It's that time once again - Faded fest, Pittsburgh's largest local music festival, will be hitting Station Square this weekend, boasting over 70 local artists in a single location. In anticipation of Saturday's show, we linked up with festival organizer Isaac Holeva to get the details


So when did Faded Fest first start, and what was the idea behind it?

2008 was the very 1st year for Faded Fest. It began as an image in my mind when patronizing Matrix Nightclub. It was divided up into 4 separate rooms that all had a unique feel and I immediately wanted to do a show there with something different in each of those rooms. I wanted to bring together all styles of music under one roof and Faded Fest was born. The 1st year had only 30 acts on 4 stages.


How many artists are participating this year? Any artists you're particularly stoked about?

There will be anywhere between 70-90. We are doing something new and unique this year with an outdoor open stage early in the day so that performers who would like to do a song but could not meet fest requirements will still have that opportunity. My top picks for this years performers are all mostly featured on our main stage in Saddleridge but I am excited for everyone. It's nice to see all the different styles of music come together for the love of music!


Each year the event has a unique combination of venues/stages, what will be the setup this time around?

This year we are back at the Station Square complex using Saddleridge, Barroom, Beach Club and all their outdoor decks. When you 1st enter the festival grounds you will be immersed by vendors and band merchandise. There are Tattoo artists and Fire Dancers etc this year. As far as the stages are concerned Saddleridge will be our "Main Stage", Barroom will be mixed genre bands, Beach Club has 2 Hip Hop Stages. Our outdoor stages consist of a DJ Stage and also a mixed genre stage with some great surprises.


What's the biggest challenge of putting together something of this magnitude?

I would say that communication with all of the individual artists is quite the task. Twitter and other new technology has definitely helped that but it is still a bit tricky.


After all these years, what are some of your favorite Faded Fest performances? Any memories or stories that stand out?

Some of the best stories I have are usually AFTER Faded Fest but of course I have highlights. I am always excited for what Pittsburgh Heat Hip Hop Dance Company has in store for us. They always put on a show stopping performance. I have loved doing this event and can't wait for the years to come!



To give a better idea of what you can expect, check out our video coverage from last year's Faded Fest below!





For more information on Faded Fest, check out www.fadedfest.com