MiniFEST Seattle and the Line-up
MiniFEST Seattle 08/2025
Bridging the Music: One community at a time, showcasing independent artists in a festival-style experience!
Music and Festival Review:
Maximum Talent at miniFEST Seattle
A few months ago, yours truly stepped out of my comfort zone and attended miniFEST Seattle at Club Sur. While I’ve always been deeply appreciative of the artistry in rap and hip-hop, anyone who knows me knows they are not my usual vibe. miniFEST was an incredible opportunity to see many up-and-coming solo artists in these genres, as well as a handful of more experienced performers. The display of talent was mind-blowing. While I’m still a rock and punk gal (and a couple of those did take the stage), the festival certainly opened my eyes to the level of musicianship in our local rap and hip-hop community.
The miniFEST Overview:
First off, I want to apologize for my late posting of this review. I struggled with how I wanted to structure it and battled through some major writer’s block and I was in the middle of packing up to move to Ellensburg, WA to attend CWU.
That said, I’d like to begin with a bit of history about miniFEST events in general.
“The host of the August 10 Seattle festival was Bridging the Music, a production company which seeks to “provide up and coming artists the opportunity to showcase their talents and to expand their network,” according to their website. Bridging the Music has been operating since 2010 (per the Better Business Bureau), with the earliest verifiable miniFEST held in Dallas in 2012.”
Bridging the Music rebranded a competition-based production (the Solo Artist Awards) into miniFEST to create a more community-focused event. Their goal was to open up performance opportunities for emerging artists in a festival-style setting—not as competitors, but as peers. On top of the stage time, artists receive professional support like livestreams, performance videos, and exposure, helping them grow musically and connect with audiences. The miniFEST format showcases multiple independent artists and musical genres through year-round festivals across the US, UK, and beyond.
My Thoughts on the Festival Organization:
In my research on miniFESTs and Bridging the Music, I came across multiple articles that described BTM’s model as pay-to-play or as using attendance-based compensation. BTM defends their model as transparent and fair based on draw.
As far as miniFEST Seattle went, I will say up front that our festival definitely could have been better promoted. The excellent purpose of providing a stage for indie artists was limited significantly by a relatively low attendance, with several musicians voicing their disappointment in the turnout. (Given BTM’s model, one can certainly understand that on multiple levels.) The audience that was there, however, was tremendously supportive and clapped and cheered for every performer, and the artists themselves gave their utmost for every set.
The staging was very well done: good lighting and excellent displays. Each act had 15 to 20 minutes to showcase what they bring to the PNW independent music scene, with about five minutes between each performance. As I mentioned above, most of the artists were rap and hip-hop, but punk, hard rock, and blues rock each made a showing.
The photo says it all:
Again, MiniFEST Seattle had so much potential and could have been promoted better. I’m not sure where things fell through (whether with Club Sur or Bright the Music), but I even reached out to offer help and didn’t get a response.
Seattle/PWN loves supporting upcoming artists — I know the turnout could have been amazing if more of the music community had known about it!
I was just chatting with a musician friend in Las Vegas, NV, and he’d never even heard of MiniFEST — which shows there’s an opportunity to grow and get the word out even further next year’s tour.
The Line-up
I thoroughly enjoyed all the music despite my limited knowledge of the main musical styles. [As an aside, LTATM will be seeking a new blogger in 2026 who can focus on rap and hip-hop. Stay tuned for upcoming information on this.] But in the meantime, I want to do my best to give a call-out to the fantastic performers, each of whom had their own unique style and sound.
Each artist added their own spark to the night, creating a lineup that reflected the incredible range of Seattle’s indie scene. From first-time performers to seasoned locals, the stage was shared with the same sense of passion and support, proving that miniFEST’s real strength lies in its community. The crowd may have been small, but the energy was undeniable—a reminder that even on quieter nights, indie music in Seattle continues to thrive and deserves to be heard.
MiniFEST Vegas
I will try my darndest to be at miniFEST Vegas on October 25. 2025. It all depends on my class schedule, because I have started my BA Graphic Design in Marketing at CWU!
But check out the events page at Bridging the Music to see what might be coming up in your area.
Please do your part to help promote the miniFEST tour — the independent musician community needs all of us to come together and support this festival. Your voice matters!
The Line-Up: unordered on app
R’eeaye
R’eeaye is a singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington, who has been creating her music for a while now. She has been on the stage before, but not in a festival. This young lady has the power of soul simply vibrating the stage. I did manage to get a clip of her performance, so check it out let me know what you think.
C.L.A.N.
C.L.A.N. (Changing Life Around the Nations), LLC, is an independent record label based out of Alaska and Washington. He brings a nice rhythm to his beats with the help of Kurtis S. Wiggins mixing in the background.
Giselle’s FATAL Butterfly:
Giselle LoPresti delivers raunchy alternative horror punk songs in a “vaudevillian fusion show from your mom.” Giselle likes to catch people off guard when she talks to her audiences, so stay on your toes at her concerts. She brings a century-old style with a twist of punk rock to it. With only 15 minutes to play, Giselle offered a medley of all of her hit songs. See LTATM’s full music review for more details on this artist and her performances.
SND
SND is the next young woman that took over the stage. Her tattoo immediately caught my eye: an anku, the Egyptian symbol that means “life.” When I saw her stage performance, I was completely blown away by her smooth R&B rapping style—-it hit my heart and took my breath away. Unfortunately, I cannot find any social media for SND; I would really like to promo this artist.
I couldn’t find her social media. If you can, please share.
Ron Greene
Ron Greene has been performing live music for over 20 years. He has traveled coast to coast spreading his genre-bending music on stages of all sizes. This singer-songwriter has an amazingly unique style, mixing blues, soul, funk, and R&B into an unforgettable sound.
Sho Rilla
Sho Rilla is a Native American rapper who I became friends with while I was attending MinFest. Sho and Giselle were the only musicians that provided merch. I bought a keychain—I’ve collected them since I was a child.
Sho’s style was very uplifting and I could totally get into the groove of his beats. His DJ friend in the back surprised me by taking the mic mid-set, but they mixed very well with each other. Sho is one of those artists that I’d definitely go out to see again.
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The Line-Up: unordered on app
J. West
J. West was actually on tour when he took a quick break to join the festival. He had some technical issues in the beginning (it sucks but it happens). Once it was straightened out, though, this guy was on fire. He put on a fantastic and energetic performance.
YBB
YBB: This young rapper seemed rather nervous on stage. I got my crew and a few other artists to go up and support him. To tell you the truth, I had a hard time hearing him. But hey—it takes a lot of willpower and courage to get up on a stage and publicly put your music out there. I am a performer myself, and it is still very nerve-wracking at times, even with my experience. I saw Sho Rilla speaking with him afterwards; I was hoping to catch him myself, but I missed. Events like this can be stressful for young artists, but the support and experience are invaluable.
(no social Media)
ab2olute
ab2olute is a rap artist, song writer, and performing artist who, to me, had the best stage presence out of all of them. He knew how to stage block, which is dancing over the entire stage by shifting from side to side (not just staying in the middle) to engage the entire audience. I don’t see a lot of performers do that, even in the rock world. He totally owned that stage.
ab2olute’s social media states that he has performed at small gigs previously, but he even stated on stage that this was his first festival. He is an incredible entertainer and I’m sure he will go far.
Huligon
Huligon was the only rock and roll band at the festival. I’d heard of Huligon before, but this was my first time seeing them live. Their stage performance was electrifying and crazy-energetic.
YaBoiiG
YaBoiiG was a Portland rapper who is working to put his hometown on the map for indie music.
I left before YaBoiig's show, but I know him. A promoter I work with in the PWN helped with his music videos.
MiniFest Seattle 2026
MiniFest Seattle August 2025
Bridging The Music Presents:
Las Vegas miniFEST
Bridging The Music is headed to NEVADA for an evening of music, art & community in a festival-style atmosphere!
Come support top-notch local and touring acts, visual artists and more.
Your voice matters!
Please do your part to help promote the miniFEST tour — the independent musician community needs all of us to come together and support this festival. Your voice matters!
MiniFest Seattle Photos
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