Music Festivals

[Diego in Seattle]

Smackie, Mikey....your thoughts?

https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/artic ... 786530.php

[Mikey]

It's unfortunate, but I've pretty much aged out of any of that kind of stuff. The restrooms just aren't convenient enough. I wouldn't go to Coachella if you paid me. Yeah I used to go to Dead concerts with 50,000 other sweaty people packed under the hot sun, but it just doesn't appeal to me any more.

That being said, we went to the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival this year. But it's at a beautiful, convenient venue, and we had a table in the front row with table service if we wanted it. We had a great time and will definitely go back next year.

[Smackie Chan]

Could just be that the yoots who attend these shitfests are finally waking up to the fact that the music they’re being fed these days is crap.

[Sudden Sam]

Could just be that the yoots who attend these shitfests are finally waking up to the fact that the music they’re being fed these days is crap.

RACK Smack !

[Screw_Michigan]

Interesting article. I never knew there were so many little festivals and indie concert promoters on the West Coast.

I think simply the post-Covid bubble burst for these promoters, festivals, bands and support staff. Once 2021 came around, everyone wanted to get back to making money on live music and fans wanted to get back into seeing live music. Costs for everything increased astronomically so fast because demand was so high for everything. This is generally why you saw crazy legacy acts like Jennifer Lopez (lol) trying to cash in after 20 years of not performing music, only to cancel tours and fail miserably. Too much money way too fast.

Sucks to read that so many indie festival promoters are losing their shirts. Sounds a ton of them put their hard earned personal savings into these acts of love (basically) and risk losing it.

I've been to plenty of festivals in my time, but never one of the top tier ones like Bonnaroo, Coachella (back when it was focused on rock), Lollapalooza, etc. I did see the smaller sized Pitchfork fest in 2005 (which was incredible),Virgin Free Fest in 2010 and 2011, and the Detroit techno fest from 2003-2014, but those were way different from rock festivals.

[Sudden Sam]

I've been to plenty of festivals in my time, but never one of the top tier ones like Bonnaroo, Coachella (back when it was focused on rock), Lollapalooza, etc. I did see the smaller sized Pitchfork fest in 2005 (which was incredible),Virgin Free Fest in 2010 and 2011, and the Detroit techno fest from 2003-2014, but those were way different from rock festivals.

Was Air France headlining any of those ?

Sorry, had to.

[FiatLux]

I didn't read the article. But the Sierra Nevada music festival. Which isn't in the Sierra Nevada's. It's in the coastal range just North of San Francisco.

I thought that was canceled 6 months ago? And the people that bought tickets didn't get their money back.

Which is fucked up.

That being said.. BottleRock in Napa is still kicking ass.

My friend Dylan's band "MoonAlice" played there. If you get a chance you should check out some of there stuff. He now lives in Petaluma so it's not that far for them to get there.

Outside Lands is going strong. I can just walk to the park for that show.

The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is a great show.

Maybe I should read the article and find out what they're talking about.

[Screw_Michigan]

Was Air France headlining any of those ?

Sorry, had to.

Would have loved to see Air France at one of the techno fests! They weren't around for very long and might not have performed live, if at all.

[Screw_Michigan]

I thought that was canceled 6 months ago? And the people that bought tickets didn't get their money back.

Which is fucked up.

Sure is. Very disturbing to see fans get ripped off by festivals that cancel late. I don't remember this happening prior to 2020 when Covid caused almost all bands to cancel or PPD until a later date and let them see what they could get away with. The enshittification of America hits live music.

[88BuckeyeGrad]

I am in the same boat as Mikey. Big venue events blow goat. I’m done with that sort of thing. No more stadiums (I saw Pink and Billy Joel at stadiums last year - done).

I would go back to Farm Aid or Pilgrim Festival again, maybe. But only if I had VIP tix and I would not stay for the headliners and the crowd chaos that accompanies it. I’d just watch the early acts.

We just saw Kaleo the House of Blues in Cleveland. Great show in a small venue. My kind of show.

And rack SC’s take.