DCist: Local Music Festivals Struggle to Continue

gavinTAO

Fri, 09 May 2008 15:53:26 -0500

I really don't think people in DC give two shits about local music. I think they care about money and politics, which is really one in the same.

bigyawn

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:10:02 -0500

www.damfestival.org is back up, in case you wanted to read more about what you missed last year...

DCGent

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:05:44 -0500

I think another good policy is to charge one fee for the whole thing, instead of asking people to pay cover at each club involved in the event. Again, not to harp, but SXSW-like wristbands would be a smart way to go. Not only do they make it more convenient for the participants, but they help to engender a sense of unity and identity for the whole enterprise. And I think it's important to remember this about SXSW: it started small. It began as what we're talking about: a handful of clubs joining together for a few days to put on a series of related shows. The big innovation was the wristbands. One fee, one time, and loads of shows at a bunch of different clubs. It's grown into a behemoth, but it started small.

muckraker

Thu, 08 May 2008 12:14:24 -0500

Artomatic is going to have 130+ bands playing free over the nxt five wks. It's not a one-day music fest, but it's all in one place. And freeeeeee.

hillrat

Thu, 08 May 2008 12:03:34 -0500

Pick a location like H St., or the U St. corridor, get all the clubs in those areas to participate, get a good mix of well-known and lesser-known acts, and see what happens. A fine idea. H St. has the RnR Hotel and the Red & The Black that are regular concert venues, plus the newly opened XII, the Atlas Performing Arts Center, and the Palace of Wonders all have performance space as well. That's five venues in just a little bit more than a two block stretch.

Phillyberg

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:27:26 -0500

I think that DAM and 6-points are fantastic concerts but my only criticism with them has been the failure to really coalition build and try to partner with groups outside of the "DC inner music circle". A lot less people keep tabs on the DC local music scene then we all think so when you're advertising a concert with the same hook of "come see local music", it's not helping expand your base to those who aren't "music heads". There has to be a way to expand the concept behind these groups to attract the non-music fan who just likes the party or something to do. It's tough. Either way, the organizers are fantastic for putting things like this together, I just think looking outside the regular circles of DC-music heads might be a good way to expand audience and base...maybe that means young professional groups or hill people or something but it can't hurt.

chrisafer

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:02:52 -0500

How many years has Ft. Reno been going strong?

jamie

Thu, 08 May 2008 10:50:14 -0500

@Mike Licht: "This adds the uncertainty of weather, especially in the DC summer. Area festivals of all kinds have had a shake-out, although other events like charity runs and walks have boomed." This is always a risk, of course. But I don't think it's so great that we should just give up the ghost. Other outdoor festivals (and other events) take place in the area all summer long. So it rains sometimes, you deal. Putting together a real outdoor festival would have way more draw than just organizing a bunch of bands to play all day at various indoor venues. Who wants to be in the Black Cat during the day on a nice summer day? Outdoors is the only way to go.

DC1974

Thu, 08 May 2008 10:15:39 -0500

Noise Pop in San Francisco has been going on strong for years. I think some of the original seed money for that came from SF hotel tax that pays for art. Although, now it has big corporate sponsors: Diesel, Puma, etc. And it doesn't look like the City and County of SF are involved any longer. But as someone mentioned above, one advantage that SF has is entertainment districts, with clubs that are close together that all generally participate. And perhaps, clubs that see each other as supporting each other and not just competing against each other. And the thing that makes SXSW work in part, is that community involvement and support of the institutions in that city and the government. Chicago and Philadelphia have this too, where the cultural arts department sees festivals as being part of the tourist attraction to the city. Looptopia is a new festival in Chicago, but it's been spurred on by the Loop businesses and the cultural affairs department. Having worked in Chicago and grown up there, the cultural arts department can of course be a little overbearing. They don't call it's head the Culture Czar for nothing. Nothing happens culturally that doesn't cross through that office. But they are very much about making venues and businesses and museums work together to support these summer festivals. You need that kind of leadership, ultimately.

Hillman

Thu, 08 May 2008 08:42:04 -0500

There's no way DC could have a SXSW-type festival if it included anything involving public space. It can take literally months and thousands of dollars to secure any sort of public space use permits from DC government, and the process is very, very shaky, with no guarantee of success. Austin, on the other hand, actively promotes it's music festivals.

bigyawn

Thu, 08 May 2008 02:19:41 -0500

Sorry I missed Andrew's e-mail on this, honestly didn't realize this was the angle of the story. We are still hoping to have DAM! Fest this year, but money is an issue. XM doesn't really care about DC music, they've ignored our pleas two straight years. Yeah yeah, talk about Billy Zero all you want, there is no money there, sorry guys. Reality and perception are often two different things unfortunately for us. One way or another we'll be back, but likely not at the scale we were in previous years. I can't tell if folks really care if the festival comes back at all, based on these comments. Anyone care to comment on that?

Mike Licht

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:20:46 -0500

it would help tremendously if the local festival was outside and everything happened in one place This adds the uncertainty of weather, especially in the DC summer. Area festivals of all kinds have had a shake-out, although other events like charity runs and walks have boomed.

MWP

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:42:49 -0500

I agree 100% with Jamie in that it would help tremendously if the local festival was outside and everything happened in one place. While it wasn't a festival, Live On Penn was a great concert series a few years ago, one that I can't believe failed due to low ticket sales (considering 3-act shows were $5, if I recall correctly). I've never been to SXSW, but I don't think just any ol' city can model a festival after what Austin is doing. DC needs to create it's own identity and it's own local festival, and having a bunch of bands play at random clubs throughout the city isn't going to cut it. While it's a pipe dream of sorts currently, I am in the process of looking at the logistics of doing a small, local festival on the Mall in August (which would probably end up being charity-driven)... Stay tuned, I guess.

MikeB

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:26:25 -0500

I don't see why these guys haven't gotten corporate sponsors involved, especially since XM is practically in our backyard. Good point. XM has a show/station for unsigned acts. Seems like that would be a good springboard for a music festival.

fafou

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:25:19 -0500

I have to admit I've only been to a show that was apparently part of DAM Fest. Although I as a fan of music didn't notice a damn bit of difference. If I had a say I'm all for the merger, but there obviously was a reason why Huff left DAM Fest to work on Six Points. Too bad though. More music rocks. :-) Less music sucks. :-(

MikeB

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:21:11 -0500

I think Jamie has hit on one of the issues, at least with 6 Points. I never got the sense it was anything beyond most of the same local bands playing at the same local joints they play on any other night of the week. I did attend one night of DAM at the RnR Hotel last year. Really good line up, but yeah the turnout seemed a little off. Both fests seem to improve a bit last year in terms of lineups, which I thought was encouraging. DCGent hits the other issue: logistics. I've never been to SXSW, but I've been to Austin a few times, and you can pass several clubs, bars, etc. just walking one or two blocks down 6th Street. Many have the bands right there in the window, or you can at least hear them as you pass by. Makes you want to duck in to check out the music. So yeah, I would agree finding someway to sort of centralize things might be a good step.

Stone

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:18:52 -0500

I'm not really surprised. I think these guys have the right mindset but lack organization. I went to a 6 Points event last year at RNR and there was no signs or banners to let the audience know that they were at more than a standard show. I don't see why these guys haven't gotten corporate sponsors involved, especially since XM is practically in our backyard.

js adams

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:08:24 -0500

Things ebb and flow ... what was the indie/alternative music fest and record mart that was staged at the old Sears parking lot in Arlington? I remember catching an amazing set by Labradford there. Not everyone's cup-o-tea, but Sonic Circuits is still planned for October 3-12 and features local and international artists.

bwu

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:03:54 -0500

DC has an annual music festival that's been going strong since 2001, with strong participation from local musicians... Sonic Circuits. http://www.dc-soniccircuits.org/ Probably not really what most people are looking for, but it seems like a pretty vibrant event for experimental music heads.

DCGent

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:54:43 -0500

I don't think its an issue of being DC being lame or not. Things like this have failed in other cities, too. Portland, OR tried to launch a North by Northwest festival (sister to Austin's SXSW), and it couldn't get off the ground. We have loads of good bands in the District, VA, and MD (to include Baltimore). The issue is largely one of logistics and venues. Festivals like these work when there are a bunch of clubs participating, all within close proximity to one another. Anyone who has been to Austin during SXSW knows what I mean. When only a few clubs participate, and those clubs aren't within easy walking distance to one another (DC9 to R&R Hotel, for instance), it becomes too much of a hassle. Plus, there's no real sense of festival cohesion. It might be better to just pick a couple of big venues (9:30 and Black Cat or something) and hold 2 full days of shows (starting in the early afternoon), mixing local and national acts. Like the old WHFStival, only on a smaller-scale. Pick a location like H St., or the U St. corridor, get all the clubs in those areas to participate, get a good mix of well-known and lesser-known acts, and see what happens.

jamie

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:30:20 -0500

I would absolutely support a local music festival. But "a bunch of local bands playing at various venues" does not a festival make. That's every night. You need something outdoors, preferably with more than one stage, and all in the same place. Didn't there used to be a festival in the Georgetown harbor some years back? And what happened to Live on Penn? Hmm. Maybe we really are too lame to have our own festival...

IMGoph

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:06:03 -0500

yep, it's called the virgin fest at pimlico...