SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVALSAn Analysis and Comparison of Major Music Festivals All Over the USA

Joseph Kardos

April 14, 2009

ENG 352

MUSIC FESTIVAL

Definition: an entertainment event featuring a number of

musical performers or bands of a certain genre or centered on a theme (Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.7)

Focus of PresentationTo understand and review various music

festivals in the United States in anticipation of attending one over the summer

MUSIC FESTIVAL CRITERIA

Some of the criteria in evaluating each music festival: Date/Time Location Type of Music Format History Recent Acts Success

Manchester, Tennessee

Location: Great Stage Park on a 700 acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee

Date: 4-Day Festival in Mid-June

Type of Music: indie folk, world music, hip hop, jazz, americana, bluegrass, country music, folk, gospel, reggae, electronica, and other alternative music

Bonaroo – "a really good time“

24-hour festival Venue has:

Centeroo What Stage Which Stage This Tent, That Tent,

and The Other Tent Comedy Tent

Main acts for 2009: Bruce Springsteen

and the E Street Band Phish (2 shows)

Indio, California

Location: Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California

Date: 3-Day Festival in April

Type of Music: alternative rock, hip hop, and Electronic music as well as large sculptural art

Coachella – Valley in Southern California

Desert setting Doors at 11am,

ends at midnight Main acts for

2009: Paul McCartney The Killers The Cure

Jersey City, New Jersey

Location: Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Date: 3-Day Festival in July/August July 31-August 2

Much like Coachella

“Coachella East” Run by

Goldenvoice/AEG Live events Same host

Second-year; corrected many issues

Noon-11:30pm Main acts for 2009:

Beastie Boys Tool Coldplay

Chicago, Illinois

Location: Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois

Date: 3-Day Festival in early/mid August

Type of Music: alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands

Lollapalooza “Remarkable or wonderful person or thing“ Large lollipop (or "all-day sucker")

Created as farewell tour by Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction

Originally toured around country More people saw

and participated in Lollapalooza than any previous music festival

Ended 1997; revived 2003; Obtained Chicago location in 2005

Acts will be announced April 23, 2009

Austin, Texas

Location: Zilker Park, Austin Texas

Date: Annual 3-Day Festival in Sept/Oct

Type of Music: rock, indie, blues, world/ethnic contemporary and traditional, reggae, eclectic, fusion, electronic, soul, folk/Americana

Named after PBS Series

Started in 2003 Attracts a crowd

of about 65,000 visitors each day

Produced by C3 Presents, who co-produces the Lollapalooza

Line-up announcement coming April 28

East Rutherford, NJ

Location: Held in the Giants Stadium Parking Lots, East Rutherford, NJ

Date: 2-Day Festival in early May

May 2-3, 2009 Type of Music: punk,

pop-punk, rock

Venue has nine stages

Main acts for 2009: Fall Out Boy No Doubt

Touring in USA

Touring music and extreme sports festival

Date: One Day in the Summer July 17 – Susquehanna

Bank Center, Camden, NJ July 19 – Monmouth

Racetrack Type of Music: Originally

punk rock music, but now features electronica, alternative rock, emo, post-hardcore, metalcore and Christian rock bands

Bands play for up to 30 minutes over approximately 10 stages, although the biggest bands generally play the two main stages 24-hour festival

Tour brings a half pipe for skaters and bikers

Developed by Kevin Lyman in 1994, who got the idea while working on skateboarding shows

Touring in USA

Location: Great Stage Park on a 700 acre (2.8 km²) farm in Manchester, Tennessee

Date: 1-Day Festival

Cancelled for this year due to Ozzy recording

Type of Music: heavy metal and hard rock

Founded by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne who organize festival with son Jack

Originally created as a 2-day festival in Phoenix, Arizona and Devore, California in October

Organized after Lollapalooza refused to let Ozzy join the tour

Reduced to one-day event in 2008 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX

Known in New Jersey for arrest of 83 attendees, most of them underage and arrested prior to 8:00 and death of 2 men due to overdose of alcohol and energy drinks

Austin, Texas

Location: Austin, Texas

Date: Each of three parts runs relatively independently, with different start and end dates

Music festival as well as a film and interactive conference

First began in 1987

1,400 performers playing dozens of venues around Austin over four days

Highest revenue-producing special event for the Austin economy, with an estimated economic impact of at least $110 million in 2008

ANY QUESTIONS?