Festival Preview | Music festival boasts array of genres and local artists

    For those who missed out on marathon summer concerts like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo and still need their fix of live performances, the Boston Music Festival, which wraps up this Sunday with a grand finale, features more bands than you can count. The festival, a set of week-long concerts at a variety of venues in the Greater Boston area, is currently celebrating its second year running. The event draws some 8,000 people to local restaurants, bars and clubs to hear an impressive range of local musicians , including rock, Latin, classical, jazz, hip hop and folk. According to the festival's promotional material, the Boston Music Festival involves "putting rock bands against string quartets, jazz trios against singer-songwriters, popstars against hip-hopsters."
    The brainchild of a local music school near Inman Square called School of Groove, the Boston Music Festival presents its wide range of genres only from unsigned local talent. School of Groove is an institution focused on education and exposure for up-and-coming musicians, eager to raise awareness and provide exposure to bands that haven't made it big just yet but show promise. The range of genres allows for artists like jazz pianist Yoko Miwa, from Kobe, Japan, to mix with the likes of spoken-word extraordinaire London Bridgez, who creates "bridgez" between poetry and R&B. Former Berklee students in groups like Same Mistake Twice, who play a variety of updated pop and rock songs, are a testament to Boston-based musicianship.
    Part extended concert and part "Battle of the Bands," the Boston Music Festival began on Sept. 8 and plays through this weekend. Though you may have missed the first part of the series, you can catch Friday and Saturday night acts, before the festival wraps up at the Boston City Hall Plaza on Sunday. The top five bands from the week will be showcased at the Plaza during a seven-hour outdoor extravaganza beginning at 2 p.m. Catch the next few acts before Sunday and you can support your favorites by voting American Idol-style: via text message or online through OurStage.com, one of the festival's sponsors.
    In addition to presenting their music to thousands of viewers at the final concert, the top five artists win a whole host of prizes: airplay and interviews with a number of radio stations, coverage in local entertainment publications, free gear, 20 hours of rehearsal space, studio time and exclusive interviews in Boston Music Spotlight.
    Johnny D's in Davis Square, a popular food-and-music joint well-known among Tufts students, is just one of the venues hosting the festival's emerging artists. The other eleven include Icarus, Hennessey's, Ned Devine's, The Harp, Wonder Bar, Church, Lily Pad, The Fireplace and Mojitos. With big-name sponsors like Fender, Comcast and the Boston Herald, the Boston Music Festival certainly provides a unique opportunity for emerging performers to market their talents.
    Tonight's performances include an eclectic mix that take place at Icarus and The Harp. You'll hear the saxophone quartet 154 Sax, its members hailing originally from Scotland, Sweden and Germany. On the other end of the spectrum is Daria Musk, who leads a trio with her soulful vocals and heartfelt rhythmic tunes.
    Tickets come either as day passes, available for $10, or week passes costing $15. In addition to the bargain price, full-week tickets give its holders access to the festival after-party, which takes place from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. at Ned Devine's on Sunday night. Featured guest performers Parker House and Theory are scheduled to make an appearance. Visit bostonmusicfestival.org to purchase tickets.