Author Topic: live on penn cancelled...  (Read 11145 times)

RonniStar

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #45 on: July 28, 2004, 04:08:00 pm »
Quote
Originally posted by samsfresh5:
  Whatever happened to "DC Sessions"?  ..on H St. across from MCI Center 2 years ago (wow has it been that long?) They had national bands booked with local bands, and it was free.  It seemed that they made their money from vendors and had advertising all over the place. (my guess would be that they didn't actually *make* money, or they would have done it again.) But yeah, and it's been said here a couple times before, but I think the logistics of the whole thing were wrong.. marketed to the wrong demographic, set at the wrong time of day, and putting bands on a bill that won't draw the intended crowds at the times/dates that they are booked.  Unfortunately, when it all comes down to it, it's all about money for these folks who set stuff up like this.  It seems to me like people start out with good intentions... "Hey.. let's have live music outdoors in the streets of Washington, and we'll couple major national acts with local acts, charge a *small* (arguable) admission, and we'll get lots of locals and tourists as well and it will be great!!!"  ...but then those who are involved in the money end of it, only see the potential profits part of it, and since it doesn't net a huge profit, they cancel the whole thing.  Seems like the financial people and the promotion people need to get on the same page.. is the mix 107 crowd a DC crowd?  ..in reading this board, I would think not.. so if you're going to book mix 107 bands, how do you expect to draw from the burbs on a Saturday afternoon and have them pay to see the show?  Aren't they all at the beach?    :)     I mean, it seems to me that alot (not all) of the posts around this topic talk about how the bands all sucked, so, shouldn't they have booked bands that all of the cool people who post here (to me, seems like are mostly DC residents) would have wanted to see?
 
 Ok, don't flame me, I'm just pointing out what I perceive to be where they went wrong in putting the whole thing together, and taking others' positions about what bands/cost/demographics/logistics were wrong with the whole thing, a step further.  Not trying to insult anyone's locale whether it be DC or the burbs, or their tastes in music. (besides, the last time someone flamed me (MANKIE) he never backed it up by saying it to my face, anyway, so no need to do it again   ;)    )  ...Mankie.. where've you been?
 
 I don't have the answers, but it's just a shame that another attempt at live music that couples National acts with local DC acts fails.  I wish I had the answers and could make something that would work.
DC Sessions changed its name to  Sessions At Merriweather. With openers like Fuel, Big Boi of Outkast, Twista, Live and Cake, I don't mind making the journey to Columbia, MD.

Sailor Ripley

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #46 on: July 28, 2004, 04:14:00 pm »
Quote
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
  I thought old 97's and the They Might Be Giants/ Fountains of Wayne bills were well worth the price of admission.
I think I see the problem with ticket sales.  Even the fans don't pony up.
 
 
Quote
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
 I wouldn't have minded paying the 5 bucks to get in, but the sight lines were actually much better outside of the pay area.

Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #47 on: July 28, 2004, 04:18:00 pm »
Exactly. Why would I pay 5 bucks to be fenced in a pen with a gaggle of Eve 6 fans, when I can safely avoid the retards and not pay a dime?
 
 
Quote
Originally posted by Sailor Ripley:
   
Quote
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
  I thought old 97's and the They Might Be Giants/ Fountains of Wayne bills were well worth the price of admission.
I think I see the problem with ticket sales.  Even the fans don't pony up.
 
   
Quote
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
 I wouldn't have minded paying the 5 bucks to get in, but the sight lines were actually much better outside of the pay area.
[/b]

markie

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #48 on: July 28, 2004, 04:36:00 pm »
Quote
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
  Exactly. Why would I pay 5 bucks to be fenced in a pen with a gaggle of Eve 6 fans, when I can safely avoid the retards and not pay a dime?
 
  [
So that the band you like get paid?
 
 So the promoters can afford to entertain you exactly the same way next year?

thirsty moore

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #49 on: July 28, 2004, 04:52:00 pm »
Don't you know?  Old 97's all have real jobs.  They just do this band thing for kicks.
 
 
Quote
Originally posted by mark e smith:
 So that the band you like get paid?
 
 So the promoters can afford to entertain you exactly the same way next year?

Guiny

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #50 on: July 28, 2004, 04:54:00 pm »
Quote
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
   when I can safely avoid the retards and not pay a dime?
[/qb][/QUOTE] [/QB][/QUOTE]
 
 So you were the only Old 97's fan outside the fence?

RonniStar

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #51 on: July 28, 2004, 04:57:00 pm »
I went to one show of the Live On Penn Series: Galatic and Nappy Roots on July 17th. It rained until Nappy Roots can on. I did have an Umbrella.
 
 The problem with the Live On Penn this year was the line-up, the ticket prices and the location. So, it's more than one problem that caused it to hurt.
 
 The only free concert series left is the Fort Reno Concert Series. Unfortunately, they only do Mondays and Thursdays.

godsshoeshine

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #52 on: July 28, 2004, 11:01:00 pm »
i had fun at guided by voices last year. i like gbv, and i'm sure if someone else i liked that wasn't expensive came i would have fun no matter how much it cost or rained. but no one i liked came. would have caught old 97's if i was around though.
o/\o

Guiny

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #53 on: July 29, 2004, 10:40:00 am »
GBV were not very impresive that night.

Bags

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #54 on: July 29, 2004, 11:01:00 am »
Quote
Originally posted by Rob_Gee_a.k.a _Guiny:
  GBV were not very impresive that night.
I had a blast, whether they were good or not.  Live on Penn is a good time if you're going to see bands you like.  Not always the best "venue," per se, but a different kind of vibe.  It's kinda nice to see a band somewhere besides 9:30 or Black Cat...

ratioci nation

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #55 on: July 29, 2004, 11:08:00 am »
live on penn was my least favorite GBV show

bellenseb

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #56 on: July 29, 2004, 01:06:00 pm »
From liveonpenn.com:
 
 It is with much regret that we have to inform you that the remainder of the Live on Penn concert series has been cancelled effective immediately.
 
 We had hoped to once again bring the people of D.C. first-rate entertainment at reasonable prices all summer long. Unfortunately, the series is no longer viable.
 
 We want to thank our sponsors, partners, volunteers and the live music fans of Washington who truly supported this series.
 
 For those who purchased advanced tickets, information on refunds will be forthcoming in the near future.

Bags

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #57 on: July 29, 2004, 01:06:00 pm »
Official announcement's up on the website:
 
 It is with much regret that we have to inform you that the remainder of the Live on Penn concert series has been cancelled effective immediately.
 
 We had hoped to once again bring the people of D.C. first-rate entertainment at reasonable prices all summer long. Unfortunately, the series is no longer viable.
 
 We want to thank our sponsors, partners, volunteers and the live music fans of Washington who truly supported this series.
 
 For those who purchased advanced tickets, information on refunds will be forthcoming in the near future.

Bags

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #58 on: July 29, 2004, 03:54:00 pm »
W. Post's take:
 
 Dead on Penn
 
 
 By Fritz Hahn
 washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
 Thursday, July 29, 2004;
 
 
 Citing "a sluggish start," promoters of Live on Penn have pulled the plug on the outdoor concert series after just three of its ten scheduled shows.
 
 "We thank everyone for their support, but as shown by festivals like Lollapalooza, the concert industry is off to a sluggish start this summer ... and we're no longer able to continue," Director of Marketing Howard Kitrosser said. "We look forward to doing more events in the city of Washington."
 
 Held Saturday afternoons on a closed stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue outside the National Gallery of Art, Live on Penn debuted last summer and was an immediate success, luring large crowds for $3 shows featuring Blues Traveler, Wyclef Jean and Live, along with a mix of local and regional artists.
 
 This year, though, admission shot to $7 at the gate, although advance tickets were available for $5 through the series' Web site. The schedule was also problematic. Highlights included Grammy-nominated rock band Fountains of Wayne, alt-country heroes Old 97s (on the verge of releasing their first album since 2001), and perennial local favorites Virginia Coalition -- all of whom have headlined the 9:30 club in recent months at a much higher price.
 
 But most lineups were based around a mix of '80s nostalgia acts, including the Violent Femmes and the Smithereens, and veteran alternative-rock bands like Tonic and Better Than Ezra. The latter may have been big draws a few years ago, but they have fallen off the pop-culture radar and didn't lure fans willing to stand on the pavement and drink $5 cups of Miller beer.
 
 While the cancellation is disappointing, Live on Penn's promoters are in good company this summer. The multi-band Lollapalooza festival was scratched after substandard ticket sales, and some tours, including Dave Matthews and Ozzfest, have been playing to less-than-full houses.

eltee

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Re: live on penn cancelled...
« Reply #59 on: July 29, 2004, 04:50:00 pm »
Do you guys get credit to the info here?  ;)
 Who ran the event - what company?