http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/music/midnight-sun-blog/bs-ae-virgin-mobile-freefest-lineup,0,7157168.story"Hurwitz said that when the festival was a ticketed event at Pimlico Race Track, the process for booking talent was geared towards who would sell the most tickets. In 2007, the headliners were The Police, Beastie Boys, and the Smashing Pumpkins.
Now, ?We have the luxury that the only criteria we have is who are the most exciting artists out there,? Hurwitz said.
FreeFest tends to book more eclectically than other festivals for several other reasons. Speer notes that in recent years, organizers have been to draw younger crowds than those who might attend, say, a show by the Police.
This is Virgin Mobile's doing, which counts courting a young demographic as one of its goals for the event. ?[The festival] became less about booking the important bands than booking those that would resonate with the customer we really wanted to attract,? Faris said.
These edgier artists are also in keeping with Virgin Mobile's company ethos: hip, independent, innovative.
Because the festival is underwritten largely through sponsorships with several companies - Kyocera is one of the most prominent this year - the line-up also has to fit a budget."
(...though I don't think Empire of the Sun and Ghostland Observatory are edgy AT ALL)
