the first performance video from POW XIV is up! this is very likely the best show i’ve ever run and it means a lot that @premvintageband.bsky.social put so much care into mastering their set to the be the best possible experience next to being there in person.
Group photo. From left to right it's Grant Henry AKA Stemage, Yusef Kelliebrew, Tony Dickinson, Myself, Drew Tomasik AKA Cartridj, and Drew Gibson AKA Lowlander.
Thanks SF! Had fun @ @8bitsf.bsky.social POW event w/ @stemage.bsky.social @yusefkelliebrew.bsky.social @tonydickinsonbg.bsky.social @cartridj.com @drewbertisms.bsky.social. Sound guy @azzydrummer.bsky.social Visuals guy @noukon.bsky.social. MC @emfedex.bsky.social. T Shirt guy @mudkipper.art. also-
https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2026/03-12.html Darren Korb Premium Vintage Aivi & surasshu Miles mokri ZAKU Lacey Johnson siIvagunner Minibosses Family Jules Delorean overdrive slowly crushed Anton Corazza Cheap dinosaurs Gesceap Claire Kwong Drip Daemon core Crashfaster
POW XIV @8bitsf.bsky.social x @magfest.org flyers in hand, these are some of the best flyers i’ve ever seen for a show i’ve worked on
we are also an official GDC partner event, so if you are in town please come through DNA lounge and check out these great acts
#gdc #gdc2026
@dripnet.bsky.social @clairekwong.bsky.social @crashfaster.bsky.social
https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2026/03-12.html
POW XIV at DNA in 2 weeks during GDC!
www.dnalounge.com/calendar/202...
@darrenkorb.bsky.social @aivisura.com @laceyjohnsonmusic.bsky.social @highquality.rip @milesmorkri.bsky.social @supitscarrie.bsky.social @mahn.bsky.social @twirlincurtis.com @nicopriest.bsky.social @magfest.org
Screenshot of a page of the 2026 MAGFest Power magazine. “Masashi Kageyama’s MAGFest story began in January 2012 on a small side stage set up at MAGFest X. Autoscroll - an alter ego of Philadelphia chiptune band Cheap Dinosaurs devoted to covering VGM tunes - played a set that might have set a MAGFest record for most VGM deep cuts in a single performance. In the middle of the set was Just Friends, from Gimmick! for the Famicom (NES). At the front of the crowd armed with an iPhone was emfedex, dutifully documenting the performance as she had done with many chiptune shows before. This video was Kageyama-san’s first exposure to MAGFest. From what I understand, his first reaction upon finding the video was confusion: who was this band? Why were they playing a song he had written decades ago from a game that was never released in their country? Were they trying to pass off his composition as their own? Emily explained the situation - the band was paying tribute to his music. With that understanding a friendship was born that opened a whole new world to Kageyama! The MAGFest crowd was fully aware of the song’s origins - the band had handed out printed copies of their setlist to the audience, complete with game and composer credits. After this clarification, he was genuinely appreciative: Kage-san’s impression was that Gimmick! and his soundtrack was not well received. He has stated that part of the reason why he stopped composing for games “probably had to do with the fact that there was almost no response whatsoever to the work I created.” Yet here there was- a band who had discovered his work, performing it to an audience of enthusiastic VGM fans. What followed was a flurry of Facebook friend requests from Kageyama - starting mostly with the band members but extending to the broader western chiptune and VGM scene. He had found a community of folks making music using video game hardware, and at the same time a pocket of foreigners who were ardent fans of his music.”
I wrote up an account of that story for this year’s @magfest.org Power magazine, featured alongside other Kageyama MAGFest stories from members of @superstrikersband.bsky.social @steelsamurai.bsky.social, and @emfedex.bsky.social.
Digital copy of the magazine:
super.magfest.org/magfestpower...
‼️ SUNDAY MARCH 1 ⚠️
⁉️ PHILADELPHIA📍
8bitpeoples presents BOUNDARY TOUR
with performances from:
NULLSLEEP
CHEAP DINOSAURS
NMLSTYL
DATACATS
UNDERGROUND ARTS in Philadelphia
1200 Callowhill St
$20
6PM doors 21+
An image that patches together four photos of the band Close to Good, with their logo in the center. It is surrounded by a Super MAGFest 2026 themed border.
Next up in XP stage news is Philly based VGM band Close to Good! For over 13 years Close to Good has delivered a performance packed with faithful VGM covers of games like Mega Man, Streets of Rage, Final Fantasy, and DDR! Catch them in XP Stage's new, expanded location this year.
An image of Wilbert Roget, II smiling overlayed on a Super MAGFest 2026 background with the MAGFest 20X6 logo in the back top left.
Our next guest is veteran game & animation composer Wilbert Roget, II! @wilbertroget.bsky.social has earned nearly a dozen awards & nominations for his scores to games like BAFTA-winning Helldivers 2, & Grammy-nominated Star Wars: Outlaws. That's just one of many accolades, learn more at MAG!
An image of Bard City's logo surrounded by a blue themed MAGFest 20X6 border.
Coming to XP Stage this year is none other than everyone's favorite band of bards: Bard City! Bard City is a band FOR BARDS, BY BARDS, who use inspiration from fantasy TTRPGs to bring you comical original songs about their lives and adventures (& local government). Don't miss it!
there’s a few more of each in the remaining content for our nerdcore and chiptune mainstage acts and much more for xp stage but want to encourage more to apply because the ratio is still heavily skewed in VGM especially.
It’s been my dream to get this to MAGFest and then it just pops up out west.
this has def made representation more of a struggle lately. people are scared.
Yeah good question, just a wording slip up I guess. also I think it’s good to know that’s there’s a lot more great acts on XP stage which is where most of the newer acts will be playing.
there’s still DJs and chiptune on MainStage to be announced - I guess last vgm band. And about 20 XP acts on the upgraded stage
XP is getting a huge upgrade too, larger stage and better space to help support growth of emerging talent
An image of The Protomen standing together under the word "PROTOMEN". At the bottom it says "AT MAGFEST 20X6".
The Protomen will debut Act III at Super MAGFest!
Performing ALL THREE ACTS, the whole story, in narrative order. One act per night, catch it all over the weekend!
Also, badges are almost SOLD OUT, and prices increase on Nov 1! So get yours RIGHT NOW! 🎃
super.magfest.org/registration
MAGFest will sell out today and there’s still over 20 concert acts left to announce.
If you are a fan of the music, get your ticket now before the big drop tonight.
Casey Lee Williams sings into a microphone. The image is surrounded by a Super MAGFest 2026 border.
The one and only @caseyleewilliams.bsky.social will be taking the stage at MAGFest! Casey specializes in session vocal recording, performance, and songwriting. She's most known for her work on the soundtracks of Rooster Teeth’s animated online series RWBY - featured since the early age of 13!
A photo of Mega Ran on stage with Hot Rod of the Cybertronic Spree to his left. Ran is pumping his fists into the air, one covered in a Mega Buster replica. The image has a Super MAGFest 2026 border around it.
We're back with today's Super MAGFest main stage feature: MEGA RAN! @megaran.com is a former middle school teacher turned Guinness World Record-holding rapper, DJ, author, and foster father whose music bridges hip-hop, gaming, and education. Don't miss this pioneer of nerdcore at Super MAGFest 2026!
Separate images of each member of The Arkadian (band) side by side with the band name overlaid at the bottom. There is a MAGFest 2026 themed frame around the image.
If you wanted more heavy metal at your Super MAGFest this year, you got it: The Arkadian is coming to melt your faces! 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the project and for the first time in nearly 6 years, they're coming back as a BAND, delivering a high octane performance you won't want to miss!
An image of the four members of Triforce Quartet holding their instruments with a blue MAGFest 2026 border around it.
And now for something completely different: Triforce Quartet at Super MAG! Triforce Quartet is a classically trained string quartet that reimagines the music of video game franchises like LoZ & FF. For MAGFest, they'll present a special collab show ft. guests from their newest album - don't miss it!
An image of the three members of dannyBstyle, hugging one another from behind. Two are smiling toward the camera, one looks incredulously to the left.
Something wicked this way comes: it's @dannybstyle.bsky.social to the Super MAGFest '26 stage! dannyBstyle is the live performance group of game composer Danny Baranowsky (Super Meat Boy, Binding of Isaac). They perform Danny’s compositions as a trio with guitar, bass, and Danny on electric drums!
An image composted of pictures of all of the members of Gunderslam with their logo impost on top and a MAGFest 2026 border around the whole image.
@gunderslam.bsky.social is delivering slammin’ heavy metal video game covers live to Super MAGFest 2026! Formed from solo work, Patrick Gunderson bands together w/Adam Payne, Jake Curtis, Roque Cuellar, Mahn, Stephen Jensen, & Theology! Catch the set covering songs from Hades, Silent Hill 2, & more!
It’s been quite some time too hasn’t it?
Prepare yourselves for shreddage: Danimal Cannon is coming to the Super MAGFest 2026 main stage!
@danimalcannon.com is a VGM composer who has been featured in Pokémon Generations & Minecraft: The Story of Mojang. He's preparing to release his next full length album - including special guests!
A photo of Johnny Gioeli of Crush 40 grinning with his arm extended toward the crowd, a microphone in his hand.
Spinning onto the stage at Super MAGFest 2025 is Johnny Gioeli of Crush 40: Live Band Experience!
For 27 years, Johnny has traveled all over the world performing Crush 40’s greatest hits, usually solo or with a guitarist. Don't miss out on the full band experience at Super MAG!
@thetiberiansons.bsky.social are returning to Super MAGFest - with a concert featuring only music from the greatest fighter plane series of all time: Ace Combat. They'll be joined on stage by Videri String Quartet & The Game Brass - and they're going to take you right into the danger zone!
worked really hard to make this happen - so glad we can finally share
An image of Bit Brigade performing on the Super MAGFest 2025 stage, their logo is on the screen behind them. The image is surrounded by a blue Super MAGFest 2026 frame.
Who else but Georgia legends But Brigade would come to MAGFest this year locked and loaded with an all new set? Get equipped with a run of MMX live on the main stage in January! The real question - will Noah get the secret capsule? Grab your badges and find out! super.magfest.org/registration
