Hi all,
Rob and I have been invited by Pete Pardo to do an interview on Sea of Tranquility about all-things NEARfest. We will be chatting about our 14-year run and all the great memories that went along with it. The interview is tonight at 7:00 pm ET. Pete will have to chime in to let you know when it will air.
https://www.seaoftranquility.org/
Hope you will check it out!
Chad
^^^ NEARFest 2021 announcement!!!
WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.
Yes, Chad. You need a rounded number - 15! (not 14). lol
What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)
Here we go...Originally Posted by Poisoned Youth
^^^ NEARFest 2021 announcement!!!
Very cool. I will have to watch it later due to being at work, but Pete always does a great job with his interviews.
We just wrapped up with Pete. It's about a 35-minute interview that should be posted around 8:00 pm ET tonight. Enjoy!
Feel free to post any follow-up questions here. We are more than happy to answer them. Again, thank you all so much for all the support over the years. We remain humbled by it.
Last edited by Nearfest2; 06-11-2020 at 08:02 PM.
Here you go...
That was great, well done guys, really good stuff.
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.
It was fun listening to Chad and Rob. I hadn't seen either since my last Nearfest in 2009. The reminiscing was fun; it was interesting to hear about the early years and the events of that last year. The advice that the two gave towards the end of the interview about the need for diversity at festivals brought back memories of the ill-fated Farfest in Wilmington, which would have taken place a few months after Nearfest Apocalypse. Farfest was obviously laser focused on Italian and European prog. As an Italian prog fanatic, I was all in for the festival, but sadly - even in the NE US - the fanbase was too small to make it viable. It would have been a once in a lifetime opportunity. But the bands have subsequently aged out and disbanded or members have passed on. That said, Nearfest was an amazing phenomenon; I'm glad that I went to 4 of them.
Hey Chad, Do you remember that I couriered a signed copy of the So album by Peter Gabriel in a beautiful frame? I asked for anonimity at the time but hey, I think I made a pretty nice gift. I attended 4 or 5 events but the first was the best - Magma, Anglagard, Camel, The Flower Kings, etc. They were all great NF's though.
What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)
Chad, you and Rob are the champs. You gave so many a chance at a deeper dive into the music that had meant and would mean so much to us, and we would never have had that chance otherwise. Nearfest was a cultural treasure. Perhaps for a niche genre, but many of us will cherish those memories and experiences as long as we live.
Thanks to all involved for producing this. A fun 35 minutes and it just scratched the surface! I can see a sequel....(interview.....that is) It would be fun to have NF attendees submit any home videos not necessarily of the performances but of the general vibe of the weekend.....vendor rooms....meet & greets.....the LINE at the Mens room vs. the Ladies Rooms.....
The Ice Cream Lady Wet her drawers........To see you in the Passion Playyyy eeee - I. Anderson
"It's kind of like deciding not to date a beautiful blonde anymore because she farted." - Top Cat
I was expecting to be kinda meh, but it made my nips stiffen - Jerjo
(Zamran) "that fucking thing man . . . it sits there on my wall like a broken clock " - Helix
Social Media is the "Toilet" of the Internet - Lady Gaga
Legendary festival that got everything right!
Thx Rob & Chad
no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone
prog in all its glorious diversity = niche
symph prog = niche of a niche
Italian/European symph prog = niche of a niche of niche
Italian/European 70s era foreign language analog keyboard symph prog = niche of a niche of niche of a niche.
the deeper level of niche you go... the more you limit the audience reach of your event. You may get a more devoted audience, the deeper you go... but it definitely curtails the numbers.
Nice watch! Thanks for getting this together, Pete. Rob is literally re-defining space rock with his setup.
I will always remember being "so certain" that NF had built up the appropriate brand equity that you could book two guys belching and sell out. I lost a lot of respect for prog fans during the UM year and became a disciple of the Steve F. School of Cynicism from that point forward. And after NF Apocalypse the scene hasn't been the same. Has there been a festival in our scene since 2012 that booked 1,000 seats?
And you had the secret sauce of draw and diversity that has not been replicated since. I miss not seeing people as well. And while I didn't go a few years, had I known it the scene would be what it is today, I would have gone to all of them.
I had tickets 397 and 398 from that original NF in 1999. I remember being on the fence and you all posting on RMP talking about being nearly sold out. That first year was extra special. And I still owe you guys for all you went through to get Camel. Thanks for all the past (and future <ahem>) memories!
WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.
Thanks everyone!
Cozy, you just made it in '99! And no, no one has come close to 1,000 seats sold.
If Pete or anyone else wants a follow-up interview, we are certainly game. We were thinking of a massive Zoom call in a similar vein.
Only one I could think of is Night Of Prog at Lorely in Germany, that venue holds up to 5,000. Certainly ROSfest, ProgDay, RIO, ProgStock and the like are nowhere near.
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.
One small story from a different perspective. My mother volunteered for a lot of Zoellner events back in the 00s. Mostly classical music.
I once asked her if she or any of her friends ever worked NF or what they knew about it... Her answer was: You know something about them? Really? No one I've ever talked to knows who they are. But they always sell out the hall so it must be popular.
That's a cool story!
Great fun listening to this. Brought back lots of great memories to this 4-time attendee. Thanks again for pulling it off !
Calyx (Canterbury Scene) - http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr
Legends In Their Own Lunchtime (blog) - https://canterburyscene.wordpress.com/
My latest books : "Yes" (2017) - https://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/yes/ + "L'Ecole de Canterbury" (2016) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/lecoledecanterbury/ + "King Crimson" (2012/updated 2018) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/kingcrimson/
Canterbury & prog interviews - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdf...IUPxUMA/videos
this was very cool and nostalgic!
Caught it. Interesting. I always wanted to go to a Nearfest but always chickened out. I watch a lot of those Pete Pardo videos on YT. The dude is funny. I remember Prog.net in early 2k. I knew the name was familiar.
I’m very pleased to have been able to go to every year if not to have seen every show and will always have the memories. Saw a lot of bands I would have never been able to see otherwise. Thanks to all involved and especially to Rob and Chad. Great memories to last a lifetime.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Just got to watch the interview. Great great stuff, thanks for posting.
I also attended every year (and had tickets for the year that did not happen). NEARfest was always a blast.
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