What MUSIC are you listening to?

Not Sure wrote:

Michael Barnes wrote: Can we please stop talking about this Bleedin’ Gums Murphy crap.

NP: Prong “Beg to Differ”, Sacred Reich “Surf Nicaragua”, DRI “Four of a Kind”, Hirax “Raging Violence.

You brought it up, fool. Just say "maybe I was wrong" and back away slowly.

I cannot help but read that in the voice of Arnold from Silver Spoons

I'm a huge jazz and blues fan. In fact, I'm listening to Coltrane's Equinox right now. But people like what they like. Don't bother me none if their taste is inferior.

Jackwraith wrote: Don't bother me none if their taste is inferior.

Jazz fan.

Christ, what a great hijacking going on here. Genius.

Sagrilarus wrote: I don’t really hate jazz. I just enjoy poking people who like it. They’re so touchy.

They should be. There are only three of them left, and they're all guys so they can't reproduce.

Just venting. I bought a weekend ticket to a local music festival for the whole family. On Saturday there was one act we wanted to see, on Sunday lots so we thought - what the hell, we'll get both days.

The one band we wanted to see on Saturday cancelled. No refunds ... unless you bought for Saturday only. So because I invested more money to support the event, I get worse service.

No-one wants to see the replacement act. On one resale site alone on the same day as the announcement, there are 77 tickets up for grabs, going at half their original price.

I'm so angry about this I don't want to see any of it now. The whole thing's been tainted. So I'm over £250 out of pocket. Plus, it was organised by a local group who put on loads of great family events that I often go to, and now I won't be able to in the future, because I'm not giving the fuckers a single penny more. Fuming. I feel like breaking things.

I decided a long time ago that I wasn't a fan of music festivals. If there is just one stage, then there is a lot of downtime throughout the event, with each band setting up and then taking down equipment. If there are multiple stages, then there are the bad spots in between stages where you are hearing music from two bands at once. Parking is a hassle, there is nowhere to sit except the ground, and the food and beverages will be over-priced but necessary due to the length of the event. There will be lines for the bathroom and the smell will be breath-taking. I would much rather go to a normal concert to see one band with maybe one or two opening acts at the most.

I went to the original Lollalalooza and the B.B. King Blues Festival. I don’t know I’d do one again.

I went to a Bluegrass festival a few years back. It was a good time and I'd do it again. Two main stages and a few smaller ones. None of Shellhead's complaints were an issue.

Everyone should do themselves a favor and listen to the podcast R U Talkin' R.E.M. Re: Me? It's a comedy podcast spun off from U Talkin' U2 2 Me which is theoretically about R.E.M. but is mostly Scott Aukerman (of Comedy Bang Bang) and Adam Scott fucking around. They do end up talking about the music for about half the shows, and it's been fun for me to listen along to R.E.M. along with them. I was never into them while they were an active band, but I've been really enjoying them at least through their mid-90's output. The show fills that vacuum where I used to actually have friends to talk about music with. I miss that communal experience of sitting and listening to something and talking about it endlessly.

Mad Dog wrote: I went to a Bluegrass festival a few years back. It was a good time and I'd do it again. Two main stages and a few smaller ones. None of Shellhead's complaints were an issue.

Same. I've been to many (there are a lot of them in Michigan) and I've never had a real problem. The annual Irish Music festival in Muskegon is great. There's a semi-regular Folk/Blues festival in Ypsi. Blissfest in Petoskey can be fun. I think it depends on two things: space available and organization. If you have enough space, sound from the stages shouldn't overlap that much. If they're properly organized, side stages will be playing while the main stage is breaking down/setting up and vice-versa.

I also went to the first couple Lollapaloozas and to the Horde festival a couple times, back in the day. I've always had good experiences.

Jack, which bands come to that Irish festival? I try to go to the ones near me when I can. There was a good one 5-6 years ago in Sarasota Springs, NY where Lunasa came from Ireland, and it was headlines by Great Big Sea. Total blast.

Festivals are OK when all the venues are indoors, there's some kind of avant garde component and I don't feel completely ripped off. In my general area, Mountain Oasis in Asheville was pretty good a few years ago: William Basinski, Sparks, GY!BE, Actress, etc. etc. There was some normie shit too like Nine Inch Nails and Animal Collective.

Big Ears in Knoxville started out pretty great but gets more and more normie each year and their pricing scheme is horseshit. They should probably just kill it.

Moogfest was the one I really liked while it was still in Asheville. Kraftwerk put on an amazing show a few years ago. Since it moved to Durham the lineups have gotten less interesting and it's taken on embarrassing political undertones.

Spoleto USA in Charleston, SC occasionally has some neat modern opera (a bizarro version of the Little Matchbook Girl a few years ago was a highlight). This year they've got some kind of awesome-looking new Liza Lim opera that looks like some trippy semiotic / ontological meditation.

Black Barney wrote: Jack, which bands come to that Irish festival? I try to go to the ones near me when I can. There was a good one 5-6 years ago in Sarasota Springs, NY where Lunasa came from Ireland, and it was headlines by Great Big Sea. Total blast.

This is this year's lineup: michiganirish.org/entertainment/

Sept. 13-16.

it says the line-up hasn't been decided yet

Are you going?

Last year you guys got Lunasa! Did you see them? I LOVE those guys. Instrumental acts are my favourite and I see that you guys get a lot of them. Sounds like a fun festival.

surprised to see so many groups out of Michigan. Must be a livelier irish scene there than I thought, very cool.