Southwest Emo Fest debuts June 13 at The Rosetta Room

The first Southwest Emo Fest is happening this Saturday, June 13, at The Rosetta Room in downtown Mesa. The first annual, all-ages event kicks off at 3 p.m. and features 10 bands.

Fest founder Alexis Edmonds says she has been planning it since last December.

"The idea just kind of came to me while talking about my love of emo music, as well as live shows. I wanted to create a festival for the musicians right here in our community who are pushing the boundaries of emo and alternative music, while being inspired by the artists that we love within the genre," she says.

Edmonds is a licensed music therapist and musician — her band Juice the Sun is on the bill — and like many people right now, sees a heightened need for creative endeavors.

"I think, especially right now, it's important to celebrate the arts and be in the community together, so I hope this event will offer both the musicians and the patrons a chance to do that," she tells us.

Representation is another important factor in her planning, she explains, especially as someone who grew up in the scene.

"Another thing I'm excited about for this festival is the diversity of musicians that will be on stage. Six of the 10 bands have women in them, and there is a wide range of racial diversity, which is not what I experienced when going to local emo and hardcore shows as a teenager. I hope that representation will encourage everyone to feel welcome in the space, as well as explore making music and getting on stage themself if that's of interest to them."

And, of course, she wants everyone to have a blast.

"Most of all, I want Southwest Emo Fest to be a celebration of our scene and a way to bring people together while finding new music," she adds.

Here are the bands performing at Southwest Emo Fest:

• Bite The Hand
• Sundressed
• Cause Of Depression
• Betting On The End
• Worried
• When We First Met
• The Maybe Next Years
• MFGLOOM
• Juice The Sun
• Salt River Suburbia

Doors open at 2:30, music at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.