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More beats for your bucks
Heralded by Rolling Stone as one of the 50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll, Woodstock, celebrating its 40th anniversary this month, changed the way our country experiences live music. Today, music festivals continue to provide life-changing experiences for some KU students, despite high ticket costs and a slow economy.
Contributed photo
"The crowds are usually much larger at music festivals than single-act shows, so it makes the experience completely different," says Ben Hornung, Council Grove senior who attended Bonnaroo in 2006.
Picture this: It's early morning on August 18, 1969. You're on a 600-acre dairy farm in rural New York, and you're soaking wet as the sky stops and starts raining at its leisure. But you don't care about the rain because you and 500,000 of your closest friends are about to see Jimi Hendrix, the guitar-wielding god himself, take the stage and play one of his most memorable performances. Ok, so it's not really 1969, and the closest you'll get to seeing Jimi Hendrix play the "Star Spangled Banner" is by watching video footage, but the monumental Woodstock Music and Art Fair, more commonly known as the Woodstock Music Festival, is nevertheless a recognizable event for all concert-goers. Woodstock, along with 1967's Monterey Pop Festival and 1970's Isle of Wight Festival, paved the way for the thousands of music festivals that now take place nationally and internationally every year.
Ranging from one-day regional shows to weeklong, nationally acclaimed spectacles, music festivals continue to make it easy for consumers to experience live music, says Mike McCoy, cofounder of North Versus South Music Festival,
now in its sixth year in Kansas City, Mo. A musician and Lawrence native, McCoy started North Versus South as a way for him and his fellow guitarists to jam together every year, and it has since grown into a three-day festival that features "Americana"-inspired rock and roll acts. Unlike a single-show concert, music festivals such as North Versus South, which is set in downtown Kansas City, provide audiences with what McCoy considers a rare chance of discovery. By bringing together known and unknown acts from around the country, it and other festivals allow attendees to pick and choose what they want to see.
The discovery of new performers is a draw for Loren Cressler, Hoxie senior. Cressler, who has attended music festivals overseas, plans to attend Austin City Limits in Austin, Texas, in October because of the number of acts he'll see who he wouldn't normally have access to in Lawrence. ACL boasts a lineup of almost 100 acts, both new and well-known from many different genres. Yet Cressler isn't only looking for new songs to add to his iTunes playlist later. He also enjoys the event's atmosphere and how music festivals "incorporate
an entire community in the idea of stopping to appreciate music." This sense of community is something other festival-goers, including Jen Beck, Newton senior, look forward to. Beck, who attended Rothbury Music Festival in Rothbury, Mich., in July, found that, rather than being at the festival to see one band, most people attending were collectively interested in having a good weekend filled with good music, creating an experience unlike that of a single performance.
With this sense of community also comes a sense of responsibility. Many outdoor music festivals, such as Rothbury and Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn., promote sustainability and green lifestyles during the festival. To ensure they leave venues the way they came, music festivals install recycling programs and encourage waste reduction.
Despite the many advantages of attending music festivals, economics always plays a factor in people's decision to attend. The high cost of tickets, which run anywhere between $150 and $500 for more mainstream events like Mile High Music Festival in Denver, Colo., deters concert-goers from choosing them over single-act shows. Ultimately, though, music festivals can give more bang for the buck. Many local and regional festivals carry small price tags, ranging from being free to costing under $20, like McCoy's North Versus South.
Higher-priced shows can also be bargains when considering their lineups. For instance, South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, one of the largest and most interactive music and film festivals in the country, can cost as much as $1,200 depending on the pass you buy. Once in Austin, though, audiences have access to almost 2,000 musical performances over a span of 5 days, says McCoy, who calls SXSW the "big daddy" of music festivals. Although it would be impossible to see every single act during the week, it averages out to less than $2 per performance.
Costs ultimately played a role in Cressler's and Beck's decisions to attend a music festival. Cressler considers the $210 price tag on his ACL three-day pass to be a bargain, while Beck was hesitant at first about paying $270 for a three-day pass to Rothbury. By carpooling with friends and sharing costs of food, though, she also decided that attending the festival was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.
For Ben Hornung, Council Grove senior, costs also played heavily on his decision to attend Bonnaroo in 2006, especially because the festival takes place in Tennessee, a 12-hour drive from
In the mood for a music festival? Check out these upcoming festivals that are close to Lawrence AND reasonably priced.
Crossroads Music Festival, September 12: Though only one day, this festival showcases the talents of more than 30 local artists. Held in different venues throughout the Crossroads district in downtown Kansas City, Mo., the festival also features dance performances and visual arts displays, highlighting this culturally diverse area. Tickets can be purchased individually at each venue starting at $6, and event passes are $15. For more information, visit www.cmtkc.com.
Walnut Valley Festival, September 16-20: in Winfield, this four-day bluegrass festival features more than 20 performers. With six stages, Walnut Valley also sponsors eight very popular instrumental contests. Past winners include Alison Krauss and Mark O'Connor. Ticket prices start at $36 in advance. For more information, visit www.wfest.com.
Green Mountain Eco Festival,
September 24-27: This four-day festival in Eldridge, Mo., combines music, environmental workshops and camping to celebrate sustainability. With more than 25 artists on three stages, Green Mountain features acts from around the world, including Lawrence natives Truckstop Honeymoon. Full event passes are $50 until Sept. 1, and proceeds benefit Green Mountain Sustainability Center. For more information, visit www.greenmountainecofest.com.
Kansas. However, a long drive wouldn't stop Hornung and his friends from seeing Radiohead perform live, so they borrowed his mom's Toyota Prius and trekked down South.
So, now picture this: You and your friends are piled in a Prius (because, as Hornung says, everything's cheaper in a Prius), the radio is blaring some techno-induced version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin" and you're heading to Austin to see tons of different acts over the span of 3 days. You won't get the chance to see Jimi Hendrix, but you are guaranteed to have a truly memorable experience.
// SARAH BLUVAS
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