Today I woke up feeling like $150 because that is what I have left in my checking account. Before I really get started, SXSW has been incredible and super awesome but also super expensive. All I have to do is make it through today and tomorrow and I am in the clear and don’t have to spend any more money on tacos or brisket. Besides my money worries, I went to a panel today and the main focus of it was festivals. How festivals came to be and which one helped elevate the bar of how a festival should take place.
The panel today was called, From Monterey Pop to Coachella: Conversation with Lou Adler and Paul Tollett. For those who don’t know, Lou Adler is one of the primary guys who put together the Monterey Pop festival together in 1967. The same festival where Janis Joplin and The Who were introduced and the arrival of Jimi Hendrix and the burning of his guitar. The cool thing about this is that were I grew up all my life, that same venue where that festival took place is just right down the road from where my parents live right now and it’s the same place and same stage that Hendrix blessed where a couple of my friends from the group The Closeouts got to perform at the California Roots Festival a few years back. After hearing Lou Adler talk about the festival, it’s crazy to think that they came up with probably one of the most amazing lineups of all time in just 6 weeks before the festival was to kick off. The crazier thing was is that the artist all performed for free and the highest ticket price for that festival was $6.50… I could only imagine those festival goers complaining about paying $6.50 ticket just to get in; Lou said that it had happened ha. Any money that was generate though at that festival was all donated to charities choose by the artists and bands that got to perform there. The Monetary Pop festival basically help validate Rock ‘n’ Roll as a genre and ultimately was the inspiration for the world famous 1969 Woodstock festival. The festival consisted of 32 different acts all on one stage because in 1967 at the Monterey Fairgrounds, there was only one stage there. Ultimately this festival helped inspire and revolutionize how festivals would take place. The Other speaker at the panel, Paul Tollett is the founder of Coachella. If the Monetary Pop festival didn’t happen, who knows if Woodstock would have ever taken place or Coachella even being a thing. It’s kind of cool to think that I’m from a place where this all happened.
This panel turned out to be a good one. It was cool to hear stories of essentially a town that I call home. Tonight, I’m not really sure what the plan is but I definitely would like to go out and catch a few shows. Talib Kweli and Open Mike Eagle are both performing tonight and I’m stoked about potentially checking them both out. As of now, I am officially finish blogging about SXSW down here in beautiful Austin, Texas. It has been super awesome to share my experiences but all good things must come to an end. Who knows, I kind of like this whole blogging thing and I may want to continue do this in the future. It’s a nice little way of speaking my mind and letting everyone know what’s up.
Hope you all enjoyed reading these blogs. I know I’m not the best writer or have the best grammar but i wanted it to sound as if I was actually talking to you all in person. Shoutout to SXSW 2017 for putting on a killer festival and now I’m going to enjoy my last two days and celebrate the quarter for being over.
Catch you later everyone.
Peace & love.
nickvogued 