San Jose, CA
May 13, 2026
Indie music company GRAIN is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year alongside the return of the Against the Grain festival. Those performing at the event on Saturday, June 20th includes Stereolab, Pond, the Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, and the Beliar Lip Bombs. To commemorate this occasion, The Music Network has interviewed with the GRAIN founder Chris Langenberg.
Langenberg had just graduated from high school and was in university when he created an online magazine. He wanted to go to music gigs and write about bands he liked that were not getting enough recognition.
The first Against the Grain festival took place in Bakery Lane with 160 shows in Australia and across the globe, with a strong presence in Magandjin/Brisbane. The brand meant a lot to Langenberg and enabled him to start a blog.
During an 8-year hiatus, Langenberg has grown exponentially. There has been a shift in GRAIN’s focus to club nights and the scene around the GRAIN brand taking place in Brisbane. Langenberg felt like he didn’t want to rush the process of the return of Against the Grain.
The Against the Grain festival has been a maverick in terms of filling a space which had not been looked at before. In fact, there has been a lot of uncertainty around the live scene with festivals moving away from the city and venues closing down. This is especially so at cities such as Brisbane and has caused people to feel like they’re being excluded.
Langenberg believes that major events and festivals can misunderstand what their audience wants and can afford. He thinks that it is key that GRAIN is realistic about how to reach their audience. Growth at a small level is possible on a larger scale.
Although GRAIN came from humble beginnings where he was young and experienced, the events helped him grow and thrive. He was really proud of the SILO club night series which featured artists such as Genesis Owusu, Bad//Dreems, The Belair Lip Bombs, RVG, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Phantastic Ferniture, DZ Deathrays, Radio Free Alice and many more. He produced and promoted shows with international artists like Fontaines DC, IDLES, Baxter Dury, Dry Cleaning, Caribou, Alex G and others.
Langenberg is also proud of producing a sold-out show at The Tivoli in Brisbane to raise money for his cancer treatment and the community reaching out to him in a time of need.
He believes that the future of the Against the Grain festivals lies in the hands of the people who produce and promote it.
FAQ section
- How long did Chris Langenberg go on a hiatus for?
- Why is there a misunderstanding between what producers think the audience wants and what the audience actually needs?
- Why did Chris Langenberg want to create an online magazine?
About the Author
