After Dirtnap Records launched in the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the century and got its footing by putting dozens upon dozens of excellent garage rock and punk-tinged releases from acts all over the place (including Milwaukee’s own Phylums and The Sugar Stems), founder/owner Ken Cheppaikode made the decision to move back to his former hometown of Madison from Portland in 2017. Shortly thereafter, he ultimately settled in Milwaukee, where the long-running imprint still lives and thrives today.
In honor of his label’s 25th anniversary, Cheppaikode is bringing an astounding group of acts with Dirtnap affiliation to Cudahy this summer for a three-day festival. The aptly-named “Dirtnap 25” festival will take place at X-Ray Arcade from Friday, August 29 through Sunday, August 31. Over the course of the weekend-long affair, the ambitious celebration of all things Dirtnap Records will feature performances by Radioactivity, Drakulas (featuring members of Rise Against, Gwar), Marked Men, Mean Jeans, The Ergs, Direct Hit!, Nervosas, a Fox Face reunion set, Dusk, Phylums, Chinese Telephones, a solo outing from Betsy Borst from Sugar Stems, and many more.
Dirtnap Records and X-Ray Arcade announced the festival Friday morning and immediately released 100 weekend passes for pre-sale (use the DIRTNAP promo code when ordering). Weekend passes are $85. Daily passes will eventually go on sale for $30 for August 29, $40 for August 30, and $40 for August 31. Save the date to celebrate Dirtnap Records and check out the full daily lineups on the poster below!
