Some of the best gatherings across the globe happen to be Music Festivals. Annual music festivals have grown epically since the beginning of time, to share the passion for music. Music festivals create a long-lasting experience full of engagement, novelty, and practicality which is a shared expression of freedom and creativity. Some of the most famous festivals today include; Austin City Limits hosted in Austin, Texas, Benicassim which is held in Spain, Bonnaroo in Tennessee, and Coachella held in Indio, California. These are the top four festivals of today and these concerts are important in society because they influence the music industry, fashion, and new futuristic ideals of society.
Festivals have advanced overtime specifically from Woodstock Music and Art Fair in 1969 to today's newest culturally influenced music carnival CampFlogGnaw by artist Tyler the Creator, a rap artist. CampFlogGnaw is the new Woodstock, in my humble opinion, the music and art fair creates a platform for music artists to gain importance. Jimi Hendrix an important culture and music influencer of his time was most important at the time of Woodstock. Hendrix once played a two hour set at the infamous Woodstock, New York, one of the longest in his career, but you can visualize his influence at this time as an artist, even though his death was untimely his Spirit lived through a special dedication of his art at the festival. Live music is connection that cannot be replaced, the memory will always be preserved. Since music is shared across the world, you can guarantee that rapport is needed in order to grow as an artist, "...for many their appearance at Woodstock was career making and enduring"(Spitz p.3). Just like today the platform music festivals create for an artist can be limitless, as you are introduced to a new audience and all types of lovers of music. The performances can be so memorable for the audience and they must deliver a great impression. The benefits artists get from networking, promotion, and distribution, all happen at once. Some artists have even emerged from just one performance at a festival. One being Kehlani, a R&B artist from Northern California, who debuted at SXSW another highlighted event hosted in the Live Music Capitol of Austin, Texas. Artists, locals, and tourists travel to a two week festival to enjoy clubs, seminars, and concerts as a community in one of America’s “safest” cities, so you can easily see how this can be the start of one’s career if willing to compete with some of the best. The network and gain is only as credible as your influence. The music industry is being compartmentalized by festivals today since the sales of records have dropped because of streaming and downloading. It has become easier to sale the experience rather than the music because it is free. Performances have always been the leading profit in the past years when live music was the only topic and there were no CDs, or media sources. Overall, artists benefit more from touring than any other promotion.
Music Festivals also contribute to new fashion agendas. The spotlight is on the concert-goers as well as the artists at these events. Fashion takes a large role in the novelty of creative expression at events where expression is at its peak. Vogue covered Camp FlogGnaw and in an article after its fifth year analyzing the new youth style, influenced by not only the founder Tyler the Creator and his crew but also from individuals true expression. "here are the young radicals show off their festival best, bobbing their heads in self-distressed T-shirts, boiler suits, hand painted leather jacket, brightly colored denim, odd future brand clothing, and modern take on the classic stoner festival look that were arguably light years ahead of anything you'll see at Coachella"(Williams). The journalist points out that fashion influence is shared today based off of street fashion which is not new. Majority of the participants of these concerts are every day supporters of new and old music and they marvel at being able to express their originality. Most attendents at these festivals are artist themselves who choose to support creation, the experience, engage, and share their passion of art with others. The best part is sharing creative thoughts with others at these scenic gatherings because they spark inspiration. Music festivals are one of the greatest expressions of individual creativity just by fashion alone. The influence the photographs from these concerts and festivals have can affect the whole society as well as culture. Even though in comparison styles can remerge the beauty is the shared expression. In society today we find it importance in looking good and feeling good. That brings me the the experience. I have attended the CampFlogGnaw Carnival in it’s second year as well as it’s fifth year just recently in November 2016 and I will conclude the epic sensation you get from dancing in a massive crowd to my favorite music with people who are enjoying themselves equally if not more than me is powerful. I can explain the experience being mind-blowing, electrifying, demanding, entertaining and mythical all at the same time. There is an immense difference in listening to music by a beloved artist through headphones compared to the reality of always having that positive interaction between joy and comfort. Festivals also embody a ethopia for concert-goers, even though the use of drugs is active at these events, the locations are most importantly safe and carefully diagrammed for unlimited fun. Tyler the Creator’s idea to create a music festival and carnival may be as silly as Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory but it is like scoring a lottery ticket. The carnival is the trifecta of fun; music, concert, festival. The young entrepreneur idea not only has brought the city of Los Angeles together but also has brought many artists up who didn’t have a platform before, a safe and fun environment, and also a new silver lining to creativity.
I, myself, enjoy music festivals because of the interaction between others who share the same interest as well as the food. Some may say that festivals help commercialize rap music and youth culture. Distribution companies such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and many others use artists to promote their products. Elizabeth Blair quotes author Tony Van Der Meer, “There is something horribly wrong with a dominant community repeatedly co-opting the cultural forms of oppressed communities, stripping them of their vitality and form, the heritage of their creators and then popularizing them”(1). I do agree that the hosts of such events as well as artists should be careful what is promoting during such popular cultural events because the goal is not to sell products but to enjoy the music and performances as well as enjoy a healthy environment of fun. The engagement cannot be replaced and is arguably timeless. Urban focus on today's society cannot be overlooked when participating a music festival but being in the present can’t be ignored. "Attendance and participation at popular music festivals has become important increasingly. Price was not a contributing factor when choosing to attend a concert, suggesting that live music offers fan something special that they are more than willing to pay for"(Don Knox). Consumers and supporters pay for attendance to view their favorite artists faithfully. The fact is festivals may be the best outlet we all share and benefit from today. It is a global acknowledgement that we can be united on one platform.
