Topic: how many local acts we're at 5 fest?
| AUTHOR | MESSAGE |
|---|---|
|
barticus
|
posted: May 20, 2008 10:04:18 AM post heading: how many local acts we're at 5 fest?
from the poster it looks like jesty beats was the only one...but maybe i just never heard of the rest of the bands |
|
amn
|
posted: May 20, 2008 1:38:42 PM post heading: 5 fest
I really don't think people go there for the music. Some do, but most don't. It is a giant keg party with mud slides, corn hole, and drunk chicks in bikinis. This festival fills a niche for the folks who spent 4 years in Athens and rarely stepped off-campus to do anything. It lets them say they "partied" in Athens at least once. I doubt 50% of the people there even knew who was local and who wasn't. - M |
|
stuarts
|
posted: May 20, 2008 2:41:37 PM post heading: local bands in nelsonville
For what it's worth, Nelsonville Art & Music Festival had 8 local bands, 2 ex-local bands (Justin Gordon & Zeb Dewar), 3 regional bands (Columbus, Morgantown & Elkins, WV) & 10 national bands. Let us know what you think at http://nelsonvillefest.blogspot.com/ |
|
acrn 
|
posted: May 20, 2008 6:00:48 PM post heading: barfff
i acknowledge 5 fest as a "fest" - but not a music fest. |
|
bad apple 
|
posted: May 20, 2008 6:56:51 PM post heading: Whaaaaa????????
"It is a giant keg party with mud slides, corn hole, and drunk chicks in bikinis." I'm sorry but if that's not rock n' roll you all obviously hate America. |
|
dirtyd889 
|
posted: May 20, 2008 7:21:53 PM post heading: Actually
There were two local acts. My band (Downplay) played as well. We are local, and have spent multiple years growing a large fan base whether you've heard of us or not. I also agree that the music has not typically been the apex of the day. In fact there are usually only two or three acts that play live instruments. But for it to be the focal point and bring in 12000+ students, the bands would have to be not only talented but also very big names. Instead its the BYOB partying all day in a field that is its main appeal. Its also the all important "thing to do" factor that the organizers have cultivated over the years as well. Nevertheless, I personally spent a lot of time trying to change that, at least to the best of my abilities, by playing free shows and giving away tons of free CDs before the event and building on our already growing fanbase, and you can see from the avatar that it was somewhat of a success. We got a very large number of them to crowd the stage and focus on the show, and if you've been there before, you know thats not really typical. So you may not find us indy, underground, angry, fuzzy, or even "innovative" enough, but we are trying to get students interested in checking out live local music. And regardless it is a damn good time! |
|
plateofshrimp 
|
posted: May 20, 2008 10:53:53 PM post heading: shit
The word on the street is that most people getting off the bus couldn't agree if there was live music or not. I think the people crowding the stage mistook your band for a DJ playing Creed MP3s. |
|
acrn
|
posted: May 21, 2008 1:38:43 PM post heading: err
i wonder how much $$$ these bands/dj's are being paid in comparison to the amount of $$$ the "promoters" are making off of these kids drinking in a field....? also, with 12,000+ in attendence, i doubt that half of the OU student population attended the event. it's not about athens music, it's about partying IN athens. these kids are friends from out of town/etc. it's a shame that this is "THE" springtime event people are looking forward too - that is not so in the athens music community : those would be BLACKOUTFEST, FORREALFEST, and i'll even go out on a limb and include LOBSTERFEST...though many on this board would criticize and crucify lobsterfest. |
|
bad apple
|
posted: May 21, 2008 7:10:59 PM post heading: Springtime for Douchebags
When I was in Junior High/High school in Athens there was something called Spring Fest. It was university sponsored, but they booked decent nationally touring bands. It's hard to believe now but it was staged uptown. One year, correct me if I'm wrong over thirty crowd, the Meat Puppets performed. I think it's a sign of how alienated most college students actually are from good music that something like this isn't really a possibility anymore. So yeah, now you get Bacchanalian frat party on steroids for the corn hole clique. Yeah I love Blackout Fest too, but the absence of naked titties and GHB probably kills the excitement for people whose only purpose every 24hrs is fucking and doing beer bongs. On second thought, that doesn't sound all that bad. Hey ACRN, keep up the good fight. The Sons had a blast playing Lobster Fest 2007, and I can't wait to see Necropolis play in bar with decent sound again. The fact that Blue Print is coming down to play this year is also pretty exciting. |
|
rev.jc
|
posted: May 21, 2008 9:32:42 PM post heading: really...
I found out about 5 fest after I found a video on youtube, while I was either looking for athens shows from forever ago, hoping and praying that someone raided public access before time warner and jesus took it over and put some of the videos online. Who knew that that was going on? I sure as fuck didn't. I got a lot of shit for this, and have been accused of being mister buzzword, but I always felt like synergy was the answer to all of our problems. I really dug the idea of ACRN promoting local, regional and touring bands as opposed to My Chemical Romance and other such kiddie punk drivel or every band ever that sounds almost just like Radiohead. You gotta love how that could be a selling point. In trade I liked the idea of the local, regional and touring bands helping to promote acrn. This is just an example. I realize that one of the things on everyones mind is that 5 fest panders to the lowest common denominator and does nothing to showcase what Athens has to offer. The way I figure is that that's exactly what they do. I think the only people who think that playing live music or hosting live music at your establishment is particularly profitable are the people who don't know anything about music. But its cool. Hell, I forget my point. I have a lot to do. How about this. I don't recall ever hearing anyone accuse the nelsonville arts and music festival of selling out or not promoting local music. Tim Peacock used to, probably still does, bring in acts from out of town. I think it's an issue of quality. There are a lot of great bands in athens who deserve to share a stage and cash in with whoever the university decides to bring in, right? You know what...screw it, I'm too scatterbrained right now to do this. I don't even know why I started. I need a beer. Bye. |
|
plateofshrimp
|
posted: May 21, 2008 9:53:39 PM post heading: it's the money
Yeah, Spring Fest... Our Smiling Jesus Band, De La Soul, Shag, and Guided by Voices one year, The Meat Puppets and Cracker were the last, always diverse lineups of local regional and national acts. Lobsterfest looks interesting this year, very diverse lineup...it does just come down to the fact that the people in charge are chasing the money and not the glory. Bar owners uptown aren't trying to create an atmosphere or foster a scene. They want the dough, just like the industry folks who made music into a commodity instead of nurturing creativity. Shit is changing and we are feeling the effects on a local level. There are a generation of kids out there who have never been in a fucking record store, let alone committed themselves to the experience of live music. I just read that 65% of Americans are on prescription drugs with an even higher percentage being sociopaths. Who stole the soul? |
|
gibby
|
posted: May 22, 2008 1:03:49 PM post heading: Springfest
I know there are others on here who remember when Springfest was held on the intramural fields down by South Green. Favorite memory - drinking a beer with Jason & the Scorchers when I was 17. I seem to remember it being pretty loose for an OU event - occasional nudity, vomiting, people pissing in the river - but that was a long time ago, and my memory is hazy to say the least. Maybe Winland, Roman or Fun can chime in. |
