Friday, April 24
Brian Koenig
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm, MGC Main Stage
Brian Koenig (the Baron from Lords of the Trident) has brought the heavy metal to new and original arrangements of classic video game music. Raise the horns to music from the NES, SNES, 64, Playstation and more, all with accompanying game play footage.
https://www.instagram.com/briankoenigmusic/
https://www.youtube.com/c/LordsoftheTrident
The Harrell Bros.
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm, MGC Main Stage
Byte-Off Awards
7:00 pm – 7:45 pm, MGC Main Stage
In the annual NESmaker Byte-Off competition, users are given a month to create a playable demo based on a common theme, and the event culminates in an awards show.
8-bit Autopsy
8:00 pm – 8:40 pm, MGC Main Stage
8-bit autopsy dissects and remixes well-known NES arrangements LIVE with video accompaniment. Arik from Mechanical Life Vein will be slicing and dicing familiar tunes from games based on movies and TV while David from Subspace provides some choice visuals with a retro flair. You can also expect to hear tunes from a handful of NES classics, as well as a few choice selections from relatively unknown NES games from the 80s and 90s.
Arcade Mode
9:00 pm – 9:40 pm, MGC Main Stage
Arcade Mode plays video game jazz music with ripping guitar solos. Catch them playing jazz/rock covers of gaming music or online at https://arcademode.bandcamp.com.
Theology
10:00 pm – 10:40 pm, MGC Main Stage
Hey everyone! I don’t like third person bios so I’m gonna speak to you directly. My name is Theology and I am a VGM Remix producer and DJ from Minneapolis, MN! I’m also a mental health activist and I believe that, if harnessed properly, video games can be amazing for our mental health. Thus, my content ecosystem explores the ideas found within video games and how they can improve us as humans.
I have been DJing and producing for 16 years and I am a veteran of the trance scene (my previous music being supported by Above & Beyond, Cosmic Gate, and Fatum), but I also create every single genre of EDM. My remixes are melodic and beautiful (as video game music is) but I combine this nuance with really uplifting chords and incredibly dirty bass.
You may have seen me recently at 2D Con, VGM Con, or MagFest, and I have also just made collaboration remixes with the likes of Vector U, Player2, Noteblock, Goosaphlute, Stemage, The Limit Breakers, and more. It has been such an honor to collab with so many of my heroes and be a part of this community! The VGM scene truly has the most talented and accepting people I’ve ever met.
Video Game music is special to all of us, and I hope the journey that my music takes you on inspires you in some way shape or form. It’s a weird world out there, so let’s not only escape together, but come out on the other side better-equipped to spread love!
Saturday, April 25
Hot Science
11:00 am – 11:40 am, MGC Main Stage
Hot Science is the electronic music project of Milwaukee based producer/beat wizard Sam Sumner. A fixture in the Milwaukee area electronic music scene, Hot Science has been moving bodies and melting minds for over 10 years with his genre-bending hardware based bangers. With a deep love of and rich history in VGM, Hot Science is overjoyed to be making his MGC debut in 2026.
www.facebook.com/hotsciencemke
www.instagram.com/h0tscience
https://tripleeyeindustries.com/artists/hot-science/
Subspace
12:00 pm – 12:40 pm, MGC Main Stage
Subspace is a collective of video-mixing DJs. We mix music to a wide array of 8-bit, pop culture, and found footage video; cut up and glitchy for a mind-melting AV experience! We spin only the finest and most choice of EBM, Industrial, chiptunes, house, and synthetic beats!
https://facebook.com/TeamSubspace/
Smoothbrain
1:00 pm – 1:40 pm, MGC Main Stage
Smoothbrain is a synthetic humanoid, mechanically engineered in the cold void of space and biologically modified to produce nearly undetectable radiation known only as “smoothwaves”. Not much is known about this subtle wavelength, but it is known to have brain-altering effects.
Aimlessly drifting among the stars, Smoothbrain radiated these Smoothwaves until a cosmic rift tore him from the sky and sent him down to Earth. Now he wanders as a whimsical musician, spreading his neurological radiation through chipstyle music.
https://smooth-brain.bandcamp.com
https://on.soundcloud.com/pBqkY45oACeHt17k6
https://www.instagram.com/smoove.brain?igsh=d2lpMTRtazliOWRl
King Quartz
2:00 pm – 2:40 pm, MGC Main Stage
King Quartz is a Detroit based artist who has been making music since forever, he is estimated to be roughly 700 years old. His sound has been described as “ethereal, transcendent, Donkey Kong meets Final Fantasy, dreary ephemeral nonsense”, according to the internet. His blend of electronic, trap, breakbeat, and chopped and screwed adjacent songs keep people dancing, but they dont know why or what for.
Jackson Parodi and Amaya Sings
3:00 pm – 3:40 pm, MGC Main Stage
Jackson and Amaya, two friends states away, love getting together to make some music for a crowd. With the charm of Jackson’s keys and the versatility of Amaya’s vocals, they will perform your favorite video game, anime, and even pop tunes (sometimes upon request!) Both come to you with years of experience and a love of performance!
Social Media:
Amaya: https://amayasings.carrd.co/
Jackson: https://x.com/JacksonParodi
Gross Angel
4:00 pm – 4:40 pm, MGC Main Stage
Gross Angel is a San Antonio-based alternative hip-hop artist who blends the worlds of hip-hop and nerd culture . His sound channels rapid-fire delivery with inventive production, creating tracks that are both skillfully technical and authentically underground. Whether he’s reimagining a retro theme or crafting an original song from scratch.
https://www.instagram.com/gross._.angel
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2XpMfZ5GwxdzQJxdFDlELr
The Microphone Misfitz
5:00 pm – 5:40 pm, MGC Main Stage
The Microphone Misfitz is an all elements (MCing/Rapping, DJing, Breakdancing, Graff,) Hip-Hop & Nerdcore ensemble. The group was recently featured in the River City Girls 2 video game score and soundtrack with Mega Ran. They have performed at cosplay Expo NV, Fan Expo/Wizard World, Pocket Con, Anime Midwest, Keystone Comic Con, C2E2 & More. In 2018 The Microphone Misfitz became the first Hip-Hop group allowed to tour China since the country banned Hip-Hop. The group has launched Their latest Album/Comic Book Volume 6th. Each album in the series is accompanied with a comic book of the same title.
Instagram
Facebook
The Microphone Misfitz | Comic Books | Chicago, IL, United States
Beaker
6:00 pm – 6:40 pm, MGC Main Stage
BEAKER is a 3-piece band that incorporates the upbeat sounds of modern pop, punk, funk, ska, and progressive rock. BEAKER puts on a high-energy interactive show focused on fast paced dance-able original music. BEAKER injects humor, lighting effects, and crowd interaction into all of its performances.
BEAKER has been very successful in generating a very loyal following in the Milwaukee, Madison, and Chicago areas and has played with several touring acts: Reel Big Fish (LA), Less Than Jake (Gainesville), King Washington (LA), Doyle VonFrankenstein, Radkey (MO), Electric Six (Detroit), La Armada (Chicago), and others.
BEAKER – Squirrel Killer [Cascia Films] – YouTube
MGC Cosplay Championship Finals
7:00 pm – 7:45 pm, MGC Main Stage
Come see one of the most fun Cosplay contests around on Saturday night at 7pm at the MGC Main Stage! With prizes for the best male, female, and group costumes, this is a fun event to watch or participate in! Entry for main categories is free. All participants need to register as contestants during the day. Click more information below for full Cosplay Contest Rules.
Want to be a contestant? This year, we’re pre-judging the entrants to help ensure the smooth operation of our tournament! Stop by our Cosplay HQ on the second floor during the day to register (12pm-2pm or 4pm-6pm). Then return at 6:45pm near the Main Stage to be ready for the finals!
Sunday, April 26
Mike Neumeyer
11:30 am – 12:10 pm, MGC Main Stage
Mike Neumeyer is a musician, educator, and composer based in Milwaukee, WI who has recently been featured by Marimba One, Modern Marimba, Wisconsin Music Ventures, Vibesworkshop.com, Desperate Housegeek Magazine, and Los Angeles Jazz Society!
Mike recently recorded vibraphone and percussion as a guest artist with The Grovelers, Lost Tribes of the Moon, Conundrum, Damien Cockenpot, Teus Araujo, Ukulele Jack and more. His new album named “Starting to Dream” is on the horizon.
Mike is on faculty at Milwaukee Area Technical College, is the co-caption head with The Oak Creek Marching Knights and works with the Oak Creek-Franklin School District as a percussion specialist.
Mike is a Marimba One Educational Artist, a Salyers Percussion Education Team Member and endorses Encore Mallets.
Brian Koenig
12:30 pm – 1:10 pm, MGC Main Stage
Brian Koenig (the Baron from Lords of the Trident) has brought the heavy metal to new and original arrangements of classic video game music. Raise the horns to music from the NES, SNES, 64, Playstation and more, all with accompanying game play footage.
https://www.instagram.com/briankoenigmusic/
https://www.youtube.com/c/LordsoftheTrident
Jamie Demeny's 4-Player Game
1:30 pm – 2:10 pm, MGC Main Stage
Jamie Demeny’s 4-Player Game is a jazz-adjacent VGM quartet from Chicago, IL. Featuring tap shoe-driven percussion, they play bright and dynamic arrangements of the Great Video Game Songbook and beyond. The 4-Player Game released their debut album in mid-April 2026, featuring tracks from Pokémon, Kirby, Yoshi’s Island, and Tekken! Stay up to date at jamiedemeny.com <3
Blu Shell
2:30 pm – 3:10 pm, MGC Main Stage
Hey there! I’m Blu Shell, a DJ from Milwaukee, WI. I craft gaming themed DJ sets that show off a wide variety of genres and styles. You might hear house, drum and bass, dubstep, funk, hip hop beats, or anything else, but no matter what my set will be filled with all the bleeps, bloops, and classic sounds that any fan of games is sure to enjoy. Stop by and get nostalgic with a fresh, modern spin!
Zac Shipley
3:30 pm – 4:10 pm, MGC Main Stage
Death To Chronos! DJ Zac Shipley returns to Midwest Gaming Classic with a mix inspired by Supergiant Games “Hades” and “Hades II!” From the depths of Tartarus to the heights of Mount Olympus, this is the soundtrack to your next run. Hold on to your keepsakes but don’t worry about losing your gold, the full mix will be available to stream or download on zacshipley.com after the show.
