High speed winds and fair temperatures couldn't keep the crowds away from Steak & Cake's first ever music festival. All day fans of local indie rock gathered together on lawn chairs and blankets with a picnic or a slice of pizza from Zetti's to watch some of this city's best musicians rock the tiny stage of the Bidwell Indie 5000. What started off as a lo-key affair during the early hours of the day gradually grew into something bigger when the Elmwood Arts Festival ended, and by the time the musical witch doctor Sound Shaman hit the stage, the place was packed & looking more alive than ever. To give you an idea of the magic that was the Bidwell Indie 5000, we've listed some highlights from some of our favorite performances of the day.

The Mordaunt Sisters
There couldn't have been a more appropriate group for the early hours of the festival than this 5 piece horror folk band. The Mordaunt Sisters provided a creepy but provocative brand of Americana was nothing short of captivating and created an eerie atmosphere that matched perfectly with the warm but still overcast weather.

Badmilk
This Western New York trio blended elements of jazz, country and of course, indie rock into a one schmorgesborg of sound that was both charming and groovy. lead singer Brendan McCarthy has an interesting voice that teeters between a yelp and an high pitched grunt that's not easy to forget. In a lot of ways they reminded us of Tapes'n'tapes who will be visiting Buffalo later this month.

Love Scenes
Not exactly a stranger to our blog, the electronic dance duo Love Scenes provided a loud trancy set that felt fresh with new originals. The opening song "Enigmatic", a thumping new number with foot stomping bass, literally lifted people off their feet while the closing cover of Girls "Lust for Life" had everyone wanting more.

The Andrew J. Reimers Country-Punk Extravaganza
One of the Buffalo acts that has been alluding us, TAJRCPE (that's alot easier and faster to type) was exactly what I was hoping they would sound like:  an Uncle Tupelo esque throwback to the heyday of the modern alt-country genre.  Whiskey soaked bravado and twang fueled their set as the sun began to go down over the park.