THERE IS SINGLE DAY ENTRY FOR $35...PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!

[Chris Lotesto]

All....our ad ran again in the Illinois Entertainer and we
didn't have the opportunity to change it to state that
single day walk up entry will be possible. Please, please
get the word around so as many people know as possible!

Thanks!

 

[MetalRose]

Is there any tickets left?

Missed you Chris!

-Metal

 

[Chris Lotesto]

Is there any tickets left?

Missed you Chris!

-Metal

as a matter of fact, there are a shitload.....unfortunately.

missed ya too....next time!

chris

 

[Jasonic]

as a matter of fact, there are a shitload.....unfortunately.

missed ya too....next time!

chris

Hrmmm...
So I can't eBay my unused ticket for Friday?

 

[J-Dubya 777]

One of the WI gang couldn't go. Tried to sell his 2 day tickets on e-bay for 10.99 and found no buyers. I'd like to see this fest get a lot bigger!

 

[eaeolian]

as a matter of fact, there are a shitload.....unfortunately.

I was afraid of that. Here continues one of the things I don't understand about the different underground genres: Why is it there are 300 "death fests" a year, some of which HAVE to make money, while one of the few events highlighting the non-extreme end of the underground metal world is a hard sell?

Is it a difference in the demographic makeup of the fans? Level of fanaticism in the fanbase? Does DM have a better "underground" communication system? A wider overall fanbase? Any ideas?

(Note: This isn't a slam on death metal, some of which I am quite the fan of.)

 

[metalprof]

while one of the few events highlighting the non-extreme end of the underground metal world is a hard sell?

I may be talking out of my ass, but I wonder how much this has to do with publicity, rather than whether it sells or not once the event is well known. Vince Kelley isn't exactly known for a blitzkreig method of publicizing events at his venues (he uses only the Illinois Entertainer, AFAIK). And I don't know what methods Chris and Rob used apart from internet, flyers, and the same Illinois Entertainer. Were ads or features run in the Chicago Tribune? Trade mags?

At this point, the crowd there probably exhausts the people in the internet loop who are willing to travel for something like this, so the remainder needs to be made up of people who have never heard of the fest before or locals.

I'm conflicted, because I admire CRJ for going balls-out on this thing with the band they're bringing in. It could be, though, that the better strategy would be to concentrate for a couple of years on building a crowd base using well known US / North American acts; the debuting European bands are awesome, but that's got to be tremendously more expensive than using home-grown bands. It looked to me on Friday night that the place was the most crowded during Agent Steel's set. It thinned out a bit for Biomechanical and then more for Eldritch. Suppose Friday's lineup had *ended* with Agent Steel as headliner, and instead of Biomechanical and Eldritch, we'd had other NA acts in between. Ticket sales may have been relatively the same, since it appears Agent Steel was the biggest draw of the night, and it would have been a lot cheaper.

Oh well, what do I know. There's a reason I'm sitting here at VU and not out there doing something useful

Ken

 

[Chris Lotesto]

Well, I just decided to delete what I just wrote
for the sake of tactfulness....

We promoted our asses off...two months of ads
in the IE, including a full page ad should have at least
generated enough interest since people still
go there for show info. Banner ads on Bravewords, \full feature stories in two newspapers, including a local
paper in the Mr. Kelley's area should have helped,
full color promo cards passed out at local shows
should have helped, Metal Haven and Impulse involvement should have helped, MySpace and our internet mailings should
have helped, promotion for our appearance at
Exit should have helped......there is no fucking
excuse for that room not to have at least 500
paid people in there except that Chicagoans just
don't give a fuck.

So, after two years, we have accepted this lame
fact and will be making several adjustments to who,
what, why, where, when and how we do things so
hopefully everyone that has been supportive so
far will come along for with ride with us.

 

[prncsslime]

So, after two years, we have accepted this lame
fact and will be making several adjustments to who,
what, why, where, when and how we do things so
hopefully everyone that has been supportive so
far will come along for with ride with us.

You KNOW Rick and I will definitely be along for the ride!! We wouldn't miss this much fun and kick a$$ music for the world!!
Sorry it sounds like you're not happy with the way things turned out this year...you gotta hand it to us lame Chicagoans though, we really know how to NOT support the local scene (sheesh). Makes me a little ill.....enough said.
~Annie

 

[eaeolian]

Well, I just decided to delete what I just wrote
for the sake of tactfulness....

I read it, beeyotch! I agree with you, though, it doesn't make a lot of sense. I understand it, because until recently, D.C. was identical - it's now better, but still some work. The only suggestion I can make is go to the Dragonforce show in Chi-town (there is one, right?) and ask the "kids" what they'd like to see. Sonata Arctica has had near-sellouts at Jaxx twice (I think the second one was actually a sellout), Dragonforce sold out in like a week, and the "younger" bands seem to be doing better. Only advice I can offer, sadly.

That said, you know I'll come to this fest for as long as I can, simply because of the people involved. Well, that and the liquor.

 

[GateXII]

Plus...the fact that Powerfest has been in direct competition (though not our intention) with PPUSA due to the types of bands in the lineup the last 2 years, a lot of people have a hard time justifying the financial comittment of going to both fests. Although, that still doesn't explain the LAME Chicagoan turnout...which was literally less than half of the out-of-towners. Makes me wanna uke:

Even though our 2-day pass was less than half the price of PPUSA, that fest's entire lineup each year features bands that are all more well-known than Powerfest bands. Our philosophy has been that we not only want to invite well-known bands, but we also want to help unknown bands get recognized...and that was part of our sacrifice. Although we still want to embrace that philosophy, we will most likely keep the number of unknown bands down to a minumum going forward.

And just to add regarding Ken's post...I could not disagree more about the publicity aspect. We've probably done more to publicize this year's Powerfest than Glenn has for any of the PPUSA's (maybe even combined)...it's just that his lineups are usually so impressive that news travels fast throughout the prog-power community & through the press/media that he really doesn't even need to worry about publicity...even back when the first one started at JJ Kelley's.

Unfortunately for us, offering a fest that is even remotely similar in genre style to that of PPUSA is evidently completely futile. Glenn has made his fest into a complete success, and he diserves a ton of credit. But at the same time people need to realize that even PPUSA is limited to a capacity of what...1000-1200 attendance? I really believe it's a genre-following thing here in the states. Glenn certainly doesn't need to grow his fest to a bigger venue, nor would he want to risk doing that...his current venue is perfect for his fest.

Even though PPUSA sells out in a matter of days, if Glenn were to decide to move to a bigger venue...say even double (2500), I would bet money that he would have a hard time selling it out then....especially now that there aren't too many novelty (meaning never before seen in the states who would draw) bands left.

Basically, what PPUSA has become is a mini Prog-Power Woodstock, where fans of that genre of music will attend ALMOST regardless of which bands are playing...of course as long as the caliber of bands stays the same. Even if they're recycled bands from past years, I don't think it will make much difference in the draw.

Here's a hint regarding Powerfest 2007...though not entirely...read all of the comments about Twelfth Gate's performance at this year's Powerfest.

Let the segregation begin....

 

[metalprof]

And just to add regarding Ken's post...I could not disagree more about the publicity aspect.

Rob, just to make sure I didn't say things badly, I wasn't trying to imply the publicity was poor, I was just saying I didn't know what measures had been taken. From what you write, it sounds like you did have a lot of bases covered, which just makes things more puzzling.

So maybe Chicago sucks, but so does Indiana. Only myself and one other person reacted when Nathan was going through nearby states and asked who was from Indiana. What the hell was up with that???

Ken

 

[J-Dubya 777]

Chicagoans just
don't give a fuck.

So, after two years, we have accepted this lame
fact and will be making several adjustments to who,
what, why, where, when and how we do things so
hopefully everyone that has been supportive so
far will come along for with ride with us.

You can count on me......I missed the others due to lack of fundage (and being completely out of work) so this year was my first, and hopefully not my last, so I'm happy to say that I look forward to seeing you at THIS event next year.

I don't know what the deal is with Chi-town nowadays. I remember when
even the shittiest bands at the Whale would still have a packed house, and the multi band nights at the clubs or the regular bars would be wall to wall people. There seems to be NO scene in WI at all. I wonder why I moved here??

Good luck on next year!!!!

J-Dubya

 

[booB]

Remembering back to the days when ProgPower USA was just getting going, I know that PPUSA 2.0 (the first one in the bigger venue) didn't come close to selling out. Glenn just happened to stumble across a pretty damn fine formula for success at PPUSA 3, by 1) inviting a lot of bands that sell well worldwide, but had never played the US before, 2) keeping the show in a nice, ritzy, and convenient neighborhood and having people who attended 2.0 spread the word about the neighborhood, and 3) keeping an "elite" atmosphere that you can't get with any other metal show (in the world, as far as I know).

Compared to Powerfest 2006:

1) While I enjoyed this years lineup, as well as last year's lineup, much more than any ProgPower lineup ever, I am definitely in the minority. It's no secret that happy metal bands like Blind Guardian, Nightwish, and Stratovarius sell much more than dark/thrashy metal bands; if you want to be as successful as ProgPower with that formula, you'll most likely have to go "metalcore" with the lineup to get anywhere near the draw, and most of those will likely be locals.

2) The unknown bands that Glenn brings in have a very diverse background, and are from widespread locales (often coming from Europe!), as compared to Powerfest, which usually features unknowns mostly from the Chicago area and nearby (if I'm not mistaken, Mirror Black, Withering Soul, Twelfth Gate and Ion Vein are all from Chicago, Milwaukee, or within a few hours of Chicago). Perhaps many locals were turned off by this lineup because they know they can see most of the bands whenever they want (or because they see them all the time). On a related note -- I hate to say it, but -- you might be hurting the potential turnout of the fest by having Twelfth Gate and Ion Vein play every year, and using two of your ten slots. I personally know of several people who either didn't come, or were planning not to come, because those bands were on the bill "again". Not that they didn't like TG or IV, but when you guys play every year, then it makes the festival seem redundant to a lot of people -- especially when you add another repeat band (Morgana) to the mix.

3) People who are familiar with the south suburbs (locals) know that South Holland/Chicago Heights is a shitty area. I had been there once previously, and I was rather surprised initially that you guys had moved the fest down there. The location is a step down, both for locals (who don't like the area) and for out-of-towners (because it's very inconvenient for people without a car; cabs are virtually non-existent). The Lansing/Cal City area is like Beverly Hills compared to Chicago Heights, the venue is tried and tested, and the area is much more convenient... in fact, I'll bet that you sold more tickets when the show was at J.J. Kelley's than you did this year. I do know that the Classic Metal Festival tried Chicago Heights once, and now they hold it at J.J. Kelley's every year (when they actually hold one, that is). There could be a pattern there.

I'm not trying to be a party pooper... just trying to highlight some possible areas for improvement, particularly in comparison to ProgPower. Personally, I enjoyed the fest, and will be back, but I think I'd enjoy it more if it were moved back to J.J. Kelley's.

 

[booB]

*poof*

 

[prncsslime]

2) The unknown bands that Glenn brings in have a very diverse background, and are from widespread locales (often coming from Europe!), as compared to Powerfest, which usually features unknowns mostly from the Chicago area and nearby (if I'm not mistaken, Mirror Black, Withering Soul, Twelfth Gate and Ion Vein are all from Chicago, Milwaukee, or within a few hours of Chicago). Perhaps many locals were turned off by this lineup because they know they can see most of the bands whenever they want (or because they see them all the time). On a related note -- I hate to say it, but -- you might be hurting the potential turnout of the fest by having Twelfth Gate and Ion Vein play every year, and using two of your ten slots. I personally know of several people who either didn't come, or were planning not to come, because those bands were on the bill "again". Not that they didn't like TG or IV, but when you guys play every year, then it makes the festival seem redundant to a lot of people -- especially when you add another repeat band (Morgana) to the mix.

I tend to disagree with the whole Twelfth Gate/Ion Vein not playing thing, or for that fact any "local" band....if it weren't for Powerfest I would have never seen or heard Gracepoint, or Mirror Black or Withering Soul. As for bringing in European bands...Biomechanical? Nocturnal Rites? Morgana Lefay?
I believe it's a trendy thing.People don't necessarily come for the music, they come to see the people they know will be there every year. That's what I mean by "trendy".
I think PPUSA has killer line ups every year, and may be in a "nice area" but IMO if it wasn't in a nice area, and they didn't have the bands they do, people would still go. Hell it's not until what...August/September...and people are already making plans on where they all want to go for dinner when they get to Atlanta. I'm not knocking that, but, I'm just saying that the "trend" thing comes into play here as well.
As for ML playing twice....I wouldn't have missed it for the world!! I never heard of them until last year, and when I did, after the fest I got their stuff and this year actually KNEW their songs. You can't say too much about comparing PPUSA with Powerfest on that note because PPUSA brings in repeat bands also, but still sells out. Once again IMO it's a trend thing.
OK so you all can trample me now...just don't use your spiked golf shoes hehehe
~Annie
PS....I say support the local bands!! If it weren't for fests like this...who knows what would happen to all these aspiring metalheads?

 

[booB]

Annie, I agree with most of what you said... and anyone who knows me knows that I am 150% in favor of supporting local bands. However, it's a fact that local and unknown bands don't bring in the same draw as well-known bands, and I was just trying to make some suggestions as to why the attendance might not have been what was expected. It's also a fact that I personally know several people who were disappointed when they saw that TG and IV (and even Morgana, for that matter) were back on the bill, and there were probably even more people out there who thought the same thing. (You and I know that those people are insane, of course. ) I don't know if it's a significant enough number of people to reduce the turnout by this much, but I think it's a factor.

Also, I don't think ProgPower would sell out in a matter of days every year if it wasn't for the reputation that it has built up over the years as an "elite" fest, with a ritzy venue in a ritzy part of town. As I mentioned, the second ProgPower didn't come close to selling out, and the lineup most closely resembled this year's Powerfest lineup (first fest in the new/bigger venue, two repeat bands from the previous year, a few bands from across the pond but no blockbuster bands like Blind Guardian or Angra yet at that point). IMO, if CR&J were to book a few big bands for next year's Powerfest (such as Nevermore, and/or Nile, and/or Amorphis, and/or Moonspell, which would all fit the concept of Powerfest pretty well IMO), thus mirroring Glenn's move when he booked Blind Guardian, Angra, and Gamma Ray for ProgPower 3, not only would the fest see an easy sellout (like Glenn's did), but this would also bring in more people to experience the excellent production and smooth running of the festival, cause them to spread the good word by mouth and internet, and possibly even guarantee a sellout the following year. The part of town that Powerfest is in will also become a factor, of that I am 100% certain. I already know of several people who don't plan on coming next year if it's held in the same place. It seems like it would be more ideal for locals to come than out-of-towners (since travel isn't easy in that area), and I don't truly know why the locals didn't show up, but the location may be a factor.

 

[prncsslime]

hehehe....couldn't find the little guy shooting himself in the head for this one

 

[booB]

I don't know what that means (I'm a little slow ) but you're cool... how did I miss meeting you at the show???

 

[prncsslime]

I don't know what that means (I'm a little slow ) but you're cool... how did I miss meeting you at the show???

Thanks!! You're pretty cool yourself!! I love being able to voice my opinion to someone who doesn't automatically slam me for it Although I am bracing myself for it hehehe....
I have NO idea how we didn't meet, it must have been one of those "in the same place at the same time" things but we just never connected....next year I'll ask everybody if they're "boob" I mean Bob Heck we probably even bumped each other and never even knew it....next year for sure though!!
~Annie