marino13 Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 http://pilgrimagefestival.com/the-lineup Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eggy Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 You better leve Neko alone Tweety!!!!! I aint PLAYIN!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Boss_Tweedy Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I think I'm gonna have to make that festival.My two favorite bands (Wilco & The a Decemberists) along with Willie Nelson, Charles Bradley, Iron & Wine, Weezer, Dr. John, et al. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 This is interesting: As a member of Better Than Ezra, Kevin Griffin is well aware of both how crowded the festival market is and the long odds of success for new events. “Like restaurants, most festivals fail, whether a musician is involved with it or a team of professionals. And most festivals don’t make it past year one,” he tells Billboard. But that isn’t deterring the frontman, who says, “I’ve always wanted to do a music festival,” from throwing his head in the crowded ring with the Pilgrimage Festival, a two-day event he co-founded with friends Brandt Wood and Michael Whelan. The fest will be held Sept. 26 and 27 in Franklin, Tennessee. Because of the saturated festival market Griffin says laughing, “It is a seller’s market. There are more and more festivals, but there’s the same talent pool, so the price for bands these days has gone up astronomically.” That said he and his partners have put together a strong bill, including Willie Nelson, Weezer, Jimmy Cliff, the Decemberists, Sheryl Crow, Charles Bradley and, Billboard can confirm, Wilco. Griffin had several criteria in artists he was looking for, including the ability to play acoustic and philanthropic pasts as the show will give back to both the city of Franklin and the Grammy Foundation charity MusiCares. For Griffin, Wilco is a perfect addition to the strong bill. “I’ve been a fan of Jeff Tweedy’s writing since the Uncle Tupelo days,” Griffin says. “To have Wilco on the bill is a dream come true. Wilco’s music is a seamless fit with what Pilgrimage is all about.” They certainly fit the requirement of being able to play acoustic, which is important for Griffin, who wants bands to showcase a different side of themselves. “Another part of Pilgrimage that is unique is most bands are going to play acoustic and if they don’t play acoustic they’re gonna have at least a portion of the set,” he says. “But if Rivers Cuomo says, 'We’re not playing acoustic today,' that’s fine. What we want to have is for people to see these artists in a unique way.” One act fans may notice is not on the bill is Griffin either on his own or with Better Than Ezra. That is intentional as he doesn’t fit the musical motif he wanted year one to have. “I’m not playing this festival, Better Than Ezra isn’t playing and I’m not doing a bluegrass side project,” he says. “If you look at the lineup there’s a DNA that’s running through this festival that’s pretty consistent. And right now I don’t really fit in that DNA of what I want this festival to be. So there’s a purity in that.” Griffin does not see Pilgrimage Festival as being an artist-run festival like the ones that were held in recent years by everyone from Dave Matthews Band and Pearl Jam to Rage Against The Machine. He says humbly, “I’m a small part, I came up with the idea for it, but an idea is just an idea until you surround yourself with the people who can enable you to pull it off.” The team he, Wood and Whelan has put in place is one significant reason he believes Pilgrimage Festival can defy the odds and be a success. “We have experienced people running our production, marketing, outreach to the city, publicity. We have some great people advising us who are veterans of the festival business and they’ve been attracted just by what we’re trying to do,” he says. “That has definitely built our confidence that these people who could easily be called cynical veterans have said to us, ‘This is special, this setting is unique, what you’re wanting to do here in Nashville is unique. Amazingly, there is a lane for what you’re wanting to do.’” Much of the inspiration for Pilgrimage came from New Orleans Jazz Fest and the realization there is nothing similar in Nashville, a town known as Music City. “Jazz Fest has huge tents on the main stages that look unlike any other festival. It has a very bucolic, rural look to it and we’re taking that idea,” he says. “All the partners in Pilgrimage grew up in New Orleans going to Jazz Fest and having gone to a lot of festivals around the country and world I realized that model of a multi-genre day festival with a big emphasis on food and drinks and art really wasn’t done the way Jazz Fest does it. It hadn’t been done many places outside New Orleans. So that was really the emphasis behind Pilgrimage.” Of course Tennessee does already have the very successful Bonnaroo, but Griffin isn’t trying to compete on that level with the first-year Pilgrimage. “Bonnaroo is its own thing and it’s amazing, the camping, it’s a rite of passage for college kids and stuff. But the Jazz Fest model is a little older leaning,” he says. “We’re not trying to compete with Bonnaroo, ACL and Lolla, ours is a much smaller attendance, something that’s curated, more boutique. You can only do that at a smaller level.” Griffin is optimistic about the future and the plans to expand. Given though that even Coachella had to take a year off following the financial loss of their first year in 1999, Griffin is realistic and cautiously optimistic about where Pilgrimage goes in the future. “If we live to fight another day then we’ll make it a little bigger." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SarahC Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I wish I was a millionaire so I could go to this. Dang. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sandy in SFCA Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I wish I was a millionaire so I could go to this. Dang.This one seems pretty reasonable to me. The two day pass costs only a bit more than a single day Outside Lands ticket. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Inside of Outside Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I spent 6 years of my childhood living in a town next to Franklin. I enjoy going back to the area south of Nashville, though it has grown astronomically since I lived there in the '70s. Sounds like a pretty cool festival. Hope it goes well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marino13 Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 Just added to the lineup: Cage The ElephantBand of HorsesDawesTrampled By TurtlesChris Stapleton Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 I think I have to go to this. The early bird passes are sold out but it's still just $172 for a 2-day pass. If anyone is interested in sharing a room send me a PM. I reserved a room at a nearby hotel with 2 double beds, cheap. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Inside of Outside Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 This festival now looks like Solid Sound writ large. The lineup looks like what I envision SS would have if it were a bigger festival. That is not a complaint - I like the size of Solid Sound. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
downisthenewup Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Wonder how much day passes will be? Guessing ~$85. Definitely going as I live in Nashville. I hope they play a full 2 hour show. It ends both nights at 7:30... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Looks cool. I wonder how many times Neko and Wilco have played the same festival over the years. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 The daily lineup is scheduled to be announced this Tuesday, July 14. Since this is a daytime fest, I wonder if there will be aftershows around town like at Jazzfest, Newport, Outside Lands, etc. That would be cool for sure. Of course, it's only about 30 minutes from Nashville, so that would be another option for the indefatigable festivalgoer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
downisthenewup Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 The daily lineup is scheduled to be announced this Tuesday, July 14. Since this is a daytime fest, I wonder if there will be aftershows around town like at Jazzfest, Newport, Outside Lands, etc. That would be cool for sure. Of course, it's only about 30 minutes from Nashville, so that would be another option for the indefatigable festivalgoer.Ryman Friday night would be terrific. Going to go to this either way though. Day passes are up and they're $110 with fees. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mus2009 Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 That's pretty steep, but I'll be there Saturday. (May have to book a room Friday night as well if they announce a side show) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Boss_Tweedy Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I'm officially in for both days despite their announcement of a NOLA show on Monday September 28. I'll fly home on Monday afternoon to (hopefully) catch their show at the Orpheum. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Inside of Outside Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 The full lineup for this festival, and the acoustic bent, make this one of the few festivals that I would be interested in attending. I look forward to hearing reports from those going. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
downisthenewup Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 http://pilgrimagefestival.com/the-schedule Only playing an hour and 15 min... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 I'm going to this festival all alone. Boohoohoo. Any of you VCers coming who wouldn't object to a friendly old lady hanging around you, let me know how to look for you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mariana neri Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 "Glenn Kotche will take over the Promark Instagram this Saturday for Wilco's performance at the Pilgrimage Festival. Follow for behind the scenes access with Glenn." >> https://instagram.com/promarkbydaddario/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Boss_Tweedy Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 I'm going to this festival all alone. Boohoohoo. Any of you VCers coming who wouldn't object to a friendly old lady hanging around you, let me know how to look for you. I'll be there with a couple of friends. Not sure what our plans will be for the rest of the day, but I know we'll be seeing Wilco. Have you found someone else to join? if not you're more than welcome to join us. Just let me know & I'll message you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 I'll be there with a couple of friends. Not sure what our plans will be for the rest of the day, but I know we'll be seeing Wilco. Have you found someone else to join? if not you're more than welcome to join us. Just let me know & I'll message you. I definitely would like to connect! I'll send you a PM with my phone number. I'm getting very excited for this fest. It's such a great lineup and I love the idea that it's the first year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.