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| From | "David Bash" <bashpop@earthlink.net> |
| Subject | Re: IPO Midwest |
| Date | Thu, 26 Apr 2007 15:47:58 -0500 |
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--- In audities@yahoogroups.com, "Michael Bennett" <mrhonorama@...> wrote:
>
> I hadn't though much about David not posting about IPO on Audities...until
> David posted about not posting (in response to Steve's post). Boy, I wish
> David had asked me -- he should always feel free to post IPO here.
> Particularly since he has now expanded it into more cities -- a lot of
> folks
> might not know that it's coming to their town.
>
> If IPO posts lead to discussion and possible criticism, so be it. I will
> say that the character of the festival has changed somewhat as it has
> expanded to more cities -- the L.A. festival used to be so exciting
> because
> so many bands and fans came from so far to one place. The first Chicago
> festival really had that feel too (and the second, to a lesser extent).
> The
> more it expands, the less there is of that, which is what I liked best
> about
> the festival. But that's just me.
>
> This year, it looks like I'm missing the entire fest. I've been teaching
> this spring, which has kept me busy. And my two big nights out were for
> other events -- I saw Mark Buehrle throw his no-hitter and a great double
> bill show (Kaiser Chiefs and The Walkmen). That's just bad timing -- if
> it
> weren't for the teaching, I'd have taken in some shows.
>
> Anyway, I'm rambling. Just post away, David.
>
> Mike Bennett
And post away I shall...
Mike makes some very good points about the dynamic of IPO and how it's
changed over the years, mostly due to the regionalization of the festival as
I continue to add cities. Bands who would have been more than happy to
travel many miles to Los Angeles to play the festival when LA was our only
location are now much more reluctant to do so, rather opting to travel to a
closer IPO location (or in many cases, not have to travel at all). This
certainly has taken away some of the festival's allure, but, on the other
hand, what IPO now does is expose the local crowds to many bands who have
been right under their noses the whole time, but to whom they have been
totally unaware up to that point. This doesn't only go for fans, but for
bands as well; I can't tell you how many bands local to an IPO city have
seen another local band and said "they're great, where are they from?", and
have been absolutely astonished to find that the band comes from the exact
same city! To be sure, it's much more exotic and continental to have lots
of bands come into an IPO city and play, and that was indeed one of the
clearest visions I had for IPO when I first started the festival (a vision
which is still fully realized at IPO Liverpool, btw). Having said that, the
other extremely clear vision was, is, and always will be to give worthy
bands the opportunity for exposure to the kind of fans who would be likely
to be into what they do. I sincerely believe that IPO is still
accomplishing this in every city. It's like Greg Sager said: he was very
pleased to find so many good new bands playing the festival this year, and
I'm sure several of these are from Chicago or its proximity.
I've said this before, but it bears repeating: IPO is not about "big names"
and, when it comes right down to it, IPO isn't really about recongizable
names. Sure, both of those are great to have at the festival, and I always
do my best to get them, but the essence of IPO will always be in the
likelihood of pop fans to discover talented bands. People can talk all they
want about how the quality level of the festival has been diluted by the
fact that we're doing it in so many cities, but that's total hogwash, and
the biggest evidence of that is the quality level of the IPO CDs. These CDs
are comprised of tracks which bands who play the festival volunteer to have
on the comp-it's not me choosing the "biggest names" or "names people know".
So, what your getting on the CDs is truly a representative, random sampling
of the talent at the festival, and I think anyone who has listened to the
CDs know that their quality level has not changed from Year 1 (or if
anything, it's improved a bit).
In sum, while IPO has lost a bit of its mystique and flair, it still offers
some of the best, untapped talent in pop music today. Ok, so it's not creme
brulee, but it's damn fine cup of frozen yogurt...or something! :-)
--
Pop Rules!!!!!
Take Care,
David (who will be at tonight's IPO show at The Abbey...and so should you!)
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