Midwest Music Expo - DECATUR, IL

We’re building the 9th edition of MMX (Midwest Music Expo). What started as a student-run music business conference here at Millikin has morphed into a vibrant day of arts and community, with our last event clocking nearly 30 bands on two stages. MMX paired the concert experience with local vendors, speakers, artist booths and more.
This year is different.

So many of the Oakwood storefronts are empty, signaling the needs of our community. Music Business teaches us to pivot and respond to the world around us, which is why we are choosing to focus this year's efforts there.
Our plan is to have artists perform across Oakwood on May 2nd, and populate the streets and storefronts with pop ups in a real life ‘artists impression’ of what this creative district could be. We’ve done this before, but this has a lot of moving parts with a lot more at stake than a good gig or great merch sales.
This is real. We need help, and we need you!

SCHEDULE:

• 12PM : Vendor Expo Begins on the 100-198 S Oakwood Block outdoors and inside some of the vacant spaces - so that we can do more than imagine what a creative disctrict could be there!
• 3PM: 20+ Artists at the MmX 9 Oakwood Takeover Stages, both outdoors and on LSB's indoor stage
• 10PM After Party @ LSB

Featured Artists:

• Soy City Stranglers
• Jaydoe Jaydoe
• SweetMelk
• First Gig Allstars
• Ex-Bombers
• Toni Picasso
• Drunken Goblins
• Jada R'Tinique
• Speak Softly
• Marble Teeth
• CallMeJimmee
• Stela Hyden
• Pariah
• Puff Puff Posiedon
• House Couch
• Audrey Lou
• + More!

|TICKETS|

• You don't have to buy a ticket, but if you'd like to support, your funds will go towards our activities as we continue help revive this community!
• Tickets are a suggested donation of $20, or Pay What You Want (including free)

More About MmX's History:
2019 marked the first conference, founded by Martin Atkins and operated by Millikin University’s music business students. Since then, Atkins has continued to curate the conference and guides students to bring it to life. In May 2020, MmX pivoted online and launched the first-ever scratch-and-sniff virtual conference. It continued throughout that year with weekly online sessions, a full virtual conference in 2021, and returned to in-person programming in May 2022. Since then, the conference has been held in both Decatur and Chicago, and has only continued to grow.

Now in its 7th year and 9th iteration, MmX is a music industry conference with a deep focus on the midwest music scene and the communities that shape it. It draws equally on local leaders and international experts to deliver compelling panels, thoughtful discussions, inspiring keynotes, and new connections.

Rooted in a punk-rock, DIY, hard work, no-nonsense, get-things-done mentality, this year's conference will spark creativity and connection throughout the needs of the community.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Martin Atkins & Midwest Music Expo