Sasquatch! Lineup Is Nice, But Maybe Not For The Price
February 17th, 2010
In case you missed it, the lineup for the 2010 Sasquatch! Festival was released Monday night during a concert at the Crocodile (I was unsuccessful in my attempts for those coveted free tickets). Here’s the day-by-day schedule:
.
Saturday, May 29th
My Morning Jacket / Vampire Weekend / The National / Deadmau5 / Broken Social Scene / OK Go / Wale / Public Enemy / The Hold Steady / Miike Snow / Z-Trip / Brother Ali / Minus The Bear / WHY? / The Very Best / Portugal. The Man / Mumford & Sons / The Lonely Forest / Nurses / The Middle East / Patrick Watson / Morning Teleportation / Laura Marling / Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros / Fool’s Gold / Garfunkel & Oates / Dam-Funk / Shabazz Palaces.
Sunday, May 30th
Massive Attack / Pavement / LCD Soundsystem / Tegan and Sara / Kid Cudi / Nada Surf / Dirty Projectors / The xx / The Long Winters / Simian Mobile Disco / Midlake / Girls / Vetiver / The Tallest Man On Earth / YACHT / Booka Shade / Caribou / Avi Buffalo / City and Colour / Cymbals Eat Guitars / A-Trak / Fruit Bats / tUnE-yArDs / Local Natives / Freelance Whales / Jets Overhead / Rob Riggle / Luke Burbank.
Monday, May 31st
Ween / MGMT / Band of Horses / She & Him / Passion Pit / The New Pornographers / Drive-By Truckers / Boys Noize / Camera Obscura / The Temper Trap / Dr. Dog / Neon Indian / No Age / The Mountain Goats / Phantogram / Quasi / Japandroids / Mayer Hawthorne & The County / The Low Anthem / Fresh Espresso / Hudson Mohawke / Telekinesis / Past Lives / Yes Giantess / Craig Robinson
Pretty solid, no? Yes, I agree; but while this is certainly a better than average group of bands, musicians, and comedians, it doesn’t set my heart aflutter like in years past. Personally, I’d say Sunday is the best mix (mostly due to the headliners) but I see how any random person might prefer any of those three days. But here’s my deal: it’s difficult to not view the price of this thing as somewhat of a rip-off. It seems to get pricier and pricier every year and is the biggest reason I haven’t attended in a long time (well, that and the state of the “campground”).
.
Let’s do some math: $170 3-day pass + $15 (estimated) ticket fees + $99 for all-weekend camping (no single day campground prices) + $100 for food/drink/water + $50 for gas = $434! Good lord, that’s a lotta dough. Sure you can maybe split the camping, sustenance and gas amongst friends, but that $100 for food and drink could easily be $150, and if you only want a single day ticket, that’s $80 a day ($70 if you buy early, $86 if you buy late). Now, I’m no miser, but I do prefer to spend my money wisely. Is $300-400 worth it? I dunno, but if the prices keep going up, how can this be A) sustainable and B) desirable?
.
I also forgot to mention that the 3-day passes are only available for 2 days starting Feb. 20th. Geez louise.
February 17th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Tom.Blodgett said:
I like Saturday, but do I $70 like Saturday?
Be nice to see some of these bands set against those beautiful rolling hills ( providing it doesn’t rain). Vampire Weekend / The National / Broken Social Scene / OK Go / Minus The Bear / Portugal. And enjoy some hip hop; Shabazz Palaces & Public Enemy. Also, Garfunkel & Oates are rad.
February 17th, 2010 at 11:50 am
LB said:
Nice to see Broken Social Scene touring again. Their live show is incredible.
February 17th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Chris Craig said:
We all know that our favorite bands are not making as much on selling their recorded music these days, so depending on how much their cut of the ticket sales is, it may be the best way to ensure that said favorite band stays in business.
February 17th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
maus said:
Oh massive attack, I want you, but not 90+$ with added fees
“We all know that our favorite bands are not making as much on selling their recorded music these days, so depending on how much their cut of the ticket sales is, it may be the best way to ensure that said favorite band stays in business.”
I want my cut to go to the band! I don’t want to pay for everything else, though.
February 17th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Chris Craig said:
Word!
February 17th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
LB said:
I agree wholeheartedly with giving your favorite bands financial support.
Personally, I spend a lot of money on shows and albums, so when I see these kinds of additional price tags, my jaw drops.
February 17th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Chris Craig said:
Are these shows a bigger deal to the bands playing them than to the fans going to see it? My Morning Jacket has to be making more on the show than, say, The Lonely Forest but it’s gotta be broader exposure for smaller bands getting big. Does that justify such a high price tag?
February 17th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Tom.Blodgett said:
When the brownies wear off. Who really remembers anything?
I pay $70 bucks just to be on top of an Indian burial ground; which enhances the music with spirituality.
What do people think of the mainstage sound?
February 17th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Kevin leDoux said:
I know you are all writing meaningful stuff, but all I’m seeing it Monday WEEN, Monday WEEN, Monday WEEN, Monday WEEN, Monday WEEN, Monday WEEN, Monday WEEN, Monday WEEN!
February 17th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Chris Morales said:
Kevin wants to see ween so he can sing along with THE RAINBOW SONG
February 18th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Kevin leDoux said:
Um, yeah! So?!
February 18th, 2010 at 10:07 am
maus said:
I don’t see anything wrong with that either…
February 25th, 2010 at 11:03 am
LB said:
Not that anybody cares, but I now have a ticket for Sunday (dang, it cost a lotta money!). The wife couldn’t resist the Pavement/Massive Attack/LCD Soundsystem trifecta. And neither could I, though I’m stoked for YACHT, the xx and Caribou, too.
May 27th, 2010 at 2:20 am
Audiovore said:
This came up when I was just searching for what the original prices were.
This discussion seems dead, but I thought I’d add this; I went to see Minus The Bear and The Hold Steady separately for $25 each(MtB had no one of import playing with; THS had Drive By Truckers). Thats over half the price for the day. So if you figure 20-30min per ‘main headliner’, and at least $5-10 for the other stages its totally worth it.
Even with it going up, big headliner shows are going to get pricier too. Some are well over 40 now even.