Bayfest Canceled? (Mobile: hotels, tax, radio)

[MPC]

Originally Posted by eshore78

Shouldn't compare Bayfest and Hangout. Hangout is a national festival that brings people from all over the country to Gulf Shores. Bayfest is more regional. Hangout sells out every year with ticket prices approaching $250 a piece for general admission. There might be 2 or 3 bands a year on Bayfests' lineup that have played a daytime show at the Hangout Fest. This year the only ones I can think of are Cage the Elephant and St Paul and the Broken Bones. The only 2 acts I wanted to see actually. Bayfest compares more to City Stages in Birmingham and SpringFest in Pensacola. Good city festivals that brought people to town but don't have the deep pockets to make it grow and evolve. All of those lasted roughly 20 years. Mobile needs a fresh idea. I think anyone who paid attention knew Bayfest was in trouble but I think what shocked everyone was doing it 2 weeks before this year. I was expecting them to cancel it over the winter.

I just want whatever comes in to drop the -fest suffix. Let's come up with a name like Bonnaroo and SXSW.. Something original.

Bayfest regional? Bayfest was national and some of the major artist who played at Hangout already played Bayfest in prior festivals. Bayfest had over 300,000 come a year before their cap was put in place. Bayfest has brought people from all over the country and from many countries. I understand being from the Eastern Shore you may like to bash Bayfest but until recently, Bayfest was bigger than Hangout. The past two years, yes Hangout has outpaced Bayfest, although I will credit that to Hangout still gaining popularity.

[eshore78]

Originally Posted by MPC

Bayfest regional? Bayfest was national and some of the major artist who played at Hangout already played Bayfest in prior festivals. Bayfest had over 300,000 come a year before their cap was put in place. Bayfest has brought people from all over the country and from many countries. I understand being from the Eastern Shore you may like to bash Bayfest but until recently, Bayfest was bigger than Hangout. The past two years, yes Hangout has outpaced Bayfest, although I will credit that to Hangout still gaining popularity.

I went to every Bayfest when I was younger and I live downtown now. The 250,000-300,000 was a generous estimate over 3 days based on tickets sales, corporate tickets, kids who get in free, etc.. It wasn't 250,000 different people. Fairhope Arts and Crafts does the same thing. Every year they estimate 250,000 people come to little ol Fairhope. You might've gotten a handful of people from around the country but the vast majority of Bayfest has been from the deep Southeast. It's had years yeah maybe it got 75-90,000 people downtown which is great but Bayfest was only bigger in number of stages and acts, not anywhere close in national recognition. Put Bayfest's best lineup up and try to sell it for $250 and people would laugh. Hangout sells out every year with a 35,000-40,000 cap because of the size of the town. The only Bayfest headliner that I can think of that has played both has been Zac Brown Band, unless Stevie Wonder played a Bayfest years ago.. Bayfest was great for downtown and I hated to see it go for the businesses down here but to act like it's one of the big national festivals like Bonnaroo, Hangout, Coachella, SXSW is ridiculous.

[bhammaster]

Originally Posted by NoleFanHSV

Hrm. From the article: "Top acts included Johnny Gill, Seether, Kip Moore, Shinedown, George Clinton, Randy Houser, Three Days Grace, Justin Moore, Cage the Elephant and Chrisette Michelle."

Seether, Shinedown, Three Days Grace, and Cage the Elephant are all very good acts, and most are popular with the 20-30 somethings.

Lol. You must have been on the committee to think 20-30 somethings are flocking to see Three Days Grace.

[MPC]

Originally Posted by eshore78

I went to every Bayfest when I was younger and I live downtown now. The 250,000-300,000 was a generous estimate over 3 days based on tickets sales, corporate tickets, kids who get in free, etc.. It wasn't 250,000 different people. Fairhope Arts and Crafts does the same thing. Every year they estimate 250,000 people come to little ol Fairhope. You might've gotten a handful of people from around the country but the vast majority of Bayfest has been from the deep Southeast. It's had years yeah maybe it got 75-90,000 people downtown which is great but Bayfest was only bigger in number of stages and acts, not anywhere close in national recognition. Put Bayfest's best lineup up and try to sell it for $250 and people would laugh. Hangout sells out every year with a 35,000-40,000 cap because of the size of the town. The only Bayfest headliner that I can think of that has played both has been Zac Brown Band, unless Stevie Wonder played a Bayfest years ago.. Bayfest was great for downtown and I hated to see it go for the businesses down here but to act like it's one of the big national festivals like Bonnaroo, Hangout, Coachella, SXSW is ridiculous.

Hangout is garnering its popularity right now but it's not in the same class as Bonnaroo and no where close to Coachella or SXSW. I do want to fix what I said about 300,000. I was never implying 300,000 unique people bought tickets but that over 300,000 attended collectively. A lot of Bayfest artist who has played have also played Hangout afterwards.

Another thing is yes it is 250 at Hangout but Bayfest sold weekend passes for 35-45, that was the reason it had smaller lineups. Bayfest could have easily hiked the prices to 150-200 and people would have still bought them because it would have had a better lineup, theoretically.

I also want to note Bayfest and Hangout target different types of people. Hangout is more pop whereas Bayfest was more indie and more so rock and metal with some pop mixed in.

I think you are assuming Hang out is huge across the nation which it is not. It is known some but its not huge. Bayfest has had major artist too, they just didn't have the forward thinking like Hangout had in going to the networks to cover it.

[eshore78]

Originally Posted by MPC

Hangout is garnering its popularity right now but it's not in the same class as Bonnaroo and no where close to Coachella or SXSW. I do want to fix what I said about 300,000. I was never implying 300,000 unique people bought tickets but that over 300,000 attended collectively. A lot of Bayfest artist who has played have also played Hangout afterwards.

Another thing is yes it is 250 at Hangout but Bayfest sold weekend passes for 35-45, that was the reason it had smaller lineups. Bayfest could have easily hiked the prices to 150-200 and people would have still bought them because it would have had a better lineup, theoretically.

I also want to note Bayfest and Hangout target different types of people. Hangout is more pop whereas Bayfest was more indie and more so rock and metal with some pop mixed in.

I think you are assuming Hang out is huge across the nation which it is not. It is known some but its not huge. Bayfest has had major artist too, they just didn't have the forward thinking like Hangout had in going to the networks to cover it.

Hangout is a well known major music festival. There's a reason Coachella has merged with Hangout. It'll never get there in size as Coachella and Bonnaroo because of the size of the footprint and ticket limit but people flock here from all over the country. They pick their lineup from the same festival circuits. Bayfest relied on ticket sells to pay for their lineups. There's no way they were ever going to get a $200 a ticket caliber lineup unless some rich people invested in it. Throwing out the same corporate rock and country lineup every year won't do it. I liked Bayfest for what it was but it never was a Hangout.

[MPC]

Hangout may be one day, but is not a major festival. People came from all over the country to go to Bayfest too not just the handful you pointed out. Just because the same promoter is working with Hangout doesn't mean they are in the same league. Hangout will be as big as Bayfest now yes because of the closure.

[NoleFanHSV]

Originally Posted by bhammaster

Lol. You must have been on the committee to think 20-30 somethings are flocking to see Three Days Grace.

I saw 3 days grace a few years ago, and most of the people there were in there 20's and 30's. Now they have a new lead singer, but still....

All those bands are rock/alternative rock/ new grundge that I mentioned. Maybe Mobile isn't into that?

[Nlambert]

Originally Posted by NoleFanHSV

Hrm. From the article: "Top acts included Johnny Gill, Seether, Kip Moore, Shinedown, George Clinton, Randy Houser, Three Days Grace, Justin Moore, Cage the Elephant and Chrisette Michelle."

Seether, Shinedown, Three Days Grace, and Cage the Elephant are all very good acts, and most are popular with the 20-30 somethings.

All of the highlighted acts above carry a large following.... I'm surprised it cancelled as well.... that's a pretty decent list of acts.

[bhammaster]

Originally Posted by MPC

I also want to note Bayfest and Hangout target different types of people. Hangout is more pop whereas Bayfest was more indie and more so rock and metal with some pop mixed in.

LMAO. Bayfest hardly had anything that would be considered " indie" . Unless you consider Cake indie.

Also, what makes Hangout more "pop"? TV On The Radio and Beats Antique?

[bhammaster]

Originally Posted by NoleFanHSV

All those bands are rock/alternative rock/ new grundge that I mentioned. Maybe Mobile isn't into that?

Aging gen x'ers are into that. Not the folks who usually have the energy for festivals.