Site Presented By
Monday, Jul 6, 2009
Courtesy Fresh and Clean Media
Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park, in Chicago, in August.
Radiohead! Kanye! My Bloody Valentine! Dylan! Here's what to catch -- and what to skip -- on the festival circuit this summer.
By Judy Berman and Charly Wilder
Read more: Hip-Hop, Music, Rap, Indie Rock, Punk Rock, Arts & Entertainment, Radiohead, Judy Berman
June 5, 2008 | "Peace, love, and music" was the rallying cry of 400,000 hippies who converged on Yasgur's farm in Bethel, N.Y., nearly two generations ago. Despite the overdosing and overcrowding (not to mention that odd moment when Pete Townshend smashed Abbie Hoffman over the head with his guitar), it remains the holy grail of summer music festivals. So great is our continued reverence for Woodstock that there is now a museum dedicated to its memory.
While this summer's festivals and tours aren't likely to make Woodstock-size footprints on pop-culture history, they may well reveal as much about youth culture as their forerunner did. Spanning such genres as punk, country, world music, folk and hip-hop, the 2008 lineup is nothing if not diverse, reflecting the broad and eclectic tastes of young music fans for whom a new favorite band is never more than a mouse-click away.
Technology is changing the game for promoters, too. Some festivals are communicating with ticket holders via text message, both at the event and beforehand, to announce secret shows, run contests and share schedule updates. The booking process has also evolved. Kevin Lyman, who created and continues to run the Vans Warped Tour, has found that artists who seemed obscure when he booked them often amass a sizable, Internet-based following by the time the tour kicks off. But because blog buzz can instantly rocket a band to the kind of fame that once required years of courting A&R reps and touring tirelessly to build up a fan base, it's also increased the pressure to find the next big thing and discard the last one. Now, promoters must be able to judge the staying power of the acts they choose, knowing that a band that's popular in the winter, when booking decisions are made, may be passé by summer. "Sometimes the buzz on the Internet is so big that it dies out by the time the festival hits," says Pitchfork Music Festival organizer Mike Reed. "Certain acts are pitched to us that would have made sense at the time, but that we didn't think had a shelf life until July."
This summer, as well as banking on bands' staying power, festival organizers must also contend with the recent economic downturn. And though conventional wisdom holds that entertainment and other luxury industries are the first to take a hit during a recession, promoters claim that ticket sales are as robust as ever. Over six weeks before the festival, Pitchfork has sold out of three-day passes, and fans of My Bloody Valentine snapped up the first round of All Tomorrowís Parties tickets (which bear the hefty price tag of $225) mere hours after they went on sale.
"My personal theory is that when people don't have the money to go on vacation, they start looking around at home," says Laura Connelly, program manager for the KCRW World Festival, an idea that many promoters share. Chang Weisberg, who organizes Rock the Bells, believes that consumers are now buying concert tickets with money they would once have spent on CDs. "You can't download the interaction between musician and fan," he points out.
That may be why these events are just as exciting now as they were 40 years ago. All of the digital downloads and webcasts in the world can't match the power of a great live show, whether it's Woodstock or Bumbershoot. So with summer just beginning, we present Salon's 2008 guide to summer music festivals. Rather than trying to create an exhaustive list, we've explored some of the year's biggest and best events, in enough depth to help you decide where to spend your economic stimulus payment.
- - - - - - - - - - - - MEGAFESTIVALS
All Points West Aug. 8-10
Liberty State Park, Jersey City, N.J.
Big names: Radiohead (8/8 and 8/9), Jack Johnson (8/10) Don't miss: All Points West is stacked with bands known for turning out exemplary live performances. If you're into mind expansion, check out the experimental psychedelia of Animal Collective; the band tends to perform unrecorded material, so you may hear songs that won't see release for another year or two. At the pop end of the spectrum is Canadian supergroup the New Pornographers, which combines the talents of A.C. Newman, Neko Case and Destroyer's Dan Bejar. And for those of you seeking nothing more than sweaty fun in the August heat, look out for mash-up maven Girl Talk and manic Brazilian dance-pop outfit CSS.June 12-15
Manchester, Tenn.
Big names: Pearl Jam, Metallica, Kanye West, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, the Allman Brothers Band, Willie Nelson, Sigur Rós Don't miss: In true Bonnaroo form, this year's festival is chock-full of crusty old rockers, but it's the non-sandal-wearing part of the lineup that looks most promising. Solomon Burke's gorgeous, '60s soul chops helped define the sound that would eventually give birth to both modern R&B and rock 'n' roll. His rare festival appearance will be a perfect prelude for a night of contemporary funk. Ozomatli move crowds with their signature blend of salsa, funk and hip-hop-tinged jazz, and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings deliver the kind of airtight, ice-hot soul set that even a detoxed Amy Winehouse can't match. Survival tips: Carpool to the festival and you might win a VIP upgrade. Don't have anyone to carpool with? Join the Bonnaroo Community and find like-minded festival-goers using the
Bumbershoot Aug. 30-Sept. 1
Seattle Center, Seattle
Big names: Beck, Stone Temple Pilots, All-American Rejects, Lucinda Williams Don't miss: If you love Lucinda Williams, meet Neko Case. Her country-tinged ballads are refreshing and intoxicating, like a mint julep on a 90-degree Alabama night. Saul Williams' peerless lyrics fuse underground hip-hop with spoken-word poetry, and singer/songwriter/producer John Vanderslice's recent meditations on post-9/11 life are as insightful as they are melodic. But no one starts a party like the bespectacled, electronic phenomenon that is Baltimore's favorite son Dan Deacon. Bathroom break: Paramore's derivative, emo melodramatics are likely to bore anyone over 18. And let's face it: Jakob Dylan has never really contributed much to music besides his father's quirky good looks and a passable cover of David Bowie's "Heroes." Survival tips: With over 20 stages, attendees who don't schedule in advance may become overwhelmed. Special features: The lineup at Seattle Center's enormous campus includes three comedy stages, North America's largest short-film festival, and a Literary Arts program that boasts appearances by Adrian Tomine, William Gibson and Daniel Clowes, in addition to theater, dance, visual arts and children's programming. VIP perks: Admission to Bumbershoot's programs is on first-come, first-served basis, so standard pass-holders aren't guaranteed seats to any given performance. A Gold Pass promises seats to main-stage shows, as well as access to an air-conditioned VIP lounge, while a Platinum Pass buys all that, plus a reserved spot at any of the festival's many indoor venues. Prices: Three-day pass: $80 before 8/16 or $100 after; Gold Pass $195; Platinum Pass $395; single-day ticket: $35 before 8/16 or $40 after www.bumbershoot.orgNext page: Lollapalooza goes green, rap reunions galore at Rock the Bells
The new bohemians
The summer of (slightly less expensive) love
