Coasting Along: Inside the North Coast Music Festival

One of Chicago's most ambitious music festivals kicks off this weekend, much to the delight of hip-hop, electronica and jam band fans across the city.

But behind the scenes of the North Coast Music Festival, Mike Raspatello will anxiously watch as crowds breeze past the gates. Or so he hopes.

"The way the economics work in festivals...it will be hard to make a profit, if anything," he said. "But we felt [North Coast] was something that Chicago was lacking."

Raspatello, 28 and an Oak Park-River Forest High School alum, is one-half of Kingtello Presents, a Chicago-based concert promotions company.

Together with Lucas King, the River Forest native has promoted his share of big name music acts over the past two years, including recent performances by art rock new-wavers Devo and The White Stripes' Jack White side project The Dead Weather.  

But the North Coast festival, which takes place throughout the Labor Day weekend in Chicago's Union Park, is the biggest event of Kingtello's short history, and the self-described "resident marketer and music dork" is more than a little nervous about the turnout. 

"We're sticking our necks out in a major, major way," he said.

They're joining up with several other independent promoters to throw the three-day festival, which has garnered praise for its top-flight lineup of jam, electronica and hip-hop acts, including Moby, The Chemical Brothers, Lupe Fiasco and Umphrey's McGee. 

 "Even considering the range it covers," said the Chicago Reader's Miles Raymer, "there's a much more palpable direction than most of the other festivals in the city."

Raspatello said it's all part of Kingtello's mission of throwing support behind sometimes-overlooked genres — and finding that sweet spot where they overlap.

But the noble goal of attracting international acts, and working with a handful of local talent, isn't without its risks.

The city is already packed with event promoters, from local and established outfits like Jam Productions to corporate behemoths like Live Nation.

So how do you even break in?

"By doing things differently and not being afraid to promote yourself as an independent underdog," he said. "Frankly, we've made a name for ourselves because…we've been more ambitious. Instead of trying to just throw a party, we're trying to create brands."

That ambition includes the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival, an indoor,  wintertime roots music jamboree held annually at the Congress Theater and the Freaky Deaky, a Halloween throwdown starring electronica favorites Chromeo, Boyz Noise and Crystal Castles.

Both events are slated for return engagements at the Congress in Chicago. 

Freaky Deaky 2, featuring Chromeo and Atrak, takes place Oct. 30. A date for the third annual Bluegrass and Blues Festival wasn't available, but Raspatello told Oak Park Patch that the headliners would be Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and bluegrass legend Sam Bush. The full lineup will be announced later this year.

"We aim to work with bigger acts," Raspatello said. "We're making a bigger reach into the industry and taking bigger risks and putting on events that wouldn't happen if we didn't take chances and throw ourselves into it."

The North Coast Music Festival begins Friday at 4 p.m. in Union Park and lasts through Sunday. Information about tickets and the lineup schedule can be found at the festival's website. Click here for a free download of artists featured at the festival, mixed by DJ Duke Supreme.