NXNE Announces New Festival Director

NORTH BY NORTHEAST (NXNE) welcomes Christopher Roberts as the Festival Director as of April 15, 2013. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Christopher returns to Canada to join the NXNE team from VICE in Brooklyn, New York.

Prior to joining NXNE, Christopher led VICE to become an international brand of cool as the Head of Artist Relations for VICE Records, as well as the Managing Director of the Experiential Department. He helped curate and stage groundbreaking VICE events around the world including The Creators Project featuring various audiovisual installations created by Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, Interpol and more at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the multi-city SCION Garage Rock Festival and the hugely successful VICELAND project at SXSW 2013 featuring Kendrick Lamar, Baauer, Snoop Lion and Ghostface Killah.

While at VICE, Christopher scouted and signed artists including Team Spirit, The Black Lips, Action Bronson, The Raveonettes, OFF! and Pierced Arrows to name a few. He also worked directly with VICE artists including Snoop Lion, Bloc Party, Charlotte Gainsbourg, The Streets, Death From Above 1979 and many more.

"We are thrilled to add Christopher's leadership to the NXNE team. He has been crucial in building the VICE brand worldwide and his diverse experience fits perfectly with our ambitious goals to build NXNE into one of the greatest cultural festivals in the world." said Michael Hollett, NXNE President.

The NXNE Music line-up so far includes The National, Social Distortion, Big Boi, Joey Bada$$, Merchandise, Iceage, Mikal Cronin, Milk Music, Buke & Gase, Mickey Avalon, Supersuckers, Imperial State Electric, Genetic Control, fed Up, Coeur De Pirate, Smif N' Wessun, WHY?, The Soft Moon, Peace, White Lung, DIANA, Nü Sensae, Destruction Unit, Majical Cloudz, Still Corners, Lower, Moon King, Lean Left featuring Andy Moor, Terrie Ex, Ken Vandermark and Paal Nilssen-Love, and Blinker the Star. For the current list of confirmed NXNE Music programming visit www.nxne.com/artists.

The NXNE Spotlight Series will feature FLAG (original members Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, Bill Stevenson, Dez Cadena with Stephen Egerton performing The Music of Black Flag) at The Opera House on Friday, June 14. Calexico will rock the Mod Club on Wednesday, June 12 and Millencolin will perform at The Phoenix on Saturday, June 15. To guarantee admission to any NXNE Spotlight Series show, fans must purchase tickets online at www.nxne.com/tickets.