Windycon 50: Full Schedule

"Mankind will reach maturity on the day it learns to value diversity—of life and ideas. To be different is not necessarily to be ugly; to have a different idea is not necessarily to be wrong. The worst thing that could happen is for all of us to look and think and act alike." Gene Roddenberry

9:00pm CST

Eric Distad Concert

Friday November 8, 2024 9:00pm - 10:00pm CST

Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Eric Distad, better known as one half of the nerdy comedic duo, The Faithful Sidekicks, has been a performing songwriter for over 20 years. He recently released a brand new CD - The Other Side - full of his more serious solo musical work. Drawing inspirations from The Lord of the Rings, Terry Pratchett, mythology, and more, he presents songs about hope, disconnection, and kindness with a unique flair. He will be joined by the amazing talents of Lauren Oxford, Summer Russell, Jen Midkiff, and Sunnie Larsen to present songs full of rich harmonies and lush sounds.

Speakers

Eric Distad

Music GOH

Eric is one half of the Acoustic Geek-Rock Filk Duo - The Faithful Sidekicks - along with his wife and co-conspirator Jen. The Faithful Sidekicks are an award-winning acoustic comedic filk/geek pop duo who write and perform original catchy songs about SF/F, fandoms, gaming, and technology... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2024 9:00pm - 10:00pm CST
Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Music

10:00pm CST

Open Music

Friday November 8, 2024 10:00pm - 11:59pm CST

Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Friday November 8, 2024 10:00pm - 11:59pm CST
Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Music

12:00pm CST

Court & Country

Saturday November 9, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm CST

Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Court and Country is an acappella vocal ensemble that brings a wide variety of medieval and renaissance choral music to popular audiences. In addition, they have a growing repertoire of filk pieces to share with fellow fans.

Saturday November 9, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm CST
Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Music

1:00pm CST

Studio Panel

Saturday November 9, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST

Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

You find yourself with ideas for some songs or an audiobook. You would love to make that idea become a full-fledged production. But how?

In this panel we'll talk about music production, how songs go from rough demo to full-fledged tracks and what role engineers and producers play. We'll talk about the current state of the music business and the risks and rewards of putting out music and audio tracks in the age of streaming. We'll also discuss what to expect and how to prepare for working with a studio and/or a producer to make your project come to life.

Speakers

Daniel Gunderson

Eric Distad

Music GOH

Bill Roper

David Stowall

Saturday November 9, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Music, Panel

2:00pm CST

Dan the Bard

Saturday November 9, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm CST

Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Dan the Bard writes and performs original songs about D&D, Star Wars, Star Trek, Steampunk, Anime, and general culture. He's performed at the Bristol Ren Faire for 30 years, GenCon for 18 years, and plays numerous ren faires and conventions around the Midwest. 14 albums available at www.danthebard.com. Follow on Facebook! www.facebook.com/danthebard

Saturday November 9, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm CST
Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Music

3:00pm CST

Tom Smith Concert

Saturday November 9, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Riverview Ballroom

Come enjoy a digital concert by returning Windycon favorite, Tom Smith, the world's fastest filker. Tom is always funny and always entertaining. This concert will be streaming digitally due to an unforeseen conflict.

Speakers

Tom Smith

Saturday November 9, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Riverview Ballroom

Music

4:00pm CST

Faithful Sidekicks Concert

Saturday November 9, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CST

Riverview Ballroom

Enjoy our musical guests, The Faithful Sidekicks, in concert. We're delighted to have Eric and Jen Distad as our guests this year as they bring us their original approach to (mostly) humorous geek comedy rock, If you haven't seen them before, you're in for a treat.

Speakers

Eric Distad

Music GOH

Artists

Jen Distad

Saturday November 9, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CST
Riverview Ballroom

Music

7:00pm CST

Lauren Oxford concert

Saturday November 9, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm CST

Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Above all else, Lauren Oxford wants to let you in and make you feel things. Since being Windycon's Music GoH in 2022, the East Tennessee-based singer-songwriter has won a Pegasus Award for Best Writer/Composer (2023), contributed music and art to three albums (Summer Russell's Courage Dear Heart, Jen Midkiff's Finding My Balance, and Eric Distad's The Other Side), and leaned into writing even more about mental health and trauma. If you missed her at Windycon in 2022, or if your idea of a good time is musical group therapy that is also gay and features friends who play harp, violin, and sing harmony, now you know where to be at 7 p.m. on Saturday! Crying and hugs will follow.

Saturday November 9, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm CST
Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Music

8:00pm CST

Beth Kinderman and the Player Characters

Saturday November 9, 2024 8:00pm - 9:00pm CST

Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Beth Kinderman and the Player Characters are a progressive filk-rock band based in Minneapolis. This year at Windycon, they're celebrating the recent release of their seventh album, "Sisyphus: Ten Songs About Hope". Come hear songs from the new record as well as all the classics about myth, transformation, and video game characters who won't sleep with you.

Saturday November 9, 2024 8:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Music

9:00pm CST

Klingon Karaoke

Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00pm - 11:00pm CST

Riverview Ballroom

The Klingon Pop Warrior will host our foray into Klingon Karaoke. Come on down and sing!

Speakers

Klingon Pop Warrior

Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00pm - 11:00pm CST
Riverview Ballroom

Music

9:00pm CST

Open Music

Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00pm - 11:00pm CST

Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00pm - 11:00pm CST
Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Music

12:00pm CST

Musical Improv Demo and Workshop: How to Play Well With Others

Sunday November 10, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm CST

Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

From guitar jamming to drum circles to freeform improv and beyond, there's something special about bringing people together to just make music. But how do you do it?

In this workshop, we'll explore ideas and techniques for making unplanned music together. We'll look at different ways of finding unique things to add to enhance the jam and when to use them, how to start, move, and stop together as a group and more. We hope to have something fun here for everyone whether you are just starting out or a long-time improv fan. Those who bring an instrument (even if it's just yourself) may have the opportunity to participate and have fun making music together.

Speakers

Eric Distad

Music GOH

Daniel Gunderson

Sunnie Larsen

Sunday November 10, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm CST
Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Music, Panel

1:00pm CST

Jen Midkiff Concert

Sunday November 10, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST

Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Jen Midkiff has somehow become a long-time filker, with two decades as part of the filk band Wild Mercy, and three albums with that band, as well as three solo releases of her own.
In her mild-mannered mundane persona, she teaches harp, piano, and voice lessons; teaches harp as part of her local schools' orchestra program; and teaches elementary music two days a week.
In her not-so-mild mundane persona, she is half of the rock duo, Harp & Axe, playing local establishments in her home stomping grounds of central Indiana. Jen loves reading, knitting, and snuggling up with the various four-foots of her Underfoot Clan.

In her concert, she will be joined by musician friends including Sunnie Larsen, Summer Russell, and Lauren Oxford, to lend their voices and instruments to present filk covers and Jen's original songs, especially from her most recent release "Finding My Balance".

Sunday November 10, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Music

2:00pm CST

Summer Russell Concert

Sunday November 10, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm CST

Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Summer Russell is a singer/songwriter and wandering bard who found her home in the filk music community. With memorable melodies and a distinctive acoustic guitar style, she sings powerfully from the heart about stories that move and inspire her, about wonders that are and wonders that might be.

Sunday November 10, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm CST
Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Music

4:00pm CST

Windycon 50 Dead Dog

Sunday November 10, 2024 4:00pm - 9:00pm CST

Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

The con is officially over, but you haven't left yet. So why not come to the Dead Dog and share some more music until you get tired and hungry, or it's time for your flight, or the hotel kicks us all out?

Sunday November 10, 2024 4:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Oakbrook Ballroom 3 & 4

Music