Two rock acts come to the stage as Hest makes his Wolf Trap debut and Vienna’s own Luke Brindley Band returns to The Barns.

Ari Hest is a pioneer in the “do-it-yourself” music-producing field, developing innovative ways to share his down-to-earth songs and poignant lyrics with the masses.

While growing up in the Bronx, Hest taught himself the guitar by listening to a variety of artists including Paul Simon, Pearl Jam, and Dave Matthews. After touring throughout the East Coast, Hest came out with two self-released albums, Coming Home (2001) and Story after Story (2002) before signing with Columbia Records. His next two albums, Someone to Tell (2004) and The Break-In (2007) were well-received. Meanwhile, Hest continued to release self-produced EPs that experimented with form and delivery. His album The Green Room Sessions (2006) was recorded on his laptop using the computer program, GarageBand.

At the start of 2008, Hest challenged himself to write 52 songs over a 52-week period. Every Monday, a new song is released on his website, www.arihest.com, and available for download to subscribers. It is an experiment with how music is released to the public, and possibly a sign of things to come. In a Blender magazine article in June 2008, Hest said he thinks the traditional “album” is dead: “I do feel like people are going to start doing similar things to what I'm doing, if not the same thing, where you subscribe to some sort of service, much like cable TV. Maybe I'm getting a head start.”

At the end of the project, subscribers will vote on their favorite tracks to include in the album, although quarterly digital albums, Winter, Spring, and Summer Songs from 52, are already available on iTunes. By September 2008, Hest had over 1,000 subscribers receiving weekly songs via his website. His single, “The Weight,” was included on USA Today’s “Listen Up Music Pick” in August.

Hest recently appeared in Denver during the Democratic National Convention as part of the “Get on the Bus Fest.” His ability to mobilize fans online combined with his skills as a musician and songwriter make him an artist to watch in the coming years.

—Teresa Weaver