Cropped Out
Started in 2010 by Ryan Davis and James Ardery. Eight editions of Cropped Out were hosted (From 2010 - 2014 and 2016 - 2018), seven of which hosted at American Turners. The 2011 edition would be hosted at a DIY space known as The Crummy Den.
The festival stays true to this ethos, presenting independent bands and a general DIY scene in an intimate, affordable setting. The primary genres featured in the festival are Indie rock and post-punk, but expands into other genres such as folk, avant-garde, free jazz, hardcore punk, noise rock and even hip-hop and alternative country. Cropped Out has close ties with Drag City Records, Thrill Jockey Records and Sophomore Lounge among other independent labels.
Since 2012 the venue would host the main festival at American Turners, along with opening and closing parties at different local bars and venues such as Nachbar and Kaiju. Since 2013, on-site camping has been available to ticket holders for a camping fee. Since 2016, Cropped Out has partnered with Against the Grain Brewery in Louisville to produce Hopped Out, the official beer of Cropped Out. Notably, on the emphasis of local artists, Cropped Out has hosted rare performances by Louisville bands and musicians such as Papa M, The Endtables, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (performing Superwolf with Matt Sweeney), The Belgian Waffles! and more. Along with the festival several touring shows would take place in Louisville promoted by Cropped Out.
Cropped Out aims to celebrate a select fistful of contemporary musicians, artists, and artisans whom we feel reflect a greater undercurrent of sonic, visual, and conceptual exploration. It is our intention to turn heads toward the talents of those often omitted, overlooked, or cropped out of 'the big picture'. These are the minds most interesting to us, the minds most capable of emerging from and quickly returning to their lightlessness, if only to be briefly met by a niche appreciation...The fest is designed to highlight the creative efforts of Louisville natives, friends, family, and fellow thinkers from Nashville to Chicago to Brooklyn and beyond.