2026 LINEUP

Paid Leave is a rock band from Dayton, Ohio. Since their garage band days, Paid Leave has been writing lyrically-driven, hard-rocking originals. The band takes their focus on story telling and scorching instrumentation out to the stage as often as they can, taking great pride in their live performances. This drive showed through as the five piece took home Dayton’s 2026 Battle of The Bands championship.

Plaster, a Progressive Metalcore band from Dayton, Ohio, active since 2025. The lineup includes Hayden McDaniel on Vocals, Gabe Markins on Guitar, Alex Henderson on Bass, and Jack Knudsen on Drums. The band plays mostly original music, with influences from Prog, Nu Metal, Deathcore, Metalcore, Grunge, and Alternative. A frequent collaborator with bands signed to Tried and True Records, Plaster has played many mixed-genre bills within the local hardcore scene, and recently completed a summer tour with the metal band “Warning Signs” from Columbus, Ohio. Listen to their latest single “BULLFROG” out now on all streaming platforms

The Dayton Jam Noise band ETM, featuring singer-guitarist Fred ‘Smiffmaff’ Grof and guitarist Chance Berberich, debuted with Elite Terrorism Modulus (2023), a promising hodge-podge of prog-rock (Bird Call Real Poetry), psych-rock (Glacier Bay Water Shrew), pop balladry (Horse With No Friends), 1970s blues-rock (Wrestling Entrance Theme), Bonzo-style musichall (Guided Light Forward Emit), etc. Amaya Carter joined on bass guitar along with Cooper Amarante on drums after the unreleased four-song EP We Did Not Enjoy The Music (2026).

Rap Campp is a series of single-session albums recorded with Hip Hop artists from all over Ohio.  The idea (born from the mind of producer Don Johnson) was simple: invite some emcees to camp out for a day in the studio with no prior access to the sonic direction of an album and see if we can make an EP.  Don asked fellow producer Cooley The Curator to get involved with the invites and the rest is something never seen before in Dayton Hip Hop History.  

2 full length albums released within one year showcasing the talents of 30+ artists, countless collaborations spawned with said artists on dozens of additional album/song releases between 2025-2026, a documentary (Welcome To Rap Campp) that has sold out 4 showings so far at theatres throughout Dayton, our very own Rap Campp beer courtesy of Toxic Brew, and a unity amongst the hip hop community never before thought possible.  

Rap Campp was just supposed to be the name of an EP.  It's become the name of a family.  Our cookouts just have more bangers than most!

 Too Pretty is from Dayton, Ohio. 

They play rock n roll music, with love.Too Pretty is from Dayton, Ohio. 

They play rock n roll music, with love.

irby ray is an alternative pop/rock project bringing upbeat energy with 80s, and 90s inspired guitar sounds.

Isai Morales y Los Lokos are musical project born out of a desire to bring audiences on a journey through the many identities of the enigmatic masked frontman. Morales, a Mexican-Panamanian polymath raised in the Midwest, performs & releases music, art and fashion through his own

Loko Recordings & Mercado. Backed by Los Lokos, Isai turns the weirdness of the Latino experience in the Midwest into music — with equal parts soul, humor, and honesty.

Collision Theory is a hip hop punk project that brings the raw energy of punk, the rhythm and attitude of hip hop, and the spirit of DIY. The band features Fea & Frank of The Fotons alongside longtime local rapper and skater 

HomieTwan, a veteran of the scene.

Pocket-pop for R&B lovers. The Bruins blend classic soul and funk influences with a modern sensibility. Drawing from Dayton's rich heritage, they're carving out a fresh place in contemporary music.

String Quartet meets blood harmony. 

St. James is a rock band formerly know as Gem City Rockers.

We play all original pop rock songs. We are currently working on releasing a 4 song EP.

Featuring the original creators of Dayton Music Fest

Better Anyway is a rock band from Dayton, Ohio. Since 2018, they have been making relatable songs and trying to bring people together in the music community to express themselves freely. Their latest release, 2024 LP “To Love Again” and all back catalog is available to stream on all platforms.

Human Cannonball is a Dayton, OH indie rock band that formed in 2009. They’re all back in Dayton and working on a new record. 

J-Tolb is a self described “regular cat,” and hip-hop artist with roots in the Dayton area, but currently residing in the city of Philadelphia. Witty introspective lyrics, and a keen ear for interesting instrumentals are what set him apart from other emcees. Tolb plans to hit the stage with a live band for his Dayton Music Fest performance. A jazzy four-piece ensemble with him at the helm. You won’t want to miss a special show from “J-Tolb and The Homies.”

Forged in the space between discipline and volatility, No Grave operates with a singular intent—channeling the weight of hardcore tradition through a lens that refuses stagnation. Anchored in part by Rich Thurston, whose history spans genre-defining bands such as Culture, Terror, and Blood Has Been Shed, the band carries forward a lineage without being confined by it. Emerging from Ohio, No Grave draw from the foundation laid by Turmoil, Earth Crisis, and Poison the Well. What began as a raw, confrontational project has evolved into something far more expansive—without sacrificing the intensity that defined it. Years of refinement, both on record and on stage, have shaped a band that understands exactly where it stands and how far it can push beyond that. For No Grave, this isn’t just another entry in the hardcore continuum—it’s a statement of purpose. Lyrically centered on reckoning, resilience, and the refusal to break, No Grave confronts rather than postures, delivering something immediate and lived-in. It understands where it comes from, but refuses to be confined by it. 

A While After is an emo/alternative band from Dayton, Ohio, blending early-2000s nostalgia with a modern edge. For fans of late-night drives, Vans Warped Tour, and songs that hit a little too close to home. 

Kunt Pills is a Dayton, Ohio-based singer/songwriter making experimental pop that blends pop with elements of R&B, electronica, and ambient music. Her music is playful and genre-fluid, creating something that is both abstract and accessible. Kunt Pills sounds like nostalgic pop music from a slightly unfamiliar universe.

K. Carter, “The Son of Hip Hop,” is a Dayton, Ohio hip-hop artist, storyteller, and performer whose music is rooted in authenticity, experience, and the culture that raised him. With a career built on connecting with audiences through both music and live performance, K. Carter brings a unique blend of lyrical storytelling, soulful energy, and classic hip-hop influence to every stage he touches.

FancyFeast are a ragtag gaggle of goons making brain-tickling, hook-laced indie rock that’s both nutritious and good for your coat. Featuring a melange of musicians from current and former projects: Captain Of Industry, Turboslacker, TV Queens, The Sailing, Magdalena’s Brown Bag, The Tracers, Springfield Symphony, Lioness, The Dayton Affair, TEAM VOID, Vinyl Dies, Pig Eyed Jackson, and Monotone Rottweiler.

Prepare your chalice, crack a can, and get ready to lick that mfkr clean

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Knavery is an alternative band formed in 2017 by six musicians who met through the local SW Ohio music scene, their style blends elements of emo, punk and experimental indie rock. Carried by vocalist Grey Hawson’s soaring melodic pleas and provoking lyrics, the band's instrumentals weave in between ethereal thoughtfulness and explosive jagged guitar cascades, culminating in intimately powerful musical mosaics. After nearly a decade of being an active band in the midwest, Knavery’s discography includes several EP’s and two LP’s; most recently their 2024 sophomore studio album ’No Matter What’. They are currently in the studio working on their third album.