By Larry Nager
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Amber Brooke and the Amber Brooke Band from Atlanta helped open the MidPoint Music Festival (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, who threw the first pitch at Thursday's Reds-Cubs game, was a no-show. But with crisp fall weather and a Reds win, lots of other people made it to opening night of the 2003 MidPoint Music Festival, as crowds poured into Main Street area clubs for the dozens of local and regional bands in the new talent showcase.

"This is awesome. I've never been to MidPoint before," said Erica Pemberton, 21, of Batavia. A fan of local bands Gardenhose, Spiff and Saving Ray, she was at Jekyll & Hyde's to see Gardenhose and says she'll be back tonight. "We're gonna come all weekend."

For a $10 cover or $25 three-night pass, around 2,000 patrons had access to 15 stages in 13 clubs, including a new tent venue set up east of Neon's. With most clubs just a few yards apart, fast-moving pub trawlers could catch a dizzying variety of music.

Thursday's sounds included strong sets by Detroit pop-rockers Jettison Red at Plush and Indianapolis' high-energy, horn-driven Johnny Socko at Jefferson Hall. Hot local act Buckra drew a packed house at Jeff Hall for its midnight set, while sultry folk-pop band Venus Mission filled the new Moose on Main, the northern-most venue on the street.

There was high-octane blues-rock guitar from Sonny Moorman at Mr. Pitiful's, and Wussy delivered angular, alt-folk/rock at Courtyard Cafe. The Cavern hosted shredding, shrieking heavy metal; Kaldi's was the folk den.

About all they had in common was that all were uncharacteristically packed for a Thursday night in late September.

"This is great," said Mike Cromer, owner of the BarrelHouse Brewing Co. "This is gonna be by far our biggest weekend of the year. Last year, MidPoint was our biggest weekend of the year. Can we do this every month?"

Musicians were everywhere, checking out each other's sets, buying CDs and T-shirts from one another. Justin Jeffre of 98º could be seen at Jeff Hall watching Buckra, while keynote speaker Jody Stephens (who opens the panel/conference segment of MidPoint at noon today at the Crowne Plaza) circulated throughout the street, checking out bands, chatting with City Councilman Jim Tarbell and greeting fans of his band Big Star.

"I love this street, it reminds me a little of Soho," said Stephens, of Memphis. "This kind of festival is a great sampler. It's a great way to hear a lot of different music in a short time."

But Thursday was just a prologue. Tonight and Saturday, from 9-2 a.m., MidPoint kicks into high gear with more acts and atendance projected at 10,000 nightly. For a complete schedule: www.mpmf.com