What the Hell Is Up With Chicago?

[Captain Foreskin]

I have a real stupid but pertinent question that has bugged me for a while. I would like to see if anyone else has felt the same. Here we go...

I realize that ProgPower 1 was located in Lansing, IL. (just outside Chicago), but why isn't a fest to the scale of ProgPower NOT CONDUCTED IN OR AROUND CHICAGO!!!! Now I realize that Classic Metal Fest and a couple others do go on but I think anyone in Chicago is frustrated when we live in one of the biggest metropolitan areas, yet no good fests???

I know of several places to hold this venue, Glenn, has Chicago been a consideration?

 

[tenebre]

glenn lives near atlanta... Therefore much easier to orchestrate. Chicago woudl be alot closer for me to come as well. But it makes sense why he does it in atlanta

 

[Captain Foreskin]

I am not arguing as to where Glenn is located. As it stands I think he makes the best decision for himself and Atlanta. What I am saying is a fest that is the caliber of ProgPower SHOULD have a home in Chicago sometime during the year! Why the hell doesn't someone try.....or shall I?????.....hmmmmm.........

 

[Tess]

I am not arguing as to where Glenn is located. As it stands I think he makes the best decision for himself and Atlanta. What I am saying is a fest that is the caliber of ProgPower SHOULD have a home in Chicago sometime during the year! Why the hell doesn't someone try.....or shall I?????.....hmmmmm.........

I say go for it dude. Only thing is ...

You'll be competing with Glenn and we all know Glenn's the man

 

[Captain Foreskin]

thats my one and only downside. If I can come up with something unique and that would be far from interrupting ProgPower it may be worth it. Can't hurt to research it, can it?

 

[AMBR]

I am not arguing as to where Glenn is located. As it stands I think he makes the best decision for himself and Atlanta. What I am saying is a fest that is the caliber of ProgPower SHOULD have a home in Chicago sometime during the year! Why the hell doesn't someone try.....or shall I?????.....hmmmmm.........

Support our webzine and it may just happen. It is one of our long term goals to promote shows similiar, but not in competition, with ProgPower. Other countries, like Germany have many festivals that seem to support, not compete with each other. With a country this size, surely there's room for more than one metal festival. We would certainly work with Glenn on that because the goal is to have more great metal bands playing in more areas of the country, not detract from any other show. (It certainly ain't about making money, because if that's what your goal is, you can find far easier ways to do it!)

Just keep visiting the site, enter the cd contest, check out new developments, like the internet radio, as they come on-line, and who knows, maybe this dream will become a reality.

I also believe there's room for multiple webzines who can work with each other. I'll be sure to visit yours, CF.

 

[sloppy]

I am not arguing as to where Glenn is located. As it stands I think he makes the best decision for himself and Atlanta. What I am saying is a fest that is the caliber of ProgPower SHOULD have a home in Chicago sometime during the year! Why the hell doesn't someone try.....or shall I?????.....hmmmmm.........

Personally, I think CMF is a fest in the same league as ProgPower. Both are 3 days (if you include PP's preshow party) and both had great bands. Sure, CMF has a smaller budget and its bands aren't imported from as far away, but for someone like me who doesn't live in that part of the country, they still turned out to be mostly bands that I never get to see live.

Classic Metal Fest fucking rocks!!!! I really had just as much fun at CMF4 as I did at PP4. Appreciate what you already have, Captain Foreskin, before you ask for more.

 

[Captain Foreskin]

Whoa whoa whoa lets get all my cards on the table here!!! 1. I love ProgPower and think Glenn does a STELLAR job (that is the reason I became a sponsor after PP3!). I look forward to it all year. But why let the rest of the year fall to the wayside? Sure there is Classic Metal Fest and BW&BK 6- Pack! I have nothing against either of them, as a matter of fact I have supported both of them!!! It is just very hard for me to look around Chicago (not the suburbs where these fests have taken place) and know that there are fans like myself that could do with another one. TThats all! I am VERY THANKFUL for what I have, but does that excuse me to sit on my ass until and after ProgPower? I think not!!!!

 

[Walter_Langkowski]

...but does that excuse me to sit on my ass until and after ProgPower? I think not!!!!

HELL NO, DUDE!!!! FORESKINFEST 2005 COMING SOON!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mxgonzo]

I live in Chicago. I can tell you right now Chicago sucks for metal. Local bands have a hard time getting people to come to shows. there is no real metal scene here, much less for prog-metal. The first PP was held at one of only a handful of bars that has metal bands and that bar pretty much sucks.

 

[Pellaz]

Also, Glenn did not tie himself to the Atlanta area when he began looking for venues to host ProgPower after the success of PPUSA 1.0 in Lansing, IL. I know he contacted venues along the Eastern seaboard -- and possibly Chicago -- and was generally told things like "We only book shows within two months, not (say) five months in advance" and shit like that. These were known venues: venues where, if you follow metal tourdates, you've seen these names before.

As it happened, my roommate Tim Hurd is well-known to venue owners, managers and booking agents here in Atlanta and we three (Tim, Glenn and I) put our heads together. Some Atlanta venues were too far from easy public transit, some were too small or didn't have enough room for the performance plus the CD dealers.

Earthlink Live beckoned. It was close to hotels and public transit (but not, alas, to fast-food places ), had a great "mini-amphitheater" performance hall AND a sizeable lobby where dealers could set up, plus backstage amenities needed for a show this size (5 dressing rooms plus catering? Most venues might have 3 dressing rooms, tops). It looked like a no-brainer, and Tim knew the people in charge.... --And the rest is history. Frankly, there isn't a better venue with Earthlink Live's specs and amenities within at least 500 miles, and they were willing to deal with Glenn wayyy in advance. I think it's damned near perfect for ProgPower.

 

[eaeolian]

I think Chicago may well be on to something, though, as Powerfest was very successful - in some ways, much moreso than CMF, and without and real "name" bands, just us underground scrubs. We played both this year, and I did enjoy Powerfest more - hopefully, we'll be back there for it next year.