The first annual Modest Music Fest will bring live music and food to downtown Moscow for people of all ages.

Hosted by Humble Burger, the festival will feature 35 different bands hosted as several venues, including Humble Burger, Last Frontier Pizza Co. and Mikey’s Gyros. The featured band is Boise’s Built To Spill.

Nate Wolff, owner and manager of Humble Burger, said he booked most of the artists for the festival with the help of Idaho-native, and swamp country musician Bart Budwig, who has been touring for years. Their joint efforts combined to choose diverse artists from various genres: garage rock, hardcore instrumental, folk, indie rock, country and hip-hop.

One World Cafe will be one of the venues for the festival, as well as a spot for visitors to grab some food and coffee, said One World Cafe barista Chris Liston.
The musicians playing in the festival come from Boise, Spokane, Seattle, Portland and everywhere in between, providing a variety of live music choices for the audience to enjoy, Liston said.

The festival serves as a platform for young bands to play live music in Moscow, Wolff said.

Having a long history in music and the arts, Moscow has developed into a unique town, he said.

“I would like to see Moscow be a place for bands to play as they are passing through, to help expand the music scene and give artists more exposure,” Wolff said.

The Modest Music Fest is more than food and music for locals, but is also a networking platform in the Pacific Northwest for musicians, Wolff said.

“The goal is to keep the festival small and local, but we’re hoping to get the ball rolling gradually to make this an annual event,” he said.

This event provides a great opportunity for businesses to get some traffic, Liston said, but it is also lucrative for the community’s enjoyment of downtown Moscow.

“This event is important to the community because it will be held on a cornerstone on Main Street and will add lots of camaraderie to the city,” he said.

Liston said this festival will be great for people from larger cities, describing the event as taking place in “Moscow’s living room.”

The Modest Music Fest is a two-day event, from 9 – 11 p.m. Saturday and from 1 – 11 p.m. Sunday. The event will take place at various locations in downtown Moscow. Wristbands for the festival are $30 and can be purchased online at Humble Burger’s website, or at the restaurant.