OVERPRICED MUSIC FESTIVAL GETS MARGINALLY LESS SUCKY

All Tomorrow’s Parties festivals have a pretty irksome format. Essentially, no matter where they’re held, it’s so out-of-the-way that in order to attend you’re compelled to stay at some overpriced resort. Ticket prices aren’t exactly cheap to begin with, so what started out as a neat weekend with bands you love rapidly becomes tough to justify in these doleful economic times. Up until now, this coming September’s lineup for the Catskills, NY weekender didn’t have much for heavy music fans to get pumped about, but today’s announcement that both The Jesus Lizard and The Melvins are scheduled to perform on the Friday and Saturday nights, respectively, changes that – sorta.

Does news that two of the greatest noise rock bands that ever noise rocked make me more likely bite the proverbial bullet and blow my diminishing wad of crumbled bills? Hardly. A three day festival pass currently costs about $250, with single day tickets ranging from $80-$100 per day. That’s a lot of gas money–and we haven’t even broached transportation or accommodations! As already reported here, those Melvins are playing a bunch of silver anniversary gigs this May (new dates just added for Seattle and Portland), so chances are you can see them for a lot cheaper elsewhere even if you have to travel. The Jesus Lizard is the lone enigma, but given the potential for filthy lucre and the number of ATP acts that played American dates surrounding their appearances at the 2008 Catskills festival, I’m willing to gamble that there will be other American opportunities to see David Yow’s wrinkly wang.

-GS

[Gary Suarez would like to make him another Boilermaker. He also writes for Brainwashed and usually manages the consistently off-topic No Yoko No.]