I totally agree. I thought for sure it would have drawn better since it had more widely known headliners.
Yes, and no.
BLS and DD both tour a ton, and play better known places like House of Blues, etc. There still is a LARGE population of metal fans who haven't trekked out to Mokena. Also, BLS and DD draw a younger crowd, who may have been faced with the, "You are not going to Mokena, etc"
Also, as we have all seen on various forums, the lineup pretty much eliminated out of towners as well as underground metal fans who would have come to just check it out.
Look, we can talk about the lineup, etc, till we are blue in the face.
BLS and DD obviously were not their #1 choice in headliners for this year. They did what they felt they needed to do to keep it going.
I still had a good time, though of course it helped a lot being a Novembers Doom fanboy and having them play two sets.
What I found disappointing was that all the Powerfest regulars were not present, even the local ones. Aside from the bands, there were maybe 10 Powerfest regulars in attendance.
I am curious to see if CRJ posts a wrap up with final numbers and their thoughts. I certainly hope they continue with the fest. My only recommendation would be to either stay with underground acts, or just simply go all out and go after the more mainstream acts. I don't see the appeal, as those bands tour so regularly. I am not sure how well it works when you mix the two. It was certainly a unique idea to attempt.