FYF Fest
This blog does not do the story justice.
I woke up to a large photo of a throng of fans with their hands in the air on the front page of the Calendar section of the "Los Angeles Times".
At this point, I only get the paper for the LATExtra section with the local news, because not being a TV watcher, certainly not of the news, I’d be completely out of the local loop without it.
The Calendar section used to mean something, but that was before Nikki Finke took over movie business reporting on Deadline Hollywood. As for music reporting? Bob Hilburn’s been retired for years and Ann Powers moved to Alabama and if you don’t know the players, you can’t trust the information.
And I don’t know the three people who wrote this story, and that’s just the point, what I don’t know.
Actually, I do know some of the acts on this bill. But read the review, they’re writing like these bands have fans, like people know the songs.
But what’s really important here is 20,000 people came.
They paid $20 in advance.
$30 day of.
Tickets were sold at record stores.
It happened, but I was out of the loop.
And the mainstream music business was out of the loop. These acts are on indie labels. They get almost no commercial radio play, and needless to say, are not on TV. But they’ve got fans.
This is the future.
Yes, it’s hard being a baby boomer. You want the good shit served right up to you. But young people don’t expect that. They know it’s about foraging for music. And that if it’s on the radio or TV or in "Rolling Stone", chances are it sucks.
In other words, the mainstream music business is eluding these kids. More accurately, they’ve rejected it. They know it’s manufactured crap. Prepubescents might listen to terrestrial radio, might even make an impulse buy at iTunes. And those of drinking age might want to bump asses to the famous cut in the club. But almost no one wants to see these acts live. Why would you? You might stop at McDonald’s in a pinch, to get fueled up. But you don’t sit at home salivating, making a date to meet the girl of your dreams at the Golden Arches.
Then again, you might make a date for In-N-Out, or Five Guys. Because although they’re cheap, they’re quality.
Ticketmaster was not involved. And there’s no reason for big fees, because kickbacks are unnecessary. The service fee was $1 or $2.
And tickets went UP in price if you waited.
And you’ve never heard of the promoter.
Who, by all accounts, did a terrible job. Just like the unknown promoters of the initial rock festivals forty years ago.
The major labels and in most cases the big promoters are built for a business that doesn’t exist anymore. It’s falling of its own weight. A new business is being born, of small acts that may never achieve world domination, but satiate hard core fans and then die. Or live. Depending on the perseverance and tenacity of the players. They’re performing for the love of it. They see their fans as equals. And the fans don’t look like reality TV stars, but regular people.
In other words, music is leading the way once again.
In an era when movies are unwatchable bloated behemoths made for worldwide consumption by people who in many cases don’t even speak English, when big time TV is all about the lowest common denominator, reality shows featuring nitwits who will do anything for money, music is about emotion, expression, unfiltered, from the performer directly to the fan.
Anybody who says the Internet revolution killed music is invested in the old ways. There’s a vibrant scene. Being built by people who those in power won’t give a chance. There’s a burgeoning audience. It may be incomprehensible to oldsters, but the youngsters understand.
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Meanwhile, I just received this in my inbox:
Subject: FYF FAN FEST TODAY- DETAILS- $5Hey All- Yesterday was FYF Fest. We know all the problems… The lines… And are addressing them now. In no way are we sleeping on these problems. The bands were amazing and the turn out was unreal. I’m speechless. Today is the FYF Fan Fest. 3 different shows. The plan was to charge $10 each for these shows. After yesterday we decided not to… Sure, we have bills but would rather eat the costs and make these special for you, the fans. If it wasn’t for you there would be no FYF Fest. Tickets for the Rapture show at the EchoPlex are $5 at the door. Panda Bear at the Glasshouse is $5 at the door. Davila 666 at the Echo is free. If you purchased a ticket to either the Rapture or the Panda Bear show you will be refunded $5 at the door (your name will be on will call). Doing a free show is a disaster. When there is no cover too many people show up and always hundreds of people are turned away. That is the last thing we would want, hence why two of the shows are not free. Here are the details. It’s going to be amazing time. Hope to see you in the future. Sean Carlson & FYF Fest FYF FAN FEST #1 Sunday, September 5th Panda Bear The Goat @ the Glasshouse 200 W. 2nd St Pomona, CA $5 / 8:00pm / All Ages FYF FAN FEST #2 Sunday, September 5th The Rapture Big Freedia @ the EchoPlex Los Angeles, CA $5 / 9:00pm / 18+ FYF FAN FEST #3 Sunday, September 5th Davila 666 Don Juan Y Los Blancos Audacity @ the Echo 1822 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA Free / 6:30pm / All Ages
