The Musical Festival Debate
Has Pitchfork and festivals like it killed the "summer tour"? Would you rather these festivals or the old method?
Wes Soltis - I like the method they work in currently. I understand the main complaint about the festival circuit in its current form is that certain bands sign contracts that will not allow them to play any other shows in the area for a certain amount of months, causing many fans who can’t afford an expensive festival ticket to miss out on their favorite act. However, many of these bands play after parties that you can catch them at. And while they may play a shorter set at a festival – the idea of buying a single day ticket is completely plausible. While the summer tour is nice (and completely existent), I like the idea of seeing a great amount of bands over the course of three days over seeing one of your favorite bands playing a longer set.
Mark Steffen - But what about the rest of the country? Yes, I live in New York and you’re in Chicago, so we have no problem catching huge festivals. We also don’t have a worry about checking out any smaller shows, for that matter. But the majority of the country lives in medium-sized cities: Omaha, Iowa City, Carbondale, Detroit, etc. A lot of the larger acts don’t even require a “summer tour” since there are so many festivals, which leave people in these sorts of cities (who can’t afford to take 3 days off to drive out and see a festival) up a creek. And what ever happened to that idealistic “traveling the country on tour” vibe? Doesn’t the festival circuit, with its big names and bright lights, subject this idyllic “band on the run” lifestyle to a rapidly lessening value? If there’s one thing Zooey Deschanel (a la Almost Famous) has taught me, it’s that you’ve gotta run to grab those dreams and those experiences; not play 5 shows per season or simply purchase a 3-day pass and use up all your vacation days.
Wes - I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as you make it seem, though. Sure some of those acts may not go on tour, but the vast majority of them do. And if they don’t go on tour in the summer, they will quickly be around in the fall or winter. And I’m willing to bet bands themselves prefer this route. They play one night and get seen by probably more people that would see them on a smaller venue tour. Plus, how many bands do you see at a festival, or check out a band just because they are right in front of you that you would never go see at their solo show?
It probably is very different for people around other parts of the country (although I think every place in the United States has a festival within a reasonable driving distance). And really, a three-day vacation to Chicago or New York to attend a music festival sounds like a pretty nice vacation to me.
Mark - Point taken (when it comes to summer and people taking vacations/being in this mode anyway). But we haven’t even touched on the idea of artistic integrity. I know I enjoy seeing bands on smaller stages and almost any artist I’ve talked to, when it comes down to where they enjoy playing, it’s small stages. You can make the case that it’s more beneficial to play the big stages, but there’s something lost in the packed crowds and anthemic stages of today’s festivals. To me, it’s like watching a movie that is slightly out of focus and wondering the whole time whether that was an intentional effect or not. Not to mention my good time being spoiled by the scent of most festivals; why can I never get away from the guy who bathed in patchouli?
Posted by Wes Soltis on Jul 16, 2009 @ 1:00 pm