Written by Mackenzie Manley, Content Specialist, Downtown Main Library
This post is part of a larger series that spotlights local music acts performing at the Meet Me at Main Music Festival. Check out our website for more interviews with performers leading up to Saturday, July 11.
Nine music acts will take over the Downtown Main Library on Saturday, July 11 for the inaugural Meet Me at Main Music Festival: a family-friendly, multi-stage, multi-genre showcase of local music, including two after-hours performances. The event coincides with the second anniversary of Downtown Main Library’s reopening. See the full lineup,
We caught up with Advait Redkar ahead of the fest to chat about the festival, how he developed his sound, and collaborating with other artists.
Catching Up with Advait Redkar
Cincinnati-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Advait Redkar performs under Advait, the Dragon. His genre-bending sound takes inspiration from blues-rock, funk, neo-soul, jazz, and his early roots in Indian classical music.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Mackenzie: How have you developed your sound over the years?
Advait: I started out by exclusively playing original rock music. It was fun! [The COVID-19 pandemic] caused a big shift in my approach. Because nothing was live anyway, I wrote parts for any instruments I could imagine on a song. And it turns out that I love strings and horns! It led to my current sound of big band-ish instrumentation combined with pop song structures.
Mackenzie: You've played with other musicians and artists. Can you speak about the collaborative experience of making music?
Advait: Without anyone to play it with, sheet music is just dots and lines on paper. You can hand that same piece of paper to two different people, and they would play it slightly differently. That difference to me is a big part of the magic in music. Everyone plays like only they can, and it adds something special to the end result.
Mackenzie: To you, what part does the Library play in the larger local music scene?
Advait: The library has a wealth of resources which cost money anywhere else. Printing flyers and need to be on a computer to do it? Recording a vocal demo in an isolation booth? That costs money anywhere except the Library. Having access to these things is huge for everyone across any genre, especially given the rising costs of existing as an artist.
Catch Advait’s performance on the Social Stairs on July 11, at 4 p.m. Advait will be joined by a string trio, backing vocals, and a full band setup. Expect music from Advait’s recent EP, A Labor of Love (Prologue), along with a few songs that will make their debut at the fest.
Meet Me at Main Music Festival is made possible by The Johnson Foundation and The Thomas W. Jones Fund of the Library Foundation.
Mackenzie Manley is currently reading"Fantasticland" by Mike Bockoven.
Add a comment to: Meet Me at Main Music Festival: Advait, the Dragon