I can't stand festivals like this..the *scenester* vibe they give off and god awful bands they pimp. They pretty much are a style-no-substance-flavor-of-the-month activity. In 10 years, bands like MGMT and Phoenix won't be promoted by this "scene" but they make their festival out to be where you need to be if you "have a life" or are "hip."
lala smurf-fest Warpaint bio
This would make a good mascot for the festival.
Warpaint is an all-girl quartet from Los Angeles. They weave intricate guitar lines, hypnotic vocals, and driving post-punk rhythms into gorgeous, sprawling songs that skirt the line between the soundscapes of psychedelia and intimacy.
while this isn't the worst description ever, why do they ALWAYS HAVE TO USE THE WORD "Punk" or "Post-Punk" and they rarely use the word "progressive." (although with "progressive" used in the alternative-press post-hardcore/emo scene, it's probably worse than not using it there). "Art Rock" "experimental" or "psychedelic" I would think would suffice well enough.
So having Warpaint and some other actual good bands on the bill (The Antlers, Minus the Bear, Mute Math, The New Pornographers and some others), while it still feels wrong to me, especially a (relatively) new and unknown act like Warpaint getting on there should benefit them in a lot of ways.
Even beyond the skin-crawling vibe that's given from the very idea of seeing all those artists at that festival, promoted by scenesters, zines, hipster blogs, etc (although I'd say the P4K festival would be even worse), all of these bands should be or have come to Minnesota within a year from the festival.
So, why in the blue fuck would I ever want to go to this? I've been to the all-day (or all-night) prog festivals enough times to know, long festivals are
1) far more $ than they are worth
2) far too draining and a job to get through, that the thing you want most is to get the day over and get to bed
3) far too crowded with bands playing for way too short, compared to even an opening set in town.
At least Coachella and some other festivals, an online stream is available. Lolopalooza (even the fact it's the oldest), if they have to happen, should always be stream-able. Watching them online (or on tv perhaps) is really the only way to experience these things for me. Otherwise, they have really no value or importance to me beyond giving EXPOSURE to bands like Warpaint or Local Natives that can really be helped out by it (at least financially and future touring opportunities).
But seeing them announce their lineups with so many horrible acts, on the same bill with artists I like, and I know/feel don't necessarily deserve to be smothered-in, with artists they frankly don't-deserve-to-be, or shouldn't be mixed-with, is just nauseating.
As I just posted on twitter, where the fuck is MY SCENE? (if there is or should be a "scene" at all). It sure isn't "indie" and it isn't really the prog, prog metal scenes either.
Someday, there will be some kind of College-Art-Rock festival, website, etc. There already is in a parallel dimension.