More than any other Valley music festival, Neon Reverb was aimed at locals. While the indie fest, founded in 2008 by James Woodbridge and Thirry Harlin, welcomed its share of popular national acts—The Walkmen, No Age, Wavves, The Regrettes, Jay Som, The Drums, Foxygen and many others played Reverb on their way up—its showcases typically took place on intimate Downtown stages and have always featured local bands. And while Neon Reverb hasn’t been held since a budget-restricted, truncated installment in 2018, its stakeholders vow that it will return, at a time to be determined. Woodbridge explains that he and partners Jason Aragon, Ronald Corso and Mike Henry have a major obstacle to overcome: Rising bands aren’t touring in numbers as they were prior to the pandemic, which needs to happen for Reverb to keep ticket prices low. In the meantime, Neon Reverb will continue to present one-off shows (Phoebe Bridgers’ March 2019 Vegas appearance, as part of Better Oblivion Community Center with Conor Oberst, was a Reverb production) while keeping an eye on touring schedules—and making sure the festival’s good name endures. “I’ve been talking to bands—both local and touring—and music fans at shows, and people are enthusiastic when the topic of Neon Reverb returning comes up,” Woodbridge says. “That definitely energizes our commitment to bringing the festival back.”

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