Dowd et. al. begin this chapter by comparing everyday concerts to weekly church services. By this comparison a music festival becomes a pilgrimage destination , for both this pilgrimage and a religious one have the ability to “profoundly transform attendees”. They note the fact that festival organizers must choose who fits the festival, and at what times these groups can perform, creating whatever scene they want, instead of allowing boundaries to form “organically”.
Festivals can change the music industry from outside their own borders; perhaps by reviving a dying genre or causing a band to become more mainstream (which can be a positive or a negative contribution depending on your viewpoint).
The article then compares the Yaddo Music Festival (Classical music from 1932-1952), the Michigan Womyn’s festival (1976-present), and Vans Warped Tour (1994-present).
Important Quotes:
“Drawn together from geographically dispersed locations and away from the expectations of everyday life, fans and performers can immerse themselves in a particular culture and experiment with different identities.” (149)
“It also demands commitment from attendees, as they must be willing to immerse themselves in festival culture, as well as make arrangements for travel, vacation time, and attendance fees.” (149)
Brant, Marley. “Join Together: Forty Years of the Rock Music Festival.” Hal Leonard Corporation; 2008. p. i-1,239-251.
In this recently published book, Brant looks at the history of Rock Music Festivals very in-depth, including Woodstock, Ozzfest, Altamont, Live Aid, Vans Warped Tour, Lollapalooza, Coachella, Bonnaroo, and many others. (Personal Note: Wow, I’d love to go to all of the festivals she mentions in the 294 page of this book.)
The book begins by describing the community that rock festivals can form, and how different aspects may change over time, but how many aspects remain the same. He states that most of the participants are under 25, or “young at heart.” Brant talks about festivals that are broadcast on televisions, such as Ozzfest or Live Aid, but my topic is already large enough, and I have decided to not talk about these aspects of festivals. I mainly used this book for quotes from artists and bands who performed at festivals.
Important Quotes:
“As music artists are introduced to new audiences, fans can follow their musical tastes by attending festivals that cater to their specific preferences or sample new music through a wide variety of performances, and people can gather together for the sheer joy of celebrating each other and savoring the music itself” (preface, xi)
“Just before we were introduced, the compere made some remark about women in the audience showing their breasts, and then introduced us. The audience was in no mood for anything but hard rock. In the comedy world, the technical termis we “died.” […] We had been on stage for no longer than ten seconds before they started yelling for us to ‘get off!’” – The Umbilical Brothers on going on after moe at Woodstock ‘99. (239)
“When I was going on to the stage, with the rest of the band, there were all these people standing backstage along the way, kind of like a reception line. […] it was very hard to focus on any one person. And we just kept walking on to the stage and started the show like we start any other show, and so all of a sudden I’m in the middle of a song and I look up and out into the biggest sea of people I had ever seen in my life, all focusing their energy on our music, dancing and screaming. And at that moment I felt I was almost physically lifted off of the ground from the inside. It was such an up-swell and rush of energy and astonishment and ‘how did I get here?’” – Liz Berlin of Rusted Root on Woodstock ’99 (240)
“I remember […] the revolving stage and Perry [Ferrell] wearing my clothes for the gig. Carlos Santana blessed my pick before the performance.” – Peter DiStefano of Porno for Pyros on Woodstock ’99 (240)
“I remember Godsmack’s playing just before we went on and they were incredible.” – David Ellefson of Megadeth, talking about Godsmack going big after their performance at Woodstock ’99. (240)
“It was a scorching hot day; the sun was blaring in my face. My in-ear monitors had a loud high-pitched squeal to go along with the barely audible music we were playing in it.” – Jim Bogios of Counting Crows on Woodstock ’99. (241)
“Woodstock ’99 was a bit of a wreck. You can’t charge a premium for tickets and put people on a cement runway in the middle of the summer. Water and food were overprices. People felt cheated and obviously they reacted in a negative way by the end of the weekend.” – Will Turpin of Collective Soul (242)
“It was hot, there were palm trees, and a lot of great haircuts and sunglasses. I can’t wait to go back.” –Scott Avett of the Avett Brothers on Coachella (243)
"I thought I was going to be the laughing stock of the festival. I
knew I was on during the Chili Pepper's set, but I thought there would
be enough people who didn't like them to get my a decent audience by
default. [...]" - Mike Relm , a DJ, on looking out just before his set
and seeing 50 people in the crowd. (He ended up playing a great set,
and got the tent packed.) (246)
"I can't get the heat off my mind. You know, coming from ice cold Sweden straight out in the desert." - Mats Bjorke of Mando Diao on Coachella (247)
"So many new acts are exposed to an audience who would not normally get to see them" - Mike Relm (247)
"[Coachella] has become one of the most popular destination festivals in the country." (247)
"Coachella had demonstrated that destination festivals could be well-organized and a lot of fun to attend. [...] By 2002, the rock festival had once again become central to the rock music experience." (248)
"At [Bonnaroo's] inception, the festival's primary focus was on jam bands, but by 2007 the acts are primarily rock with alternative, hip hop, country, fold, gospel, electronica, reggae, and almost every other style of music known to man thrown into the mix. People travel from all over the country to see their favorite bands and to be exposed to music they may have never heard or experienced. [...] Artisans and craftsmen display their wares in the Bonnaroo Market. large tents feature comedy, movies, and arcade games - continuously for twenty-four hours - at 'Centeroo.'" (249)
"The one thing that stood out to me at Bonnaroo was how electric the crowd felt." - Aesop Rock (250)
"There are those who save all year for the Bonnaroo experience and others who attend on a whim. There are as many white collar workers as those employed in blue collar jobs. Everyone is welcome at Bonnaroo."(251)
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