Brooklyn bands kick off first

Lisa Gansky

Sounds like a hot prospect!

The five-day Prospect Heights Music Festival kicked off Wednesday, showcasing a long lineup of local talent and the neighborhood's blossoming music scene.

'We have world-class musicians in our next doorstep,' said Gerard Kouwenhoven, 39, who owns the Branded Saloon, one of two venues hosting the event. 'This neighborhood reminds me of East Nashville.'

More than 30 Brooklyn bands will take the stage this week at two local bars - The Way Station and the Branded Saloon.

The first-ever festival boasts a range of genres from folk to bluegrass and South Indian to dance punk.

'There is some amazing music in this neighborhood,' said organizer Andy Heigel, 45. 'We want to showcase as many artists as we can.'

The event brings artists and audience members together, said Prospect Heights resident Lara Ewen, 45, who will play folk and country music on Thursday.

'People of the audience are part of the music community, too,' she said, 'We all work together to build it.'

The diversity in genres also shows how the music landscape has changed significantly in the last decade, said James Coyle, 48, a sound technician and booking agent for the festival.

'There are a lot of performers who used to play punk rock and now are picking up the acoustic guitar or the accordion,' he said, referring to the wave of Americana revival that has swept the neighborhood.

There is no cost for admission, but organizers suggest a $5 donation.

Entities 0 Name: Andy Heigel Count: 1 1 Name: South Indian Count: 1 2 Name: East Nashville Count: 1 3 Name: Gerard Kouwenhoven Count: 1 4 Name: Brooklyn Count: 1 5 Name: Prospect Heights Count: 1 6 Name: Lisa Gansky Count: 1 7 Name: Lara Ewen Count: 1 8 Name: James Coyle Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1n8JCd1 Title: For Taylor Swift, the future of music is a love story Description: Where will the music industry be in 20 years, 30 years, 50 years? Before I tell you my thoughts on the matter, you should know that you're reading the opinion of an enthusiastic optimist: one of the few living souls in the music industry who still believes that the music industry is not dying...it's just coming alive.