Midwest Music Expo

05/02/2026

The team has worked hard this morning getting everything ready!
Street Fest starts at Noon!

05/01/2026

The Performance Schedule is posted! Visit our site -

Performance Schedule is Here!

04/30/2026

We have updated our website with a printable version of the Festival Map!
https://midwestmusicexpo.com

04/18/2026

We’re building the 9th edition of MMX (Midwest Music Expo). What started as a student-run music business conference here at Millikin has morphed into a vibrant day of arts and community, with our last event clocking nearly 30 bands on two stages. MMX paired the concert experience with local vendors, speakers, artist booths and more.

This year is different.

So many of the Oakwood storefronts are empty, signaling the needs of our community. Music Business teaches us to pivot and respond to the world around us, which is why we are choosing to focus this year's efforts there.

Our plan is to have artists perform across Oakwood on May 2nd, and populate the streets and storefronts with pop ups in a real life ‘artists impression’ of what this creative district could be. We’ve done this before, but this has a lot of moving parts with a lot more at stake than a good gig or great merch sales.

This is real. We need help, and we need you!

Tickets are a suggested donation of $20, Pay What You Want, or Free - we want to see you there and elevate this community!

Bringing people together who do it, get it, and aren’t afraid to share it.

05/02/2025

MmX is TOMORROW!

Our last before the big day:

Jason Pettigrew, who was a senior editor at Alternative Press Magazine ()for 20 years, will be visiting to talk about careers in journalism, his new book with Bloomsbury Publishing’s acclaimed 33.3 series, and more!

Martin Atkins, Music Industry Studies Coordinator at Millikin University, who was a featured speaker at the last 12 will be speaking about opportunities in band merchandising.

In addition to our , 29 performing , and our wonderful , there will be gift certificates, a turn table give away, tie dye printing, axe throwing, and so much more!

We can’t wait to see you there - register at the link in our bio for FREE with code MMX25FREE

04/30/2025

Our next is of our entertainment law professionals!

, is a Chicago attorney and MU alumni. Having been a musician and visual artist, himself, now with a career in law, he’s able to combine his passions of creativity and law to provide excellent legal services to creative professionals.

Dr. Katherine Leo, our very own from SOM, was recently honored with Research and Artistic Achievement Award for her monograph on the history of musical expert testimony, Forensic Musicology and the Blurred Lines of Federal Copyright History, and continues to participate in national and international meetings of Musicological societies.

Mark Blankenship Jr. of Ott Law () of St. Louis currently serves as the Media Law Committee Chair for The Missouri Bar. Having many specializations within law, he has represented musical artists and other entertainers in negotiations with various talents agencies, record labels, and producers both in and out of St. Louis.

We’re so excited to receive the knowledge and information these have to offer!

Saturday, there will be gift certificates, a , tie dye printing, axe throwing, and so much more! One or more of the performing artists will have the opportunity to be featured at the Devon Lakeshow Amphitheater!

We can’t wait to see you there - register at the link in our bio for FREE with code MMX25FREE

04/30/2025

There’s been a terrific response to the announcement of MmX 8, with over 8K views on just one of our videos! People are excited about the artists, but there is an equal depth of talent in the panels and within our speakers:

our keynote speaker, is a Decatur native. He’s had experience as a performing artist, author, educator, and commentator. He is now an Associate Professor of Hip Hop and a Shannon Center Fellow for Advanced Studies at UofV, having earned his PhD from Clemson by submitting the rap album Owning My Masters: The Rhetorics of Rhymes & Revolutions as his doctoral dissertation. We’re so excited for his Keynote, “Hip Hop Can Save America…” �
is the regional representative for Ableton Audio. He’ll be giving a demonstration in Millitrax Studio, the fabulously appointed studio at Millikin’s Perkinson School of Music!

Keep an eye out for more today!

There will be gift certificates, a , tie dye printing, axe throwing, and so much more! One or more of the performing artists will have the opportunity to be featured at the Devon Lakeshow Amphitheater!

We can’t wait to see you there - register at the link in the comments for FREE with code MMX25FREE

04/25/2025

Admission is $20—or free with the code TAQSEMROCKS! Tickets are live, so don’t miss your chance to join us for a day full of inspiration, connection, and incredible music. It’s the perfect opportunity to tap into the vibrant Midwest music scene, and I can’t wait to see you there!

TaQsem, the genre-blending artist, fuses hip-hop, reggae, R&B, and classical influences into a mesmerizing musical tapestry. His latest single, “Love Interest,” is out now—don’t miss his set as one of 29 artists performing across two stages at MMX #8 at Millikin on May 3!

04/24/2025

Admission is $20 or free with a code. Tickets are now available, so make sure to grab yours and join us for a day filled with inspiration and connection. It’s a fantastic opportunity to dive into the vibrant Midwest music scene, and I can’t wait to see you there!
Priscilla Sab is an emerging indie folk singer-songwriter. Their latest release, Why Won’t Time Wait For Me. Plus, she is releasing her CD very soon! She has performed at venues like Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago for the 15x15. Can’t wait to see her as one of 29 artists on two stages at MMX #8 at Millikin on May 3 ! The code for is PRISCILLAROCKS

04/24/2025

Admission is $20 or free with a code. Tickets are now available, so make sure to grab yours and join us for a day filled with inspiration and connection. It’s a fantastic opportunity to dive into the vibrant Midwest music scene, and I can’t wait to see you there! Said Echo is an alt-rock band from Central Illinois, known for weaving melody and riffs through a dense, atmospheric sound. Their latest release, Genesis, showcases this signature style. Very excited to see them at MMX #8 at Millikin on May 3 ! The code for is SAIDECHOROCKS