cornerstone will be ending this year....

[Spirit Flyer]

sounds like Cornerstone could use a KICKSTARTER page.

but seriously...they have no budget to pay anyone? I bet they've made a pretty penny over the years. and according to the letter to Eisley they're only gonna have "two or three tents?" the hell...?

this is weird....I mean how do they expect ANY band to travel to a farm in Illinois and play for free? i get it, they are broke (hence retiring the festival), but really....? this kinda upsets me.  I believe they rent the farm or it's provided so there isn't a big cost there. most of the stangehands and people around volunteer i thought.  there are vendors and expo booths that pay cornerstone a cut of their profit.

granted ive never put on a festival but what are the big costs i wonder (besides paying the bands) that they cant come up with any longer?

I think there are a lot of costs associated with the festival. I remember getting a press pass to Cornerstone 10 years ago and I still had to pay $25 or $35. I've heard they did not make money on some of the past festivals. I think the bands may have gotten paid a little too much in the past. They used to have a ton of stages including the main stage. I'm sure the big acts were not going play unless they got several thousand dollars. Sure there is some added cost getting hotel rooms and driving from Chicago or wherever the band flies into, but I think they may have gotten more than a fair share.

I don't imagine the bands would sell as much on the merch as they did when people were buying more CDs. I also get the impression that the attendance at Cornerstone was down in the last few years. Plus it's not like they had Tooth and Nail Day any more.   

[music___me]

There is no way I'm going this year. As said earlier, it would be my first. Now that I know bands are starting to drop out, this is going to be one big love fest for previous attendees and staff that have been going/working for years. I would feel so out of place.

[pacifimatt]

I don't imagine the bands would sell as much on the merch as they did when people were buying more CDs. I also get the impression that the attendance at Cornerstone was down in the last few years. Plus it's not like they had Tooth and Nail Day any more.   
[/quote]

and in that lies the fundamental problem with the future of music
no one buys music
and
no one attends shows

therefore there are less quality music and less quality labels

so what do we do from here?
how do we keep good music alive?
whats next?

seriously name all the bands you think are amazing that haven't stopped touring, are still on a good label, and are still together
i can't name many

[bigideas]

Wouldn't they have to have insurance? Security? Electricity? Portapotties? Clean up? Sound people/rental?

[pacifimatt]

Why is it necessary for a band to be on a "good label"? MewithoutYou has proven (to me, anyway) that a band doesn't even need to be on a label to be amazing.
[/quote]

No one said it is "necessary" for anyone to be on a good label
But we have discussed in other forum discussions how much we miss a good label so I thought I would make a point to include them
But either way most artists need someone to invest in them to get music out or stay on the road
Not everyone is rich
And a good label does that for an artist

Sure some artists pull it off without but few do

[Keithy Huntington]

if mwY was never on t&n, but did all that work completely indie, they would only have 100 fans today. T&N built their following. (and i love them and think they are brilliant, but most "indie bands" today that have a good following, do so because they WERE on a label that got them 'out there,' its not just "cause they rock" )

[unhappybirthday]

Sure some artists pull it off without but few do

Agreed.

if mwY was never on t&n, but did all that work completely indie, they would only have 100 fans today. T&N built their following. (and i love them and think they are brilliant, but most "indie bands" today that have a good following, do so because they WERE on a label that got them 'out there,' its not just "cause they rock" )

True.

I've removed my original post because it sounded a bit "fan-girlish" and that's embarrassing.

[rcreek00]

I'm hoping more bands will be announced....sucks that (apparently) no one is going to get paid though which will deter some bands for sure.  I like how some bands true to the scene (Choir/Violet Burning) will be there...

If I had my top shows it would be something like:

1) The Prayer Chain
2) Ester Drang
3) Stavesacre
4) Sixpence None the Richer
5) Mike Knott/LSU/Aunt Bettys
6) Terry Taylor/Daniel Amos
7. Roadside Monument
8. Switchfoot or MuteMath (toss up)
9. Poor Old Lu (w/ Aaron and Jesse Sprinkle shows)
10. mewithoutYou
11. David Bazan (Pedro the Lion)
12. MxPx
13. Sufjan Stevens
14. Huntingtons
15. Zao
16. Living Sacrifice
17. Starflyer 59 (with at least 4 musicians playing)
18. Plankeye
19. Havalina Rail Co.
20. Dakota Motor Co.

 

[rcreek00]

Wouldn't they have to have insurance? Security? Electricity? Portapotties? Clean up? Sound people/rental?

Those are a few ideas that kinda slipped my mind; I'm sure they have to have some type of liability insurance to put on a lengthy festival like this.  I would love to see the electric bill after a week there - I wonder the cost of portapotties cost? I believe a lot of the clean up is done by the volunteers (dunno). Yeah the sound/equipment is probably high too. Whats a circus tent run these days

I wonder what the biggest cost is? Staff...? Promoting...? I wonder if it has changed over the years. 

[pacifimatt]

This is strange -
Last night I had a dream that I went to this years cornerstone
And there wasn't really anyone I wanted to see play till Saturday so I just dicked around
And on Saturday Starflyer was scheduled to play
When saturday came I lost track of time and almost missed his show
I think I made it alittle before half way through the set
I was looking for my friends when I realized jason martin was sitting next to them in the back of the crowd
I was so confused cause I heard him singing and playing
Turns out he was singing from back here
And since most the kids didn't know who he was there was a live band on stage and the lead singer was just lip syncing to his actual voice
It was very strange
Ha
So what does this mean?
Besides I'm a dork

[bigideas]

ha. Maybe you just watched the I Win video?

[music___me]

ha. Maybe you just watched the I Win video?

You know, Matt and I were just talking about that in the chat room on Tuesday. I bet that was it.

[pacifimatt]

http://youtu.be/vKOU0eONu6M
here's a link to watch the entire Squad-5-O reunion from Cornerstone - my buddy/band-mate Jason is playing lead guitar

[pacifimatt]

ok well there are way better videos out there - but yea- ha

[digory]

THANKS FOR POSTING THE SQUAD VIDEO!!!

sorry to yell...just really excited