Diversafest - Festival

Festival

The first Dfest took place in 2002. 12 local bands played for a crowd of roughly 150 people. Growing steadily each year, there were 22 showcasing acts in 2003, 65 in 2004, 96 in 2005, and 108 artists of 20 different genres playing for 16,000 fans in 2006. In 2007, the location was moved from 18th and Boston to the Blue Dome District in downtown Tulsa. This location was more conducive to the multi-venue format Dfest had evolved into. The Blue Dome District also featured a large, centrally located parking lot where The Flaming Lips, Leon Russell and Amos Lee played for more than 15,000 enthusiastic fans in 2007. All told, Dfest 2007 would feature over 130 acts on 13 stages with approximately 40,000 people attending over two days. In 2008, the festival grew even larger, featuring festival stages in the PAC parking lot where The Disco Biscuits, .moe, Ghostland Observatory, Clutch, and Helmet played to huge crowds in excess of 5,000 and the Santa Fe lot where Edison Glass, Phantom Planet, Paramore, The All-American Rejects, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Zappa Plays Zappa, and The Roots played to music fans that exceeded 15,000. Overall, the 2008 event featured over 140 acts and attendance over the two-day event in excess of 60,000 festival-goers. 2009 is expected to be the best Dfest yet.

Notable acts featured at Dfest have included: Adam Hood, The All-American Rejects, Amos Lee, The Apples in Stereo, Bassnectar, The Black Crowes, Black Stone Cherry, Blue October, Cake, Carney, Citizen Cope, The Cool Kids, Clutch, Damone, Daphne Loves Derby, Delta Spirit, Dengue Fever, The Disco Biscuits, Dub Trio, Edison Glass, Evangelicals, Fair To Midland, The Flaming Lips, The Format, Gil Mantera's Party Dream, Gogol Bordello, Ghostland Observatory, Helmet, The Honorary Title, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, The Knux, Leon Russell, Limbeck, Lovedrug, Mates of State, Metro Station, MC Chris, moe., Other Lives, Ozomatli, Paramore, Phantom Planet, Ra Ra Riot, Rooney, The Roots, Motive for Movement, Sherwood, Shiny Toy Guns, Steel Train, Starlight Mints, The Veils and Zappa plays Zappa.