Team Dresch at ‘Mo-Wave 2013 (Image: CHS)

The second queer powered ‘Mo-Wave Festival is coming to Capitol Hill for five days of art, interpretive works and music of the LGBTQ community through over 20 artists and performers, as well as some new surprises to keep things fresh.

“There’s been a lot of growing pains,” said organizer and performer Seth Garrison. “We’ve upped our game.” Looking to build on the success of the first Mo-Wave Festival in 2013, this year’s event will showcase three national headliners to kick out the queer jams: Christeene, Justin Vivian Bond and Zebra Katz. However, it’s Capitol Hill musicians who will boast the largest presence at the festival.

The music portion of Mo-Wave will run at Chop Suey (April, 11, 12 and 13) with a festival launch at Summit Ave’s True Love Art Gallery on April 10th.

Many of the performers — like the world famous Tacocat —  come from the neighborhood and they along with organizers are looking at the festival as an opportunity to do more than just party. Organizers say ‘Mo-Wave is serving an extra message of strength this year after a spate of hate-crimes in the area (see here, and here) as well as the Neighbors arson.

The queer community of Capitol Hill is what defines the neighborhood and is the reason people patronize the local establishments, Garrison tells CHS. “It’s time to take back the neighborhood.”

Event organizers would like to see the festival grow into a full-fledged center for LGBTQ styled events as well as create an online and print publication dedicated to queer art.

“Essentially, our goal is to continue to spotlight the fact that being a weirdo is often advantageous and can change the world,” the Mo-Wave FAQ reads.

(Images: Mo-Wave Festival)

Though the festival has established itself on the Hill, its inception happened downtown at the closing house performance at Queen Anne’s Fun House during the Seattle Gay Pride Festival. Garrison performed and connected with Chop Suey’s Jodi Ecklund, who helped pioneer the festival. “When we found out the Funhouse was getting torn down we started calculating how to create a new space void of corporate creepiness and full of punk rock goodness,” Ecklund tells the Huffington Post.

This year’s goodness starts April, 10. The week’s full event roster below.

• ‘Mo-Wave! Kick off and gallery opening – April, 10 at the True Love Art Gallery: Brian Britigan, Brian Kenny, Frank Correa, Frederic Fleury, Michael Horwitz, MKNZ, Narcissister, Slava Mogutin, Zackary Drucker.
• ‘Mo-Wave! Friday Night – April, 11 at Chop Suey: Death Metals, Dust Moth, Hot Fruit, L’Orth, Ononos, Christeene. Hosted by Queen Mookie
• ‘Mo-Wave! Saturday Night – April, 12 at Chop Suey: Zebra Katz, Boy Funk, Half Breed, Hot Tears, Hypnotits, Palo Verde, Sashay, Spear & Magic Helmet (A Gits Tribute Band), Tacocat. Hosted by Ade (JUSTIN ADD accent over the e in Ade)
• ‘Mo-Wave! Pony Salon – April, 12 at Pony: S (Jenn Ghetto), Tenderfoot, Lonesome Leash, Jordan O’Jordan
• ‘Mo-Wave! Sunday Night — April, 13 at Chop Suey: Carletta Sue Kay, Night Cadet, Belles Bent for Leather, Glitterbang, Your Heart Breaks, Logan Lynn
• ‘Mo-Wave! Performance Exhibit – April, 18 at Velocity Dance Center: Matt Drews ft. Kyle Bernbach, Seth Tankus, Kt Shores, Juan Franco + Joshua Taylor, Gender Tender, Elby Brosh, Ariana Bird + Chelsea Rodino, Dylan Ward + James Kent, MKNZ, Paris Hurley