whaddyathink?
and would you actually not go to one vs the other?
and would you actually not go to one vs the other?
VIRGIN FESTIVAL 2007...Pimlico or Stadium?
If by stadium you mean RFK, then yes I'd go. :)
If held in DC, you'll get more people from Virginia showing up and the Baltimore people would still come down. If held in Baltimore, you'll probably get more people from PA (Pitt and Philly) than Va. I do think it's somewhat of a double-edge sword.
DC is central, has metro and light-rail access as well as Nat'l airport :)
MindCage
Mindless Faith
Deep6 Productions
If held in DC, you'll get more people from Virginia showing up and the Baltimore people would still come down. If held in Baltimore, you'll probably get more people from PA (Pitt and Philly) than Va. I do think it's somewhat of a double-edge sword.
DC is central, has metro and light-rail access as well as Nat'l airport :)
MindCage
Mindless Faith
Deep6 Productions
Which stadium? I'd probably choose Pimlico, though. and it would make a difference. The main reasons I went this year were 1) location and 2) I had never seen the Who. I especially liked how the second stage worked out at Pimilico. I don't know that I'd bother if it were at a stadium, even if it remained in Baltimore. In the end it would probably depend on what kind of lineup you put together.
I will definitely vote Pimlico. Even if you mean M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. (which is 5 blocks from my house!)
Stadiums are so restrictive and they loom so large on an otherwise free spirited day.
I go to festivals as much as i can because of the venues they are in..parks, deserts, fields, not stadiums and ampitheatres.
If Pimlico doenst work out, maybe something like it….but NOT RFK. Unlesss you get Radiohead or Pink Floyd or something, i wont be attending any more concerts at RFK.
dont make VirginFest into HFStival part II!!!!
:)
Stadiums are so restrictive and they loom so large on an otherwise free spirited day.
I go to festivals as much as i can because of the venues they are in..parks, deserts, fields, not stadiums and ampitheatres.
If Pimlico doenst work out, maybe something like it….but NOT RFK. Unlesss you get Radiohead or Pink Floyd or something, i wont be attending any more concerts at RFK.
dont make VirginFest into HFStival part II!!!!
:)
wow, toughie…
pimlico: lots of open space = easier to have stands, info booths, different food vendors, etc. flat = hard to see the stage.
stadium: better for viewing of the main stage, even some raised seating. walking from main stage (inside) to second stage (outside) isn't a problem, but creates a mental separation - maybe that's a good thing. better infrastructure for such large events - public transpo, parking, flush toilets.
all and all, i'm leaning towards stadium. slightly. above it, it's about the bands. for the right line-up i'd go to kazakhstan.
an ideal outdoor spot would be something naturally shaped like a bowl, so as you go back from the stage the ground rises up.
pimlico: lots of open space = easier to have stands, info booths, different food vendors, etc. flat = hard to see the stage.
stadium: better for viewing of the main stage, even some raised seating. walking from main stage (inside) to second stage (outside) isn't a problem, but creates a mental separation - maybe that's a good thing. better infrastructure for such large events - public transpo, parking, flush toilets.
all and all, i'm leaning towards stadium. slightly. above it, it's about the bands. for the right line-up i'd go to kazakhstan.
an ideal outdoor spot would be something naturally shaped like a bowl, so as you go back from the stage the ground rises up.
Park. Is there a park like Grant Park or Zilker Park in the DC area? :)
I agree with le sonick 100%.
a way that Lollapalooza got rid of the flat park = hard to see the stage problem is that their stages were VERY high up from the ground.
the may have been 10-15 feet up!! a little annoying when you were all the way up front, but my 5'7" girlfriend didnt miss a beat with the extra height!!!
the may have been 10-15 feet up!! a little annoying when you were all the way up front, but my 5'7" girlfriend didnt miss a beat with the extra height!!!
Multiple days at Merriweather.
Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:I like this idea the best.
Multiple days at Merriweather.
How about Bull Run? Just kidding.
I personally vote RFK, but that's also because it's walking distance from my house.
Hey Seth, the next time you do one of these Virgin Fest thingies, have you thought about narrowing it down to a Coachella East kind of thing? I know you need the draw of big bands and names, but I'm sure that you could pull it off. In my mind, this is the kind of lineup I would imagine (and by next year, a lot of these bands would be supporting new records or about to support them):
Radiohead, Bjork, the newly-reformed Smashing Pumpkins, Blur, The Stooges (who have yet to play DC), the Shins, Queens of the Stone Age, Interpol, and then you can round it out with any other bands that are name-drawers at that particular moment. I know you have to think about commercial appeal…but Radiohead is a huge name and that would do it.
Of course the dance element will be good too: DJ Shadow, Daft Punk, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher…whatever. But if you narrow it down to a certain niche, you'll give Coachella a run for the money and you'll certainly get people traveling from all over the place for it. I can't imagine Branson wouldn't want to put the Virgin name on something like that.
I personally vote RFK, but that's also because it's walking distance from my house.
Hey Seth, the next time you do one of these Virgin Fest thingies, have you thought about narrowing it down to a Coachella East kind of thing? I know you need the draw of big bands and names, but I'm sure that you could pull it off. In my mind, this is the kind of lineup I would imagine (and by next year, a lot of these bands would be supporting new records or about to support them):
Radiohead, Bjork, the newly-reformed Smashing Pumpkins, Blur, The Stooges (who have yet to play DC), the Shins, Queens of the Stone Age, Interpol, and then you can round it out with any other bands that are name-drawers at that particular moment. I know you have to think about commercial appeal…but Radiohead is a huge name and that would do it.
Of course the dance element will be good too: DJ Shadow, Daft Punk, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher…whatever. But if you narrow it down to a certain niche, you'll give Coachella a run for the money and you'll certainly get people traveling from all over the place for it. I can't imagine Branson wouldn't want to put the Virgin name on something like that.
me third on multiple days at merriweather…
i like the idea of pimlico if the festival were smaller with two mid size stages with 9:30 or slightly high level acts on both. just not a fan of having to deal with a huge of mass of people crowded around a main stage.
would have preferred a stadium over pimilico this time in order to get a decent vantage point to see the Who. any stadium setup would have to an easily accessible second stage.
for the few stadium or arena acts i'm more inclinded to want to see them on their own instead of at a festival. but a festival where i can get to sample some tasty less popular bands is my kind of festival
i like the idea of pimlico if the festival were smaller with two mid size stages with 9:30 or slightly high level acts on both. just not a fan of having to deal with a huge of mass of people crowded around a main stage.
would have preferred a stadium over pimilico this time in order to get a decent vantage point to see the Who. any stadium setup would have to an easily accessible second stage.
for the few stadium or arena acts i'm more inclinded to want to see them on their own instead of at a festival. but a festival where i can get to sample some tasty less popular bands is my kind of festival
A downtown park would be ideal, but we don't live in Chicago or NYC.
I would go to RFK before Pimlico, but I would go to Pimlico before I would go to M&T.
I would go to RFK before Pimlico, but I would go to Pimlico before I would go to M&T.
Pimlico or Merriweather.
I'm not much for stadium shows of any kind.
I'm not much for stadium shows of any kind.
Pimlico. Logistics weren't bad this year for me and I like the extra space. Never been to a concert at RFK but I can't see how it would be better.
i'd go anywhere for the right lineup … i didn't go to the festival this year because of its location, i didn't go because i had no real interest in paying $100 to see a few of the mid-day and second stage groups … i can't really justify going to a festival if i don't want to see the headliners and the ticket is heavily weighted to pay them
and i wholeheartedly agree with bearman's suggestion … if you give the festival some unique identity by focusing the lineup, you'll get a national turnout … i know the dc/baltimore area isn't as receptive to the acts that play at coachella, but you'll get a huge draw from the northeast if you put together a lineup on that level
and i wholeheartedly agree with bearman's suggestion … if you give the festival some unique identity by focusing the lineup, you'll get a national turnout … i know the dc/baltimore area isn't as receptive to the acts that play at coachella, but you'll get a huge draw from the northeast if you put together a lineup on that level
I would go to RFK before Pimlico. I'd only go to Pimlico if I could get a hotel near there at a decent rate (think package deal!). Multiple days at Merriweather would be ideal but I'm not sure how you'd do a second stage there.
Originally posted by xcanuck:i didn't go to the curiosa festival (the cure, interpol, mogwai, etc) but i'm pretty sure they had 2 stages at merriweather … anyone know how they pulled it off?
I would go to RFK before Pimlico. I'd only go to Pimlico if I could get a hotel near there at a decent rate (think package deal!). Multiple days at Merriweather would be ideal but I'm not sure how you'd do a second stage there.
I liked the setup at Pimlico, but it's not as easy to get to/from and parking was a nightmare. Merriweather is not a bad idea and if you decide to do a stadium, consider taking a page from the Vegoose festivals in Las Vegas. Even though stadiums are not the best locations for festivals (as others here have pointed out), it can work.
One more gripe…with the right line-up you can draw from just about anywhere in the country. BUT it HAS to be promoted much better than this year's festival was. I live in Baltimore and RARELY saw/heard ads for the festival anywhere. I knew about it mainly because I pay close attention to the music scene around here. I had friends come down from New York who told me that they never saw a single ad for this year's festival and that if I had not told them about it, they never would have known that it was happening.
I know there was some limited national exposure from several magazines, but you really could have drawn a lot better if you had constantly peppered the east coast markets in the months leading up to the show.
Other than that, you did a great job. I appreciate the effort you put in to make it happen and I look forward to next year.
One more gripe…with the right line-up you can draw from just about anywhere in the country. BUT it HAS to be promoted much better than this year's festival was. I live in Baltimore and RARELY saw/heard ads for the festival anywhere. I knew about it mainly because I pay close attention to the music scene around here. I had friends come down from New York who told me that they never saw a single ad for this year's festival and that if I had not told them about it, they never would have known that it was happening.
I know there was some limited national exposure from several magazines, but you really could have drawn a lot better if you had constantly peppered the east coast markets in the months leading up to the show.
Other than that, you did a great job. I appreciate the effort you put in to make it happen and I look forward to next year.
Originally posted by HoyaSaxa08:Curiosa worked fine for the ~20,000 who attended, but I think that the Virgin Fest would be geared to a larger scale.
i didn't go to the curiosa festival the cure, interpol, mogwai, etc but i'm pretty sure they had 2 stages at merriweather … anyone know how they pulled it off?
Pimlico sounded like it was a parking and transportation nightmare. RFK has great access (Metro, 295 from the north, 395 from the south) and acres of parking. The Tibetan Freedom Festival setup was pretty good. They had two main-stages next to each other on the field. You can put smaller stages and a DJ tent right outside. The sound may not be ideal, but no big open area is great for sound. You would probably be married to the stadium concessions as well, but I still think RFK is the best option for a large venue.