I know that I personally drove to Lollapalooza last year to be a part of the action. Therefore, I have some opinions on the subject already, but I will base my research on web research and interviews of attendees of such shows. Furthermore, I will use interviews from bands who have played at such festivals, from both the media and my position at WBRU in Providence.
There is a lot more to music festivals than just "the music itself". The people that attend the events create a certain attitude - is there a way to define this intangible feeling? Furthermore, sponsors and vendors create all types of exhibits, games, and other events during the shows. How do these factor in to a concert-goer's experience?
In addition to the thoughts already posed above, some other questions I would like to answer in my project include:
-What makes these particular concerts stand out among all the music festivals in the US?
------What makes them different from regular concerts?
------What makes them different from other festivals?
-What types of people attend these events?
------How many are "repeat consumers"? Do they form a type of community?
------How many are one time attendees? Why do the choose to only go?
-What aspects of premier rock festivals do attendees most enjoy?
-Who organizes these events?
------How do they get the majority of their money? (Ticket sales, sponsors?)
------How do they affect the cities that host them?
-What types of bands play at these events? What has their experience been like?
------Why do many of the same bands attend all of these shows in a particular year?
------How do they change their set from a normal concert? (Besides duration)
Sources:
"Music Festivals" in Music Scenes: Local, Translocal, and Virtual. p149-167.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_festival
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/17492739.html
Extra Stuff:
Bonnaroo's 2009 Lineup!
Girl Talk from Lollapalooza 2008!
Shannon, this topic looks great, and very appropriate for this class. On my first reading I was a little concerned that the scope would be too broad (why not focus on just one festival?), but once I got to your research questions I realized you are really looking to find common themes that cross-cut these events, rather than doing an in-depth study of each one (or any one in particular). For other sources, you might consider looking into some of the scholarly literature on Deadheads (for another perspective on a large community of fans who all tend to travel to the same events). As you proceed, I expect you'll be focusing on a few of the questions you pose and putting the others aside (or you'll have way too much to do). I heard that some of this year's Bonnaroo's bands have a Brown and/or Providence connection (e.g. The Low Anthem) -- maybe something to investigate?
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