Malcolm X Abram at cleveland.com broke the news on Monday: Wax & Tracks Fest is getting a live performance of Funkadelic's Maggot Brain in its entirety on September 19 at The Vinyl Groove Records. Local band Apostadelic will take the stage at noon. A limited Midwest-exclusive vinyl variant — 600 copies, mastered from the original 1971 tapes and cut direct to lacquer — drops September 11 at 25 independent record stores across six states.
I've been holding this for almost half a year. It feels good to finally just say it.
On March 3rd, Cecilia Wolfe (The Vinyl Groove Records) shared a spreadsheet with me. Subject line: "Maggot Brain Store List." That was the moment this went from David Wolfe (The Vinyl Groove Records) having a variant idea to me having a job to do.
David's vision was the record. My job was everything around it. I built out the interest form to gauge which independent stores wanted in. I wrote and sent the outreach emails to every shop on that list, followed up, confirmed orders and tracked responses. David worked his relationships on the store side. I worked the coordination layer. Between us, we got 25 independent record stores across Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Pennsylvania to commit to a Midwest-exclusive pressing of one of the most important guitar records ever made. The Vinyl Groove included.
Then I wrote the copy and built the landing page found here. Got on a call with the distributor to talk logistics when it came time to ordering. Talked with Org Music directly to make sure we were representing the release the right way. Wrote two different versions of the press release, waiting on news until the last minute to decide which one to send (don't ask). Built a small icon into the corner of The Vinyl Groove Records homepage to promote presale. All while scrambling with the timing as it went public.
This was happening in the background while we were also building the festival itself.
The live performance was my idea. I reached out to Mikey Silas and pitched a full album performance of Maggot Brain at the festival. He loved it immediately. From there, Mikey and I riffed on what it would actually look like — who he wanted to pull in, what the vibe needed to be. Mikey, Cecilia and I got on a call together and that's where the name Apostadelic came from, a mashup of Apostle Jones and the spirit of early Funkadelic. Mikey drove the lineup.
The noon timing is deliberate. Cleveland's Maggot Brain radio tradition started at 3:30 a.m. on WMMS in 1976 and has lived just before midnight on WNCX ever since. Noon felt like the right answer to that.
When Malcolm Abram's story came out, I found out he had reached out to Mikey directly. Nobody looped me in on that. For Mikey, that's probably just Tuesday. He's well known in Cleveland and the press finds him. For me, seeing that story go live and reading Mikey quoted on cleveland.com about something I helped make happen was genuinely rewarding in a way I wasn't expecting.
I spent years in advertising and sponsorship before starting Great Life's Work. Some of that time was selling ads for an internationally distributed counterculture music publication. Getting back into music through my own business, doing real work that contributes to real cultural moments in a city I care about — that's not a small thing to me.
Getting on a call with a distributor to talk logistics for a limited vinyl pressing of a 1971 Funkadelic record felt like being back. Not back like nostalgia. Back like I belong here.
If you're new here: Wax & Tracks Fest is a free outdoor music festival centered on independent record stores, live music and local vendors. It runs 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on September 19 at The Vinyl Groove Records, 5100 Pearl Road in Old Brooklyn, Cleveland. I built the festival website too, for the record.
Year one had Culture Clash Records, Mistake by the Lake and Vinyl Underground all under one roof. Live music across multiple genres. Vintage clothing, plants, handmade goods and food trucks. A dedicated kids area called Little Grooves where families decorated records and made art while the grown-ups dug through crates. Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present & Future and PanCAN both had a presence on the ground.
Year two is bigger. More record stores, more artists and a Maggot Brain performance that nobody saw coming when this thing started as a sidewalk sale.
Every dollar raised goes back into the event. That has been the deal from day one and it hasn't changed.
Full lineup, record shop list and vendor info at waxandtracksfest.com.
Wax & Tracks Fest is September 19, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at The Vinyl Groove Records, 5100 Pearl Road, Old Brooklyn, Cleveland. Free admission. The limited Midwest-exclusive Maggot Brain variant drops September 11 at 25 independent record stores. Full store list and presale info at thevinylgrooverecords.com.
More artists and record stores still to be announced.
What is Wax & Tracks Fest?
A free independent music festival co-founded by David and Cecilia Wolfe of The Vinyl Groove Records and Jessie Kelkenberg of Great Life's Work. Now in its second year, it runs September 19 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 5100 Pearl Road in Old Brooklyn, Cleveland.
Who is performing Maggot Brain at Wax & Tracks Fest 2026?
Apostadelic, a Cleveland psych-soul-funk-rock group led by Mikey Silas, will perform the full Funkadelic Maggot Brain album live at noon on September 19. The noon timing is a nod to the 50-year Cleveland radio tradition of playing the record late Saturday night.
What is the Maggot Brain Midwest Exclusive vinyl variant?
A limited color vinyl pressing of Funkadelic's 1971 album, coordinated by The Vinyl Groove Records and available only through 25 independent record stores across Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. Only 600 copies pressed. Drops September 11, 2026.
Is Wax & Tracks Fest free?
Yes. Free admission. Outdoor and in-store stages, independent record shops, local vendors.
Where can I get the limited Maggot Brain pressing?
At any of the 25 participating Midwest independent record stores. Full list at thevinylgrooverecords.com. Festival attendees can also pick up copies on-site September 19.
