Agreed with keeping things in context re: free water ... in fact there's a total lack of upselling at TBF compared to what's going on now in the festival/music world - which I believe has gotten out of control. It's truly a nice thing to see the TBF continue on its current trajectory.
It's crazy!!!!!! I went to Lockn the first year and still get their email updates. The various VIP options are out of control!!!! One is a $1,200 package. Who the hell would want to spend that on a 4 day music festival? And you are still camping! (Oh yeah and water is NOT included)
Not really a festival, but the ticket package options for The Fare Thee Well run are ridiculous! It's the same company CID. I was so excited about this run, but I am not even sure if I will be able to go. Seeming to be more about one last money grab than the music, makes me sad.
Thank you Planet Bluegrass for keeping it classy!
I'll explicitly second your notion of thanking PB for keeping it classy!
I'm also a bit turned off by what the Fare The Well run has turned into regarding the upsell, but at the same time am "over it" and will simply roll with things at this point in the game. If I get tix, I'll go; however, won't be traveling to Chicago without tix to at least two days.
My understanding is that once the band agrees to their lump sum guarantee and percentage after a certain threshold of sales, they're kind of out of the picture as far as decisions re: pricing & packages, etc. ... which is controlled entirely by the promoters.
My suspicion is that it was a minor miracle to get all the core 4 band members on the same page ... and the current end result is probably a product of "mediation of the band members' interests by the promoter".
IOW, while it has the appearance of a "cash grab" and certainly incorporates elements thereof (upselling the heck out of this), and I'm sure the core 4 will gladly accept their cut of the action, I still believe there's a part of each of them (to various extents) which is doing this for the right reasons. They are still brothers and the music will always be in their blood.
Getting back to the TBF being virtually (if not entirely) "upsell free": this can't be understated enough! In fact, it's quite an anomoly these days and perhaps might serve as an example to other festivals how the vibe can be affected in a positive light. It'd be great to see the current upsell trend countered with a "no-vip zone" sort of stamp of approval ... possibly gaining traction with other festivals.
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