About
Founder/CEO: David Bash
Executive Vice President: Rina Bardfield
Web Design: Lecompton Alternate
Art Director: Steve Stanley
Graphic Design/Layout for print programs: Jim Horan
International Pop Overthrow (or IPO, as it has affectionately become known) is a pop music festival which has been held for twenty-two straight years in Los Angeles. We have also held IPO for various years in Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco, Phoenix, Detroit, Atlanta, Portland, Nashville, Austin; Vancouver and Toronto, Canada; Stockholm, Sweden; as well as in Liverpool (at the world famous Cavern Club), and London, UK! We even did a special limited edition IPO in Tel Aviv in 2017!
Due to an over-abundance of caution and to do our part in stemming the spread of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and with a great deal of sadness, we had to forgo our entire 2020 season, which would have marked our 23rd straight year in LA, our 18th in Liverpool, and our 6th year in Stockholm.
We are therefore super excited to announce that we have (slowly, carefully, and safely) begun to hold the festival again, starting with 4 cities in late 2021, and have continued to do so throughout 2022 and 2023. Our first stop post-Covid was in Arlington, Texas; at each of our post-Covid stops, the warmth of the response to the festival’s return has been overwhelming, particularly at our triumphant return to Liverpool and The World Famous Cavern Club and Cavern Pub in May of 2022 and 2023!
We have a great line up of cities planned for 2024, including our 20th IPO Liverpool (at the World Famous Cavern Club and Cavern Pub) and our 25th IPO in LA (where the festival first began)!! We hope you will join us, as it continues to become safer to do so.
The locations of the IPO festivals confirmed thus far for 2024 are as follows (subject to change):
Chicago……………………………………..April 19-27, 2024
Liverpool………………………………..May 26-June 2, 2024
Copenhagen…………………………………June 7 & 8, 2024
Stockholm…………………………………..June 13-16, 2024
Los Angeles………………………………..August 2-10, 2024
San Diego………………………………August 16 & 17, 2024
Vancouver………………………………..August 29-31, 2024
Boston………………………..October 30-November 2, 2024
New York……………………………….November 7-10, 2024
Toronto……………………………….November 22-24, 2024
Stay tuned for more 2024 dates and cities to be announced!
Each International Pop Overthrow features between 25-180 of the best pop bands from around the world. Everyone from the bands to the spectators has a wonderful time, and although we’re all exhausted by the end, we part company with one prevailing thought: “I can’t wait to do it again next year!”
The purpose of International Pop Overthrow is two-fold: one aim is to give every worthy band who’d like to play their music in a festival atmosphere the chance to do so, and the other is to bring pop music the attention it so richly deserves. We have made great strides to that end, garnering press in several noteworthy papers and blogs in each city in which we hold the festival, and creating a very positive buzz about pop music within the independent music community. In addition, every artist who plays the festival feels as if they’re part of something fulfilling, being on bills with like-minded artists with whom they can bond, and playing in front of an audience who will “get” their music.
The IPO website will be constantly updated as event particulars develop and change. Please make sure to check the site regularly.
I want to personally thank, from the bottom of my heart, every artist, spectator, advertiser, sponsor, and staff member who has given their time and efforts to be a part of International Pop Overthrow. We couldn’t have done it without you!
All you need do is ask anyone who ventured from near and far to come to IPO if they found the trip worthwhile, and we think you’ll be convinced that International Pop Overthrow is an event that you won’t want to miss! We hope to see all of you at future IPOs.
David Bash
International Pop Overthrow
For Questions about International Pop Overthrow, e-mail David Bash at intlpop@earthlink.net