Illustration by Penelope Dullaghan

The event went on for the better part of two days, and I didn’t see anywhere near all of the artists and workshops. But I did leave with a fistful of free demo CDs, and spent the following afternoon listening to them while browsing Web sites associated with the performers.

What I quickly found was that familiar feeling of intoxicating panic — info overload. As I linked from page to page, reading review after review and streaming song after song, I kept discovering new music and getting that sensation you get when you’re simultaneously inspired and overwhelmed by the vastness of the world you just stepped into. I have a feeling this was the point.

Look for the MEMS to return next year; organizer Scott Kellogg says they intend to bring it back and keep it free of charge, relying on the performers to continue their interest in expressing themselves and deepening the genre.