MadLab Theatre’s eighth annual Volatility Festival will take place on July 18 from 2:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. With live music, stand-up comics, improvisational theater groups, belly dancers, films, and a silent art auction, it’s a heaping helping of local creative culture.
All proceeds from Volatility benefit MadLab, a volunteer-run nonprofit theater that produces all original material. Chris Bair has been one of Volatility’s main organizers since its inception. “It takes a lot of people to make MadLab work, and a lot of money for upkeep,” he said. He expects around 400 people to attend this year’s festival and hopes to raise between $5,000 and $7,000 for the theater.
Chris is excited that this year’s festival will feature live theater and new performing acts. “I don’t think there’s any other event quite like this in Columbus,” he said. “We actually show you what theater is all about.” Chris also plays in the beloved alternative country/rock band Silo The Huskie, which will play a long-awaited first show in six years on Saturday night.
Volatility will be held outside in MadLab’s parking lot and inside of the theater. The schedule is as follows:
Outside
- 2:00: The Shazzbots
- 3:00: Captain Exploder
- 3:45: The Garrison
- 4:30: Hotel War
- 5:30: Bicentennial Bear
- 6:30: Hotel Eden
- 7:30: Deerhead
- 8:30: Silo The Huskie
- 10:00: The Receiver
- 11:00: Ghost Shirt
- 12:00: Bozniaks
Inside
- 2:00: Film
- 2:30: Parlor Tricks
- 3:30: Fake Bacon/The Shimmy Shake Project
- 4:30: Film
- 5:00: Belly Dancers
- 6:00: Stand-Up Comedians
- 6:30: Squishy Theatre Troupe
- 7:00: Film
- 7:30: Belly Dancers
- 8:00: Sean Somerville
- 8:30: Full Frontal Nudity
Admission to Volatility is $5. MadLab is located at 105 North Grant Avenue. Visit madlab.net for more information.
Alexandra Kelley writes about music for Columbus Underground and can be reached at alexandra477.com.