ATP / IBYM 2012 - Asbury Park, NJ

[Icemouse]

Looks like a good turnout, but it's hard to judge the numbers. The venue is starting to grow on me a bit but I'm the opposite if stinkbutt - emeralds on the bright-ass outdoor stage was not ideal. IMO the worst part of the venue is simply that there isn't other stuff to do, just sit and eat and drink, sometimes on a boat. It'd be nice to have stuff like golf or even damn cornhole

[stinkbutt]

Why didn't say what's up to me at the whiskey tasting?

[Boourns]

Looks like a good turnout, but it's hard to judge the numbers. The venue is starting to grow on me a bit but I'm the opposite if stinkbutt - emeralds on the bright-ass outdoor stage was not ideal. IMO the worst part of the venue is simply that there isn't other stuff to do, just sit and eat and drink, sometimes on a boat. It'd be nice to have stuff like golf or even damn cornhole

I saw Emeralds on such a stage at Primavera and thought it worked rather well. The availability of things to do is what was so great about the Asbury Park location. If I wasn't feeling something, then it was time to go play some pinball, walk on the beach, or hit one of the bars or restaurants.

[cs5000]

So far a mixed bag, I actually enjoy the venue, stage under the FDR included. Lack of bands Friday was disappointing, my disinterest in the Afgan Whigs tonight didn't help. The highlights so far have made it worth it though, lightning bolt, Philip glass, Emeralds (which would have been better not at 1), Dirty Three, Jeff the Brotherhood were great.

Skipped the Roots to prep for what should be a great day tomorrow

[IceyHotshot]

How long of a set did Emeralds actually play? (I know how long they were slotted for)

[cs5000]

There is less to do at the venue, but the trade-off is being able to see every band really easily. You can even eat while watching bands on the second stage.

It's really hard to judge attendance because the main room is soo big(but not as huge as Asbury's convention hall) it would never be full. Also, it doesn't feel like there is one headliner so there isn't one moment to judge the crowd

[cs5000]

Emeralds went about 10 minutes beyond the set time, but I got there after they started. Played as a duo, not sure when they lost a member

[whiney]

third emerald is on tour in japan!

food truck sitch was nice for a minute. i love being able to grab some food and not missing any of the band

however, there was like 8 food trucks on friday and then half of them bailed on saturday!

[Icemouse]

Stinkbutt, sorry I've met so many people at these I have trouble remembering if I've actually met people or just think I have. Plus you're usually around bmack who is instantly recognizable ill give a shout if I see you today, you do the same.

The really cool thing is that because of the lack of conflicts, the stage crew has a ton of setup time. Meaning bands can go over without issue, the stage manager even told Dirty Three 1 or 2 more after they'd already gona over time.

cs5000 you missed out(at least if, like me, you hadn't seem them) - they played straight to 1am and were a ton of fun

[mondocurry]

Did anybody here make it to the Godspeed show at Basilica Hudson? Amazing. Set seemed shorter than most of the ones I've read about but the venue and surrounding town has an incredible vibe -- the walk through a grassy field from the parking lot to the building was reminiscent of Kutshers.

Opener Vaz was also very cool. sound was nice and spacious and it was a great building for GSY!BE's projections too.

Also wondering if anyone made it to Thee Oh Sees/Ty Segall at The Well in Brooklyn? Amazing outdoor space, great communal pit.

It all really makes me question how much they put into selecting the best venue this year...

was hoping to see Autolux and kinda weird to think i might be able to drive down the FDR, get stuck in traffic, and hear some of their set....yeah, not sure how to feel about that.

[Spooks]

Top 4 from this weekend...
a) Dirty Three
b) Godspeed You! Black Emperor
c) Hot Snakes
d) The Make-Up

See you again next year ATP!

[bucketofpower]

Did anybody here make it to the Godspeed show at Basilica Hudson? Amazing...

Yep, I was at the show. The venue was INCREDIBLE. As for the show, itself, I loved it, but it did leave a bit to be desired as it was short compared to when I saw them at the Fonda in '11.

I met Moya afterwards and he was incredibly gracious and very cool. I asked him about the tracks they played after Albanian and before The Sad Mafioso, and he confirmed they're new, but was non-committal about whether they would be released or if they would just be played live, and they haven't even named the new tracks. He also hinted that there may be a tour on the West Coast next year.

[Icemouse]

Best: Miss Pussycat Puppet Show
Worst: Joseph Arthur's kids or whatever

[seyrnon]

top 5
1. Philip Glass and Ty Braxton: shortest set of the weekend but was one of the most haunting musical performances I've ever experienced.
2. Afghan Whigs: loved the covers and all the black love tracks were explosive live. plus Greg Dulli's an absolutely amazing frontman
3. The Make-up: Never really listened to them before and they blew me away, such crazy fun frantic energy while still having that sleezy Doorsesque swagger.
4. Frank Ocean: a very personal and beautiful set. he seemed to be having so much fun, I just wish the crowd was riddled with 14 year old E-tards.
5. Dirty Three: a wrecking ball of powerful noisy rock with heavy folk and eastern european influences made for a very beautiful and hectic show.

This weekend was fantastic. the aesthetic was not as nice as asbury last year but it was still an incredible weekend of fantastic music. And its also really nice to not have to pay for a hotel and sleep in my own bed at night.

[assorted]

Big thanks to Spooks for finding cheap last minute 3 days passes to this.

I'd only attended Asbury previously so that's my only comparison.

Positives -

* Great sound on both stages. The Convention Hall was a real detraction last year, there were bands I both avoided and left because the sound was so bad. This is huge for me. You can't have a music festival geared toward music obsessives where one stage may sound like shit.
* Just like in Asbury, it was easy to see, with great sightlines, every band you wanted to see - maybe easier because there were no capacity issues like with Asbury Lanes last year.
* Security was much better behaved then at Asbury Park, and mostly invisible except at entrance, like they should be. Also there was no messes like the Jeff Mangum Friday show and the Swans show, where security actively detracted from the experience.
* Boat cinema was GREAT. The Berkeley cinema in Asbury was horrid. Uncomfortable chairs, environment like a business convention and the room smelled like mold. I wanted to see Putney Swope there last year and couldn't imagine sitting in there for 2 hours and left. Boat cinema was excellent projection and sound and a combination of floor pillows, side seating and a few front/center chairs if you cared enough to arrive at the start of the screening.
* Boat in general was a very nice add. There was a policy of no food/drinks on or off boat. That combined with no non-acoholic beverage options and no food did suck a little (though I bet it sucked more for them they sold practically nothing), but overall the boat was a really great addition.
* Crowds remained pleasant and polite. I sighted bands (and again Jim Jarmusch) mingling in with the crowds through the weekend so the casual mix of artists and fans I felt remained intact from Asbury.
* Food trucks were pretty great again if a little spotty/unavailable Saturday night.
* As a local, I was able to convince 2 friends to attend part of all 3 days and 2 other friends to attend 1 day each. None of these people would have made the trek to Asbury, so there are advantages to having it in NYC, again as a local.

Negatives
* As previously mentioned there was a lack of stuff to do during down times (i.e: when we didn't want to watch the band). A nearby hotel with activities would fix this --- it would be nice to be able to wander over somewhere different during the 3 days. Of course, nothing is really nearby that space -- anything bookable would be more then a half mile away easily. So maybe just 2 or 3 more activities on site? But with 12-14 hours of acts scheduled daily (which I love), a way to take a break from bands, in addition to the boat, would be great.
* There was a big no re-entry sign at the venue exit which was completely unenforceable (I just ignored it) but was also I thought sort of the wrong attitude. But this is a very minor bitch since it was completely unenforceable.
* Friday lineup was absurdly light.
* The second stage being under an expressway and also essentially *in* an NYC traffic lane was surprisingly only unfortunate for the comedians and Jose Gonzalez. Any band with volume (and that was every other act that weekend) blew right past the street noises so that it was not noticeable, and the traffic going by was actually kind of a fun visual touch. Again, except for the comedians and Jose Gonzelez, where it was a bit of a distraction. If ATP continues and remains at that space they'd just have to avoid booking quieter acts out there.
* Maybe this doesn't belong here but I do find it a little bit negative how unenthusiastic ATP crowds are. I often feel like I'm attending a museum of live music, where any overt enthusiasm is frowned upon. For example Thee Oh Sees are a band that inspires wild enthusiasm, where drunken crowds throw beer and stage dive and careen wildly, but at ATP they merely inspire a few people bobbing their heads. I guess this is both a mix of positive and negative, as it's also true that you don't have drunk assholes screaming next to your ear all weekend. But that also removes a certain high energy that other festivals and concerts have.

I would attend next year at that space and would encourage others to as well, no matter the lineup (it's ATP there will always be someone there all 3 days I want to see). I'm a bit of a cheap skate, so unless there is an act I am dying to see and I'm scared of a sell out (which with ATP is so unlikely), I am likely to again hold off buying tickets until the last week and then scoop them up from someone not attending at a steep discount.

Top 5 for me were Godspeed, Dirty Three, Jeff the Brotherhood, Thee Oh Sees and Hot Snakes. It was a very fun weekend.

[bmack86]

Lack of enthusiasm never used to be a problem. I moshed heartily at all three Kutshers events.

[faxman75]

I nice round up by All Songs Considered.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/20...sc=tw&cc=share

All Tomorrow's Parties is an extra special music festival. Oddly, it's not just about the music. It's about film, comedy, lecture/conversation and new friendships all bound together by everyone's love for eclectic and passionate music. This year, following a move from Asbury Park (which followed a move from its original Catskill mountain hotel home) to a giant pier on southern tip of Manhattan, it felt more like a convention than a camp. Gone was the coziness of hotel lobbies where artists and participants co-mingled at all hours. Of the two venues for concerts, one was the size of an airplane hanger, the other next door, under a freeway.

Despite the coldness of those two spaces, ATP did manage to hang on to some of its essence. It's sponsorship-free and I can't thank them enough for that. The festival's organizers gave me the chance to watch movies like Koyaanisqatsi and This Is Spinal Tap on a boat docked to the pier with friends, which was fabulous. Hearing comedy from Janeane Garofalo was good (though my memories of a Jim Jarmusch and Thurston Moore talk had me hoping for a moment like that, which never arrived).

The musicians and fans who come to ATP are a dedicated bunch with an attraction to the intense. There's a love for those visionary niches of noisy and darkish music by somewhat-outsider artists with limited commercial appeal. That would seem to make the curator of this year's festival, Greg Dulli of the fairly successful, eventually major label '90s band Afghan Whigs a perfect fit. But Dulli's selection of bands was, frankly, the weakest of the five U.S.-based ATP festivals, in my opinion. The bands Dulli and the festival curated were often born in the '90s — some having come and gone and come again. Very few acts were born in the 21st century; Frank Ocean, The Antlers, Jose Gonzales, Demdike Stare and the collaboration between Philip Glass and Tyondai Braxton come to mind. I'd loved to have seen more discovery and less looking back.


I think the size of the crowds, which didn't seem very large even at the festival's biggest moments (performances by Frank Ocean, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and The Afghan Whigs themselves) may support my feelings about the curatorial weakness. But that's partly a conjecture based on anecdotal conversations and the vibe in general.

There were some shows I didn't see. I missed The Psychic Paramount and Emeralds and ran to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the Danish band Efterklang instead of seeing The Antlers, one of my favorite bands. I saw Afghan Whigs, and though they're not my thing, the crowd sang along with every song, except maybe their Frank Ocean cover.

If ATP returns to New York next year, I'll hope for some tweaks. Maybe two days instead of three, maybe some more contemporary curation instead of celebrating the more mature bands and maybe some way to foster conversation amongst the music loving population that attends. But All Tomorrow's Parties is a festival with its heart and ears in the right place. Here are some of my highlights from this year's festival.

Most Creative: Philip Glass and Tyondai Braxton
Of all the music this weekend, this is the one I came for. Such a mix of talents: the brilliant and cinematic minimalist Philip Glass at 75 with the young Ty Braxton, known to most as the co-founder of Battles and quite an innovator as a solo artist with his orchestrations and guitar work that can seem in and of itself like an orchestra. The two performed reworked versions of Glass's Etudes 1, 2 and 10. And though the sound was an overly-loud, muddy mess, somewhere in there was a nugget of very exciting music. And the smile on the face of Philip Glass at the appreciative crowd was an unforgettable moment.

Biggest Surprise: Thee Oh Sees
I'd never seen this San Francisco ball of fire before. This kind of beachy, sometimes Cramps-style rockabilly is something I thought I'd only enjoy in a small club with friends and maybe a drink, but under the freeway, in the sunlight, it was the most rousing set of the weekend.

Best Performance: The Make-Up
It took a few security guards to keep singer Ian Svenonius from losing himself in the crowd as he hovered above us on a steel barrier. His monkey-like dance is part frenetic Mick Jagger and part Question Mark from the Mysterians. He's engaging, funny and has a band that is such fun and so there for him.

Best Sonic and Visual Experience: Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Nearly two hours of music complete with film loops (yes, real film). This one shook my hat, my bones and made my nostrils vibrate. Such a dense, slow, thrill ride.

[fastmusicfan]

Loving the reviews. Sounds like I'll go next year if the curator/initial lineup is anywhere close to "rocking". Let's hope ATP is righting their financial ship with the UK events seeming to sell well, currently.

[loomer]

Yep, I was at the show. The venue was INCREDIBLE. As for the show, itself, I loved it, but it did leave a bit to be desired as it was short compared to when I saw them at the Fonda in '11.

I met Moya afterwards and he was incredibly gracious and very cool. I asked him about the tracks they played after Albanian and before The Sad Mafioso, and he confirmed they're new, but was non-committal about whether they would be released or if they would just be played live, and they haven't even named the new tracks. He also hinted that there may be a tour on the West Coast next year.

Very cool, thanks for the info. Efrim was non-committal as well about the new material when I saw ASMZ earlier this year. Hopefully they tour the west coast again next year!

Here's video of the new song here,

Sounds great.

[Courtney]

(http://pitchfork.com/photos/86-atp-i...rror-festival/)

[mondocurry]

Yep, I was at the show. The venue was INCREDIBLE. As for the show, itself, I loved it, but it did leave a bit to be desired as it was short compared to when I saw them at the Fonda in '11.

It sounds like the IBYM set was around the same length so i wonder if they were maybe prepping the set for that Sunday night? I actually had a better time here than at the St. Andrews show a year or 2 back. Beautiful place but i felt really squirmy stuffed into one of those narrow pews, and the sound seemed kinda distant and a little too perfect. They played tracks from all over the place, but that gave it a bit of a disjointed feel -- kinda like an endurance test. I loved that at Basilica you could move around rather freely, get in close, and even pace around the back during the longer drone parts.

I met Moya afterwards and he was incredibly gracious and very cool. I asked him about the tracks they played after Albanian and before The Sad Mafioso, and he confirmed they're new, but was non-committal about whether they would be released or if they would just be played live, and they haven't even named the new tracks. He also hinted that there may be a tour on the West Coast next year.

I certainly do hope they have plans to record the new material in the near future. I was hypnotized by those new tracks. Albanian also...that's not something that has ever been officially recorded, right?

[stinkbutt]

I honestly felt like the newer tracks were too uplifting, when I see GY!BE, I want doom and gloom

[mondocurry]

I appreciate the in depth look, Assorted! As much as I've griped and maintained distance I've been curious how the whole thing played out with the question of the event's return to the New York area in mind. Couple things you wrote got my attention, but must preface with a gripe that ATP acted like a TOTAL DICK regarding my request for a refund. (Sorry, had to get that in there.)

Big thanks to Spooks for finding cheap last minute 3 days passes to this.

* Great sound on both stages. The Convention Hall was a real detraction last year, there were bands I both avoided and left because the sound was so bad. This is huge for me. You can't have a music festival geared toward music obsessives where one stage may sound like shit.
* Just like in Asbury, it was easy to see, with great sightlines, every band you wanted to see - maybe easier because there were no capacity issues like with Asbury Lanes last year.

Despite capacity issues, i feel like Asbury Lanes was an amazing component of last year that went totally missing this time around -- and in of all place, right in Manhattan, where there are so many small venues, spaces, etc to make use of!? Sure they are not right around the corner, but work in a little shuttle servicing and inspire people's own ingenuity in getting around...Would've created more artists to see, more options, and very well may have made tickets more desirable to people in the city. Regarding the Lanes, btw, i got in to almost every set that i wanted to there and it made for some of the most amazing memorable moments of that festival.

* As previously mentioned there was a lack of stuff to do during down times (i.e: when we didn't want to watch the band). A nearby hotel with activities would fix this --- it would be nice to be able to wander over somewhere different during the 3 days. Of course, nothing is really nearby that space -- anything bookable would be more then a half mile away easily. So maybe just 2 or 3 more activities on site? But with 12-14 hours of acts scheduled daily (which I love), a way to take a break from bands, in addition to the boat, would be great.

This also seems like an incomprehensible flaw as new york city is home to how many artists, authors, poets, etc?? Can't help but go back to the last Kutshers event, for anyone willing to get up a little early, a great talk with a few very talented writers, Jim Jarmusch right there in the audience...I can't imagine it would've been all that hard to recreate a similar vibe.

* The second stage being under an expressway and also essentially *in* an NYC traffic lane was surprisingly only unfortunate for the comedians and Jose Gonzalez. Any band with volume (and that was every other act that weekend) blew right past the street noises so that it was not noticeable, and the traffic going by was actually kind of a fun visual touch. Again, except for the comedians and Jose Gonzelez, where it was a bit of a distraction. If ATP continues and remains at that space they'd just have to avoid booking quieter acts out there.

This is one that i am so curious about -- i feel like i must visit this particular underpass to try to estimate what exactly it would've been like!! Besides noise, was weather not at all a factor? I mean was it completely insulated from rain, cold...as this is a point that ATP always emphasizes with such pride. Aside from the novelty i'm wondering if like you say, this really is a good spot to come back to, or if it would be better to let ATP know that they should be looking for a different spot...if they do return to New York.

* Maybe this doesn't belong here but I do find it a little bit negative how unenthusiastic ATP crowds are. I often feel like I'm attending a museum of live music, where any overt enthusiasm is frowned upon. For example Thee Oh Sees are a band that inspires wild enthusiasm, where drunken crowds throw beer and stage dive and careen wildly, but at ATP they merely inspire a few people bobbing their heads. I guess this is both a mix of positive and negative, as it's also true that you don't have drunk assholes screaming next to your ear all weekend. But that also removes a certain high energy that other festivals and concerts have.

I also experience very enthusiastic ATP crowds in the past, as BMack mentioned. Whenever there were mosh-worthy bands in past years -- Jesus Lizard, Mudhoney, Stooges, it was a wild time, and people seemed to be dancing all over the place when Animal Collective played. I think the Portishead curated fest last year managed to be a fantastic selection of bands, while not neccessarily pit friendly ones...which doesn't surprise me considering their tastes and influences.

I feel bad you couldn't get to see Thee Oh Sees at The Well on the Saturday. It was a very lively good spirited pit, just everyone bouncing around and having a good time for the most part. This is again kinda something where i feel having it right in the city backfired for ATP...You make an event so strong that people are like, YES i am going to devote the weekend to it, it'll bring numbers. You put it in a city with a zillion other things going on, a lot of people are gonna be like, why bother spending all day at this thing when i can go check out this or that around the city?

I would attend next year at that space...so unless there is an act I am dying to see and I'm scared of a sell out (which with ATP is so unlikely), I am likely to again hold off buying tickets until the last week and then scoop them up from someone not attending at a steep discount.

OK, i gotta say something in response to this, though I respect everyone's right to do what they want, (and i would very likely be in the same boast as you Artex should the event return), if this is a general attitude that lots of people take, chances of the festival happening again are very slight. This is very much an event hinged on sustainability, and if the numbers are low, the thing that scared them off Asbury Park to begin with, i doubt they'd bother doing it again. I've gotta wonder if sales even were enough for them to be solidly considering a return after seeing pretty marginal activity from the event on twitter (which i admittedly checked probably a bit too often), and mention in the article above that there didn't seem to be any major crowds during most of the sets.

While i detest scalping and ripping people off by overcharging for tickets, this reverse situation of people scrounging around for discounts is not gonna help the situation either. Even people that would consider buying a ticket, although uncertain of absolute ability to attend are bound to be scared off...i speak of my own discouraging experience trying to recoup something substantial from the loss on a 3-day pass, and then realizing i'm competing with people willing to sell their ticket for a beer and a sandwich.

All in all i think the combination of venue and very limited booking held this back big time. If people want to the event to return in better form next year, they'd best let ATP know what they felt the shortcomings were and what improvements they'd hope to see.

[mondocurry]

I honestly felt like the newer tracks were too uplifting, when I see GY!BE, I want doom and gloom

That's funny, I love the doom and gloom as well, but i find a fair share of uplifting moments in their earlier catalog. One track, or part of a track stands out in my mind....sorry i am terrible with the names, especially with all their segmenting tracks into different parts, but it is used at the end of a documentary called Ultimate Christian Wrestling...very uplifting!

[SoulDischarge]

Despite capacity issues, i feel like Asbury Lanes was an amazing component of last year that went totally missing this time around -- and in of all place, right in Manhattan, where there are so many small venues, spaces, etc to make use of!? Sure they are not right around the corner, but work in a little shuttle servicing and inspire people's own ingenuity in getting around...Would've created more artists to see, more options, and very well may have made tickets more desirable to people in the city. Regarding the Lanes, btw, i got in to almost every set that i wanted to there and it made for some of the most amazing memorable moments of that festival.

I wasn't there this year or anything, but for any music fest, that's not going to work. No one wants to deal with a shuttling service when trying to navigate a tightly scheduled block of bands. The ideal is to minimize between set travel by as great a distance as is reasonably possible. Sounds like ATP should maybe keep their eyes open for a slightly more accommodating space for next year.

[assorted]

RE: Asbury Lanes --- I agree with everything you wrote about Asbury; I also loved it and also got in to everything I wanted to see (by being there just a little early). I think if they had stayed they would have figured out what to book there to avoid the lines/capacity issues.

I think everyone (including me) writing positive things about this year's ATP also acknowledges that it was better/more interesting/more special in its previous locations. I'm not sure it's a destination festival anymore if it stays at Pier 36 -- but from my experience I found it to be a very viable, enjoyable local festival. I'd never go to Governors Ball probably but I'm very likely to attend this again if it stays.

RE: Thee Oh Sees - yeah they sold me as an audience member. I'll be checking them out when they are next in town w/a suitably raucous audience. :-)

The Underpass - It certainly didn't feel like this was something they had planned, but it really wasn't bad at all in practice and kind of interesting in, like you said, a novelty sort of way (but not unpleasant). When we first saw it and the comedians came out and were freaked out I thought it was a disaster, but bands worked out quite nicely. Rain would have sucked, though the back half of the area had a canopy. But yes, rain would have sucked. It's remains unclear to me whether all this was an emergency space/relocation for ATP or if this is their new permanent location?

RE: Scrounging pt 1 - I also detest scalping. I don't think looking for bargains is the same thing. If I can't attend a show (and it is sold out) I will sell the ticket on Craiglist for what I paid for it. However, if a show is not sold out, I'll sell it on Craigslist at half price to ensure I get a buyer and that the transaction remains convenient for me. I don't think reselling tickets when I can't go for cheap and buying for similar cheap prices is a bad thing. Those people wouldn't have gotten rid of those tickets, and frankly I wouldn't have gone to this year's fest for $199.

Re: Scrounging pt 2 - Except I would pay full price, for that location, if I was excited enough by the lineup. Like, say, Tom Waits headlining/curating. I bought Mangum/Portishead the second they went on sale. I'm just not an Afghan Whigs fan.

Even though that location has problems, I'd almost prefer they stay there because it's the devil I know. Really, there were no problems at that location as bad as bad sound (Convention Hall) and security being dicks to me or disrupting shows multiple times (Paramount Theater). Alternately, there was nothing as good at that location as actually being in Asbury Park (versus a very isolated neighborhood of NYC), the pinball museum, and Asbury Lanes. But really isn't the sound the most important thing?

I dunno. Last year we spent nearly $1,000 with hotels for my gf and I to attend in Asbury. This year we spent $190 total plus a couple bucks for the food trucks. Obviously, that makes for a completely different festival experience with different expectations. Even with discounted tickets I wouldn't have gone to Asbury with the lineup they had because lodging would run me $600+.

But in the end for me it was a positive experience. I hope they return to America again, whether it's NYC or Asbury or Kutchers or LA. :-)

[Courtney]

I wasn't there this year or anything, but for any music fest, that's not going to work. No one wants to deal with a shuttling service when trying to navigate a tightly scheduled block of bands. The ideal is to minimize between set travel by as great a distance as is reasonably possible. Sounds like ATP should maybe keep their eyes open for a slightly more accommodating space for next year.

Also: a shuttle in New York City rush hour traffic? Hell no.

[Courtney]

I hope they return to America again, whether it's NYC or Asbury or Kutchers or LA. :-)

I do as well, although I worry that they will never again find a venue as good as Kutshers, and that I'm going to be forever disappointed by whatever later incarnations the festival takes.

[Icemouse]

I'm still trying to collect my thoughts on the weekend. I'll preface this whole thing by saying that ATP was excellent this year as always. The music did not disappoint and it was actually one of the best-run I've been to. Bands were always on time and the stage management was loose enough to let bands go over time if they wanted to. The sound was awesome - totally eliminating last year's problem - and the light setups were top notch. The food situation was excellent with different food trucks every day, usually with about 8 reasonably priced trucks, and some craft beer from Six Point. The whiskey tasting was only $10 this year and I was able to attend and it was extremely educational.

To answer some questions - the outdoor stage was not protected from the elements(Except for the stage itself being under the freeway), but the weather was fine, no cold or rain during any acts. About 40 feet back from the stage there was a large, covered tent with picnic benches to eat and listen to music so you would still be able to enjoy the second stage. Sound carryover/highway noise pollution was not an issue at all - surprising given the proximity, the two stages were probably even closer than in the convention hall. I will admit, though, if there was one thing I hated about this year it was the stage being outdoors. Emeralds played in the middle of the day in beaming sunlight, which really killed the mood of their set for me. Likewise, Braids is a band that I want to see in a dark room with a killer light show, not in the bright sunlight. Even stage 1 during the day was pretty bright, really taking away from the experience. Bands being in a dark room with a great setup no matter what time of day(And thus making it feel more like an intimate show than a festival set) is a huge aspect of ATP for me, so I hope this gets reviewed for next year.

Crowd enthusiasm was a bit lacking this year. It was really difficult to get people moving for most of Lightning Bolt, but some people did get into it by the end. I think it's simply a function of being in NYC, there is a different mindset - combined with people not being there for "the whole experience", but rather being casual observers of bands they weren't specifically there to see.

Most people have covered the stuff I'm thinking, but I think it needs to be said that one of the greatest parts of ATP is that it creates a community of people and a weekend focused entirely on being die-hard fans of music. At Kutscher's and at Asbury Park, ATP fans run the town for a weekend, and an entire community is connected by a wristband. That being said, Manhattan had no such vibe - waking up and coming out onto the streets of New York, taking the subway and seeing no significant number of people going to the same place as you, and the number of people who only came for their day or their artist, prevented it from truly feeling like an ATP weekend. That being said, that is sort of the point of IBYM - ATP's inferior but more financially sustainable counterpart. So as long as the festival reads "I'll Be Your Mirror", our expectations should stay in check. Essentially, I don't believe any person who chose this as their first ATP experience will come out with any incredible stories, feelings, or loyalty we've come away with in years past.

All that being considered, I think the venue does have a lot of potential in years to come. The room is big enough that it can fit a lot of things in it - if they can figure out how to stop the sound from carrying, even both stages. There also seemed to be a bit of room for growth down there, I'm not sure what was in the surrounding buildings. I spoke to some people and it seems that if they return to the USA, Pier 36 will be the venue, but I also heard of some changes that they are intending to make to better suit the crowd/space/city, all of which sounded good for business and for the fans.

The queen of hearts was nifty, but like the Berkeley, it was underutilized - the cinema, a bar, and some chairs to hang out in were all you'd find there for the most part(plus trivia and bingo and the book club). Hopefully next year they can fill that up - evening DJ's, comedy, hell maybe even a happy hour. While the things to do in the immediate area may be limited, I could imagine something like a Lord Sinclare hosted, music-themed bus tour of NYC during the day, or officially announced afterparties. Speaking of which, the other thing about being in NYC is that ATP ended at 12-1am sharp. There were afterparties in the Ace and at Lit on Sunday night but the amount of people willing to go to them were few.. Announcing an afterparty more than 3 hours before it happens would help the party continue into the night, and make rooms at the Ace a bit more valuable(I won't be staying at the Ace next year, given the price when I could just go on AirBNB for a 3rd of what I paid).

All in all, for being the first year at a new venue, I'm much more hopeful than I expected to be. ATP returning to NYC will definitely not be a bad thing in the future, especially if they get a year to learn from their mistakes and make improvements. I definitely recommend that people go next year, because at the end of the day(year?) ATP has proven once again that they know what they're doing.

[bmack86]

They should do a Palms Springs weekend in the winter.