I was going to do some weekend recap, where I talk about my 2.75 days of Fucking Awesome Fest, and then how Dream Affair at the CAID was one the best sets I’d seen this year, and how little weirdo underground shows with 40 people who have no idea that some “big” music festival thing is happening down the street is kind of refreshing. Really though, who gives a shit?
I used to always have the same gripe. I’d moan and groan and ask “Why does everything that ever happens in this town have to packaged as festival with high priced drinks and dumb wristbands and some gimmick and…”. I’d go on and on and convince myself that I preferred the standard three band bill at the small venue. You know what? I don’t. I like the festival. I like the festival so much that I’m only going to festivals.
This wouldn’t be the case if you fucking people could control yourselves and your live schedule. You can’t. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just delusional so I went through the Fucking Awesome Fest schedule to see what bands would be playing locally somewhere within two weeks of playing Fucking Awesome. I stopped somewhere on the Friday schedule, but take a look at this!
The Drags - August 27th, Jessica Hernandez - September 4th, The Satin Peaches - Auguest 26th, Sisters Of Your Sunshine Vapor - August 28th, Marco Polio - August 28th, Lettercamp - August 29th, Silverghost - September 3rd, Frustrations - August 24th, Prussia - September 3rd, Citizen Smile - August 29th, Kickstand Band - August 27th, Darling Imperial - August 29th, Handgrenades - August 27th, Zoos Of Berlin - September 4th…
I stopped so I didn’t have to throw the computer out the window. Oh, hey! Guess what happens next weekend? There is a festival on Belle Isle called Come Hear Belle Isle, and also People’s Art Festival at the Russell Industrial Center. You know what happens the weekend after that? Arts, Beats and Eats Festival, and The Hamtramck Labor Day Festival! You know what happens the weekend after that? Dally In The Alley Festival. The weekend after that? Ferndale DIY Street Fair Festival. The weekend after that?? Probably fucking Blowout. Is this real life?
So how many regular “festivals” do we have that champion local music? Blowout, Phonotropic, Hamtramck Labor Day Festival, People’s Art Festival, Dally In The Ally, Fucking Awesome, Scrummage Fest… I know I’m missing some. Does Panic In Hamtramck still exist?
Here is my proposal. Why don’t all of you people sit down… and space this shit out to happen every two months. You will have the foot traffic of the fans of the 20 - 300 other bands you’ll be playing with, and you won’t have to do anything in between. Then, if I can’t make it to one of our every other month festivals, my anticipation will have a chance to grow… over 59 glorious days. I will spend those 59 days doing things like looking longingly at your horrible press photo and drawing our names into hearts on my notebook. It will be a battle, but I think we can get through this.
In my fantasyland every band wouldn’t be allowed to play every festival. Perhaps that could groom the scene into one where bands who don’t have a show that weekend (lol) go and see other bands, you know, just as music fans. Do you have any idea the number of people I saw who were playing Fucking Awesome Fest on Saturday show up Saturday for the first time all weekend? Lots. So they either thought Thursday and Friday were complete horeshit, or they are all way smarter than I am and figured they could see these bands a hundred more times this year. Fair enough.
I’m looking to meet with the King of The Majestic Complex and the King of The Crofoot and The King of Ferndale to start. When do you guys want to get together and start ironing this out? I suggest we meet at The King of Ferndale’s castle since it’s between the two and also has good hamburgers. He’ll buy.
So how was your weekend?