Dissecting the summer festival line-ups
One of the biggest names in rock ‘n' roll will entertain a sold-out crowd in Empire Polo Field under a Spring Indio, California desert night sky.
Paul McCartney will kick off Coachella next Friday, April 17 appropriately beginning the 2009 U.S. Music Festival season. Showing off his seemingly endless catalogue of songs, the ex-Beatle is the only headliner of the three night festival (three headliners) so far to sell out.
But how appropriate is it that Sir Paul, the most established man in popular music, push the first piece of the impressive music and arts festival yearly routine that dominoes through the United States and well hell, a lot of North America.
There is, what I shall refer to as, The Big Three. The aforementioned Coachella festival, held in Indio, California, is the offspring of a 1993 Pearl Jam concert to some 25,000, which to my knowledge was a protest to Ticketmaster. You know that ordeal.
Following is, Bonnaroo. In June, “The Biggest North American Hippy Festival” settles in a farmer's field just outside of Manchester, Tennessee.
And lastly, Perry Ferrell (Jane's Addiction) sets up his baby, Lollapalooza, in Chicago's Grant Park. The alternative rock extravaganza that used to tour North America in the ‘90s but now settles into the first weekend of August.
Now every festival offers its own culture, and it is all about the experience and the atmosphere. But for the sake of arguing, and this article, the music is the only part. If everyone went to the dozens of festivals across North America there would be a dozen different opinions to which were the best. But if we are to strictly stick to the artists and musicians on the bills this year, well that may be a bit easier.
When the line-ups are announced for a festival, it is like Christmas morning. It's too exciting skimming through the smaller acts in tiny print up to some of the world's biggest acts bolded on top of the bill. You gasp out loud when you find a personal favourite “Look at how low on the list The Kills are! They are tiny!” or “MGMT is way up here? Last year they were a tiny spec at the end of the line-up!”
Anyway, as I mentioned before McCartney sold out all the single day passes for the opening third of what is Coachella. All of sudden instead of paying $99 to see McCartney, you have to invest in the weekend and fork over $269. So let's say you buy it. Now you are paying a remarkable difference. Will remarkable performances justify the decision? Well to pass time until McCartney, you do get to survive on a buffet of acts like The Hold Steady, We Are Scientist, Girl Talk, Silversun Pickups, Leonard Cohen, Franz Ferdinand and Morrissey, who opens the gate for Sir Paul, which to some music fans is just downright poetic justice. Obviously McCartney will not disappoint.
Day two. Well...umm? Starting off early I might go check out how Canada's Billy Talent holds up under the heat. Depends on what McCartney song I'd have stuck in my head from the previous night. You may think this is a good time to soak in some of that Coachella culture, but that thinking will have you in the middle of the desert on acid. Strictly staying with music here folks. But really until The Killers take the stage to pull the curtain on the second day of the festival, TV on the Radio and Fleet Foxes would be the two bands I'd venture to. Out of like 34? And how do you give a girl with one hit song a top spot.
The concluding Day three. The only reason I think The Cure got the headlining act is because lead singer Robert Smith can't be in the sun. He's a vampire right? The Cure have a handful of hits and from what is preceding the headliner, I don't know if I could keep myself entertained long enough to stick around. That may be unfair with everything from The Brian Jonestown Massacre, to Public Enemy, and the Yeah Yeah Yeah's on the table. $269 wouldn't even be terrible if you just wanted to see that packed Friday night. Well it wouldn't be good. There must be something better.
Pick up the Interrobang next week to see if you'd rather go down to Manchester, Tennessee. Bonnaroo's line-up may be more enticing than Coachella's. And we will see if Lollapalooza has announced their final line-up or we will bat around the latest rumours. And maybe, just maybe, there is a different festival. One that has only been around for a couple years now but will be making a name for itself after this years cast.
Paul McCartney will kick off Coachella next Friday, April 17 appropriately beginning the 2009 U.S. Music Festival season. Showing off his seemingly endless catalogue of songs, the ex-Beatle is the only headliner of the three night festival (three headliners) so far to sell out.
But how appropriate is it that Sir Paul, the most established man in popular music, push the first piece of the impressive music and arts festival yearly routine that dominoes through the United States and well hell, a lot of North America.
There is, what I shall refer to as, The Big Three. The aforementioned Coachella festival, held in Indio, California, is the offspring of a 1993 Pearl Jam concert to some 25,000, which to my knowledge was a protest to Ticketmaster. You know that ordeal.
Following is, Bonnaroo. In June, “The Biggest North American Hippy Festival” settles in a farmer's field just outside of Manchester, Tennessee.
And lastly, Perry Ferrell (Jane's Addiction) sets up his baby, Lollapalooza, in Chicago's Grant Park. The alternative rock extravaganza that used to tour North America in the ‘90s but now settles into the first weekend of August.
Now every festival offers its own culture, and it is all about the experience and the atmosphere. But for the sake of arguing, and this article, the music is the only part. If everyone went to the dozens of festivals across North America there would be a dozen different opinions to which were the best. But if we are to strictly stick to the artists and musicians on the bills this year, well that may be a bit easier.
When the line-ups are announced for a festival, it is like Christmas morning. It's too exciting skimming through the smaller acts in tiny print up to some of the world's biggest acts bolded on top of the bill. You gasp out loud when you find a personal favourite “Look at how low on the list The Kills are! They are tiny!” or “MGMT is way up here? Last year they were a tiny spec at the end of the line-up!”
Anyway, as I mentioned before McCartney sold out all the single day passes for the opening third of what is Coachella. All of sudden instead of paying $99 to see McCartney, you have to invest in the weekend and fork over $269. So let's say you buy it. Now you are paying a remarkable difference. Will remarkable performances justify the decision? Well to pass time until McCartney, you do get to survive on a buffet of acts like The Hold Steady, We Are Scientist, Girl Talk, Silversun Pickups, Leonard Cohen, Franz Ferdinand and Morrissey, who opens the gate for Sir Paul, which to some music fans is just downright poetic justice. Obviously McCartney will not disappoint.
Day two. Well...umm? Starting off early I might go check out how Canada's Billy Talent holds up under the heat. Depends on what McCartney song I'd have stuck in my head from the previous night. You may think this is a good time to soak in some of that Coachella culture, but that thinking will have you in the middle of the desert on acid. Strictly staying with music here folks. But really until The Killers take the stage to pull the curtain on the second day of the festival, TV on the Radio and Fleet Foxes would be the two bands I'd venture to. Out of like 34? And how do you give a girl with one hit song a top spot.
The concluding Day three. The only reason I think The Cure got the headlining act is because lead singer Robert Smith can't be in the sun. He's a vampire right? The Cure have a handful of hits and from what is preceding the headliner, I don't know if I could keep myself entertained long enough to stick around. That may be unfair with everything from The Brian Jonestown Massacre, to Public Enemy, and the Yeah Yeah Yeah's on the table. $269 wouldn't even be terrible if you just wanted to see that packed Friday night. Well it wouldn't be good. There must be something better.
Pick up the Interrobang next week to see if you'd rather go down to Manchester, Tennessee. Bonnaroo's line-up may be more enticing than Coachella's. And we will see if Lollapalooza has announced their final line-up or we will bat around the latest rumours. And maybe, just maybe, there is a different festival. One that has only been around for a couple years now but will be making a name for itself after this years cast.
