ASCAP bands entertain the masses at the 1st Annual Swerve Festival



A soft breeze and picturesque backdrop made the perfect setting for a weekend of music, film, art, food and fun at the 1st annual Swerve Festival in Los Angeles, presented by Fuel TV with music programming by ASCAP. Thousands of locals gathered at the hilltop Barnsdall Art Park and other neighborhood venues on September 28th through 30th to enjoy this celebration of the West Coast's creative and action sports communities.

With the Hollywood sign and the Griffith Observatory looming in the distance, the Swerve Festival's outdoor music stage hosted afternoon sets from indie rock acts including DeVotchKa, Black Angels, St. Vincent and Foreign Born. Bonde do Role and We Are Scientists each played energetic night-time sets at the nearby Echoplex.

Dozens of feature length movies, animated shorts and music videos made up Swerve Festival's forward-thinking film portion. One major highlight was the U.S. premiere of Anton Corbijn's Control, a biopic about the life and death of PRS/ASCAP member Ian Curtis, lead singer of Joy Division.

During breaks in programming, festival-goers gawked at colorful art installations, attended do-it-yourself workshops and took part in various environmentally-friendly and charitable initiatives. Or they sat in the shade, soaking up the good weather and good vibes.