Rogue Music Festival: A Weekend for The Artists

By Calli ferguson 
photos by Owen LAbate

Sandile at Starr Bar photo by Owen Lebate

Last weekend, a three-day gathering of indie musicians and music lovers rotated through Brooklyn venues for the second annual Rogue Musical Festival. At Baby's All Right on Friday night and Starr Bar on Sunday, we were able to join in the intimate spaces and the close-knit community vibe.

Refreshingly, it felt like a festival all about artists. And that’s by design. The Rogue Music Festival kicked off in 2022, right after we all lived through some pretty tough times, thanks to the pandemic. For musicians in NYC, it wasn’t just about missing the stage; it was about figuring out how to make ends meet in a city where the cost of living is always on the up and up. Rising venue fees didn’t help either. The festival was created by a group of women musicians who were tired of seeing artists struggle to get paid fairly for their hard work. They decided to take matters into their own hands and create a festival where the artists would get a fair cut—70% of ticket sales, to be exact. It's about valuing the creative life and making a point that musicians shouldn’t just be scraping by in a place as rich in culture as NYC.

photos by Owen Labate

With this intention clearly high at heart, Rogue was able to a wide mix of genre: rock, punk, pop, hip-hop, experimental—you name it. It made for a really special space for music discovery, cross-pollination, and inspiration. And in a somehow satisfying way, it captured that eclectic spirit of the New York music scene right now, with everyone out there discovering and celebrating new sounds together

Rogue set up also raffles for musical instruments, cool vendors, and tons of opportunities to hang out and chat with fellow music lovers and musicians. If you’re curious about what’s next, check out their Instagram @roguemusicfestival, and to discover their amazing line up of artists, dive into their Spotify playlist here.