Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Mithun.
Hi Matt, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I grew up between Minnetonka and Minneapolis through high school, then went to college in Middlebury, VT. After college, I spent three years in New York, working in Finance and a few small film projects on the side. I moved to San Francisco, where I worked at Lucas Film, then eventually returned to the financial sector.
I moved back to MN with my family in 2010, and that’s when I got into the live music and festival business. I’ve also been working in Commercial Real Estate, and a unique property came across my radar. A beautiful outdoor venue in Somerset, WI, had fallen on tough times with its future unclear. I ended up acquiring the property and turned its surrounding farmland into campgrounds. That venue is now called Somerset Amphitheater and has been in operation for the last 11 years, hosting a wide variety of music festivals, footraces, auto competitions, and community events.
In addition to Somerset, I also produce an art festival in Minneapolis called Stone Arch Bridge Festival and another art festival in Duluth called Art In Bayfront Park. As for WE Fest, I have been involved with the venue, Soo Pass Ranch, for years, and two years ago had the opportunity to take over operations of the festival.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a smooth road?
Sure, 100% smooth, piece of cake. No, quite the contrary. The music business is famously unpredictable. Like the film, sports, or the restaurant business, it’s something people enjoy, it’s tangible, and it seems like it would be pretty straightforward. But it’s not. The first festival I produced in 2011, I booked it myself, cold-called agents, and walked them through the rebirth of Somerset Amphitheater, all the while working on all other aspects of the festival, including the final improvements to the venue itself. That’s when I realized this business was anything but straightforward. But it is thrilling, and when the show finally comes together, and you look around at the smiles across the audience, it’s all worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve been asked if I play music and if that’s how I got into producing shows. The answer is yes, but with an asterisk. I played the drums growing up and revisited the craft in San Francisco, playing with a band on the weekends. But I was no good. We were a true garage band, practicing in my garage in the evenings after we got home from our respective jobs. But the rest of the band was good, if not delusional (thinking we would break through into something big). I was just there to keep a beat. So I’d call the drums a hobby. Other hobbies I love are mostly outdoors, including skiing, biking, running (transitioning from road to trail as my body ages), and coaching my kids’ sports if they’ll listen.
Any big plans?
While they’re still at home, I’ll hang out with my kids as much as they let me. As for business, it’s been a busy couple of years, and fingers crossed that the work pays off. For WE Fest, that means bringing the best outdoor music and camping experience in the world to our fans.
Contact Info:
- Website: wefest.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wefestmn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wefestmn
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/wefestmn
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4l4mIQVZ75zJxrkhTXWv2g
Image Credits
Aly Goelzer
