YES Fest is back in 2023 with a lineup of artists that is blowing last years crew out of the water. The sonic experience is loaded with edge and electricity with hopes to leave no eardrum unshaken.

We caught up with Josh Coplon, founder of LAVA Presents about the festival. He says YES Fest is “really for anyone. YES Fest hits on a ton of different genres and with two stages, you can easily check something different out or make a point to see all twenty bands. This years line-up is a lot more diverse to reach a wider audience at ODU and beyond.”

Asked about headliner Butcher Brown and Horse Jumper Of Love, he said “we are lucky to have both of them headlining YES Fest. Butcher Brown are from RVA but are one of the sickest bands out there. They recently dropped a cover of RUN DMC "Down With The King" in partnership with the ACC and are making serious waves everywhere. I've listened to Horse Jumper Of Love for years and am stoked to have some slowcore/indie/emo legends coming to Norfolk.”

YES Fest is taking place on ODU’s campus but is open to the public. Stages at the Gordon Art Galleries and Goode Theater will each have balanced lineups on Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th + a Zine Fest + Vendor market, hosted by NFK Zine Fest taking place in both the Barry Arts Building and the Goode Theatre both days of the festival.

Although in it’s second year Josh says YES Fest is still new for the ODU scene, saying “Chartway has brought in some huge acts, but there was a real need to showcase smaller indie artists on campus and engage the ODU student population.”

ODU’s Executive Director for the Arts, Cullen Strawn, sounded just as stoked. “We are so excited to bring such talent together – bands from different genres and locations, along with ODU student artists and local creatives including Norfolk Zinefest and many others.”

Local music heads will recognize names like Demons, Sunny & Gabe, and Tyler Donavan along with a ton of other regional acts.

Luckily the show will be indoors, so the music will go on regardless of any cold or rain that January wants to drop.

You can grab tickets here or at Packed House NFK, the official box office.

Here’s the full schedule: