Treasure Fest III, a fringe-leaning music festival taking place on May 17-18 at various Plaza Midwood venues, announced its initial lineup today.

Among the indie and underground acts performing at the third annual event are Franz Nicolay, Whatever Brains, Yardwork, Center of the Sun, Chalkies, Pullman Strike and Late Bloomer. The final lineup will feature more than 50 metal, hardcore, punk and indie-rock bands from up and down the east coast, including a heavy representation from the Charlotte area. Venues include Studio 1212, Twenty Two, Common Market, Lunchbox Records and Snug Harbor. Tickets are $25.

Treasure Fest was started by Joshua Robbins, the founder of the Charlotte indie label Self-Aware Records in an effort to foster the local music scene and provide bands with an effort to network with similar artists.

Franz Nicolay (N.Y.- ex Hold Steady)
Old Flings (Asheville, N.C.)
Just Die! (Asheville, N.C.)
Mike Bell & the Movies (Pa.- ex Algernon Cadwallader)
Band Name (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Amanda X (Philadelphia, Pa.- members of Bandname)
Family Cat (Richmond, Va.)
Campaign (Atlanta, Ga.)
Muscle & Bone (Asheville, N.C.)
Radio Reds (Greensboro, N.C.)
Kicking Spit (New Brunswick, N.J.)
Nuclear Santa Claust (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Red Collar (Durham, N.C.)
Restorations (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Big Awesome (Bluffton, S.C.)
Means Well (Asheville, N.C.)
Brick Mower (New Brunswick, N.J.)
Black Wine (New Brunswick, N.J.- ex Ergs, Hunchback)
Sea of Storms (Richmond, Va.- ex Mouthbreather)
Olde Tigers (York, Pa.)
Manic (Atlanta, Ga.)
Wymyns Prysyn (Atlanta, Ga.)
Whatever Brains (Raleigh, N.C.)
Sundale (Johnson City, Tenn.)
Almost People (Raleigh, N.C.)
No Tomorrow (Wilmington, N.C.)
Death Panels (Columbia, S.C.)
Rubrics (Greenville, S.C.)
Old Wounds (N.J.)
Manalive (N.J.- ex Kill Your Idols)
Dead In the Dirt (Atlanta, Ga.)
Rapturous Grief (Atlanta, Ga.)
Out Crowd (Atlanta, Ga.)
Test of Time (R.I.)
Retina (Greensboro, N.C.)

And the locals:
Yardwork
Center of the Sun
Pullman Strike
Stepdad SS
Chalkies
Rogue Nations
Secret Hospital
It Looks Sad...
Late Bloomer
Oddczar
One Another
Motel Glory