PE Founder in Atlanta: What say you?Originally Posted by moecurlythanu
PE Founder in Atlanta: What say you?
"My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"
President Harry S. Truman
Well, I hope you're wrong....I'm sure there was research done before making this major decision......I wish them all the best! I will be attending and I invite everyone that has attended Steve Hackett, Yes, Neal Morse, etc concerts in Atlanta in the last few years to consider attending as well.
So much music....so little time....
I feel quite certain you are wrong about the 'research'.
George moved where he lives to Florida, and he doesn't want to have to do the physical travel anymore, and he's made a decision that this is what he wants to do and he will do all he can to make it work if it can work in the new location. But he didn't 'poll' his attendees. That's completely obvious from this thread and the surprised reaction from.... well, everyone.
Anyone who is in constant touch with George is welcome to show me that I'm wrong. But I don't think so.
Sometimes, someone who has been doing something very hard to do for a long time that doesn't make them a boat load of money decides that they are only willing to continue to do it under certain conditions. That's what we are dealing with here.
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
Compare and contrast with ProgPower USA started in 2001 in Atlanta held in the first week in September, now it's running multiple days. I don't think the founder is making boatloads of money on this fest and is a genuine fan that has a day job as a nurse. I wouldn't want to travel to Atlanta and now I hear parts of Atlanta is the "new LA" due to the high budget movie and TV productions happening there; comparable to the LA traffic.
When I went to Progday years ago, I was in my twenties and I thought everybody else was old. Now that I'm 20 years older, I don't see much of a younger crowds judging from the CTTE crowds, so Sarasota would be a nice place for the aging fans. Around Mother's Day is when the snowbirds go north and the population in FL is always growing year after year...I would suggest headlining a band that can attract the millennial crowd like Snarky Puppy and still satisfy prog fans.
I was surprised that ROSfest was going on for over 10 years. I thought it was an auxiliary festival to NEARfest which to me was a perfect venue/town to explore with excellent promotion and representation of bands. Why did NEARfest stop anyways? I thought it was due to the economy...I mean with the demographics being older males who are pushing their 60s, sending their millennial kids to college (in a shitty economy) who can afford to go to prog festivals?
That's because they are stay-at-home playing videogames and Netflixing and chillin'
Did you see the first Nintendo Switch commercial? What grabbed me more is the theme song for a band I never heard of White Denim - Ha Ha Yeah which is a Austin based rock n roll band with some prog sections.
Yet the band song hasn't even hit 1/2 million views while the Switch already is the fastest selling Nintendo console in history, goes to show that prog music isn't 'hip' for the millenials, but white rapping youngsters are: Bhad Bhabie, Lil Pump, etc.
If ROSfest wants more success, IMO the tent needs to opened to Jam. Jam is really big in festivals and some of the bands are very progressive. This post about NF 2011 is relevant:
Unfortunately, in their stubborn close-mindedness, many prog fans do not realize that even a relatively successful band like Umphrey’s McGee might be glad to be involved in something that might expose them to a new audience and pose them a challenge of sorts. Caught up in endless, hair-splitting debates about the nature of prog, and obsessed with putting a label on everything they hear, they seem to forget that in their beloved Seventies the music scene was much more open and accepting. It was normal at the time to see bands as diverse as ELP, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Eagles and Earth, Wind and Fire share a stage at California Jam without people having hissy fits –a trend that seems to have made a comeback in recent years, as proved by last year’s High Voltage festival in London. Many festival-goers also seem to have forgotten about the “Art Rock” present in the NEARfest acronym in their cries of woe over the booking of anything that does not fit their own narrow definition of progressive rock.
Jam is the key to bringing on the young audience. I watched young folks jamming to bands which were very jammy and jazzy, in a bluegrass context. More genre bending than Prog appears to want to be.
Last edited by Firth; 05-28-2018 at 12:27 PM.
100% with you Firth.
If ROSfest can have the same success as PowerProg it'll be fine though I suspect it attracts a more metal demographic who are a much larger younger pool.
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
I would expand the jam band idea to retro-psych bands or neo-psych. If a festival like ROSfest booked bands like Umphreys, Tame Impala, Explosions in the Sky combined with the more traditional prog it usually books, and top it off by booking a great outside the box eclectic band like Tortoise as the headliner, it would attract a more diverse crowd imo, and open up some old school prog eyes. I've seen all 4 of those bands I named in the last few years.
Love those Tame Impala videos...oh yeah, the music ain't bad either!
Local Jam bands are popular here in outdoor venues on the east coast of Florida. You just need to do a bit of research on the venues and local bands (most of them sub-par to my tastes), but what is 'hot' is the venue near water.
Terra Formata
26 SE 6Th Street • Stuart, FL
http://www.terrafermata.com/
Great outdoor seating and decor, near a local crafted beer brewery, next to a Kava bar. Stuart is the Sailfish Capital of the World, so lots of expensive yachts in the water, close to a small quaint downtown feel with hints of the Palm Beach style.
Guanabanas
https://www.guanabanas.com/
960 North Highway A1a Jupiter, FL 33477
Saw some pretty good jam funk-jazz bands. Popular with the locals, next to the waterway, a bit small for a bigger band stage, but plenty of space to roam around the boardwalk. Close to the Jupiter Harbourside shopping complex.
Pirates Cove
https://www.piratescoveresort.com/
4307 SE Bayview St.,
Stuart Florida 34997
Haha used to work here, right by the marina is usually packed like sardines with a mix of young/old crowd during season (Jan-May). The old people like to dance and party too with bands playing oldies.
Twisted Tuna
https://thetwistedtuna.com/
4290 SE Salerno Rd,
Stuart, FL 34997
More popular than Pirates Cove, saw a Led Zepplin tribute band.
I caught a Umphrey’s McGee show around 2010-11 in Westbury , NY...the band was excellent, long sets, extended solos, great covers etc..But, there was some craziness surrounding the show... Someone selling balloons filled with god knows what in the parking field..(true story, went to that venue very next day with my son to see the original Asia, the parking field was littered with spent balloons.. ) people lighting upin a venue where clearly you should do it outside ( I'm pro legalization but as in Amsterdam, there is places where you do and those that you don't!..don't think that in all my NF's & RF's that I ever smelled the green..inside the venue that is!!) And the worst offense? people standing / dancing in a seated venue the ENTIRE show!!!!
So while prog festivals may need this influx, they certainly don't need the negative stigma/blocked stage views that unfortunately follows this genre..Unless I am so out of it and this type of pre concert stuff /seat etiquette - behavior doesn't happen anymore...
Last edited by beano; 05-28-2018 at 01:21 PM.
Since they were just mentioned, Tame Impala (a great young band IMO) would be a great add to a progressive (small "p") festival, but since they have to travel 10,000 miles from Australia to play the US, it would have to be fit into an already planned tour. It would probably cost 4 times as much to book them as a one-off than to do the same with a European or Central/South American band, which ain't cheap to begin with.
"My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"
President Harry S. Truman
I think the jam band idea makes sense. I'll bet NEARfest had to stretch their budget to book Umphrey's, and it's a shame that festival was cancelled. Would have been really interesting to have seen if it attracted some younger folks. I was down for it, and had a patron ticket. Oh well, don't want to dredge it up, but it's still a good idea I think.
(Or a band like Tame Impala, as Geezer said. One that makes financial sense but is known to a younger crowd, and inventive.)
Save your $$ for ProgDay!
The jam scene is not immune from the balkanization of music .
I like some jam bands, and while my experiences are my own, the jam crowd was pretty picky about what they wanted to see.
It also may just be that I was witnessing the opening act syndrome.
Ohm opening for Umphrey's, I had the place to myself ( almost ) until it was time for Umphrey's and then it was packed.
Keb' Mo' opening for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones same thing
North Mississippi Allstars open for Moe pretty packed for both
Charlie Hunter ( with Stefon Harris! on vibes ) open for Galactic, small reserved crowd followed by the dancing fools.
I am not saying that jam would ruin Rosfest ( in a Phil Collins sort of way ). You just don't want a crowd that is just there for a headliner.
Some of the outlier, more fusiony, jam bands ( that have played both Progday and Rosfest ( edit some bands like this have played at both fests over the years )) might just be the thing. Gnarbot, David Fiuczynski, Zevious Jaga Jazzist
Last edited by markwoll; 05-28-2018 at 10:05 PM.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
-- Aristotle
Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
“A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain
^ Yes, that's true. Progression has featured a couple on the cover, like Papadosio, so I'm thinking a band like that.
Zevious at ROSfest would be fantastic for the crowd reaction. Let's go the whole hog and have Upsilon Acrux! Jaga Jazzist are a great suggestion, maybe too pricey?
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
Folks getting high and dancing at a rock festival.
Whatever next?
Rosfest have booked at least one post rock type band, in 2017. George is a legend and Rosfest is an awesome festival.
Steady now, I've seen your moves X
Dude, you've never done a balloon? Those have been part of the Jamband scene for at least 20 years. Great fun. Listen for the loud pssst! as the ballon is filled with Nitrous, and then head in that direction!
Back in the 70s there was such a cloud of smoke in the top of the arenas that you would wonder if it was going to rain. Never had a problem with it then, and wouldn't now. Again, good times.people lighting up
While I can somewhat sympathize with those who can't stand for health reasons, I can safely say that young hippie/Jamband fan isn't going to sympathize with you on that. They'll just be wondering what they're doing at grandpa's concert. Most of them are like Nils Lofgren, they came to dance.And the worst offense? people standing / dancing in a seated venue the ENTIRE show!!!!
Okey dokey then. No need to take umbrage. I've been to ROSfest. Just following up on the jam band suggestion with a few suggestions of some other quality "proggy" bands for maybe creating some wider attendance horizons, as others have been, given the demographic and location realities.
Not in any way, just saying they have in the past
You're right! Younger generations have far more diverse taste in music. :-)
Ian Beabout
Mixing and mastering engineer. See ya at ProgDay !
https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.co...m/bakers-dozen
https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.co...-and-holland-3
colouratura.bandcamp.com
Quite true, the key task is to manage transition.
The edgier bands got me to go to Rosfest, but edgier is an anathama ( not the band ) to some folks.
Not to mention that if the after parties change too much...HooBoy.
The older 'moneyed' crowd buys Gold and Platinum tickets. I have no doubt that a younger, more diverse audience would have like minded attendees, maybe not as many.
And more to the point, the newer crowd probably won't have the time of day for "unknown bands from the 70's and 80's"
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
-- Aristotle
Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
“A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain
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