Coachella announced their lineup yesterday, and it’s not all too shocking- Alt-J, Azealia Banks, Hozier, St. Vincent, and other hot topic names can be found on the dual-weekend festival’s lineup. But topping the list, your eyes are drawn to a grouping of four letters Millenials may find themselves struggling to decode. AC/DC haven’t found themselves frequenting much more than classic rock radio stations, blaring “Back In Black” (the first album I ever bought with my own money, circa 2005) every three hours on cue. “That’s strange,” I thought to myself, remembering they last released an album in 2008 (a quick Google search tells me the most recent is actually from 2014). Thinking back to the summer of 2014, we see Outkast headlining myriad festivals. I remember elbowing through a crowd of middle aged men in Harley Davidson t-shirts at Lollapalooza in 2012 who were on their way to see Black Sabbath. I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with completely wasted Manchester locals during Lionel Richie’s set at Bonnaroo last year, then later during Elton John’s. So what’s up with all the dusting off of old acts at festivals with a predominantly young crowd?
If you’ve been to a music festival in recent years, you have a pretty good understanding of the typical crowd: sun-kissed and spray-tanned girls in crop tops, twirling their flower crowned heads, a contraband can of PBR waving high in the air as they sit atop burly shoulders hardly covered by a sweat stained bro-tank underneath the shade of some professional sports team’s logo embroidered on a stiff brimmed hat. Okay, all bitterness aside, it’s undeniable that there’s a certain brand of youth these festivals attract. Donning this fest-thetic or not, these youth gather in whatever public city space to do one thing: get drunk while their favorite bands play in the background. Plus, what’s more entertaining than trying to remember the words to your favorite song after one too many hard ciders? You can’t get shitfaced to AC/DC.
Photo by Adam Macchia
World’s cutest Lollapalooza attendees.
So why do festivals keep booking bands like AC/DC? Or Outkast?
As music creeps further into the digital world and further from the analog, a strange paradigm is forming. There’s always been a fascination with the past- vinyl’s recent growth in popularity is example enough. With widespread complaints of music festivals becoming too EDM-focused (re: the comment section on any fest’s social media page), I think it’s a bold move- and a smart one- for them to pull in these vintage acts. It’s an attempt to diversify the festival crowd age-wise, as well as a recognition that there’s a call for the old in the wake of maybe too much new. They’re putting the “music” back in “music festival”, turning it away from the culture that seems to be overtaking the musical side of it. The people asked, and they’ve been answered. Because when you get to the root of it, it’s a money pull.
Music festivals have never been cheap (okay, at least not in my lifetime), but looking at the prices of some of the VIP packages out there can leave you gasping for breath, even after dumping $300 from your bank account on a colorful polyester wristband that deems you worthy of entering the fest of your choice. With some creeping into the thousands of dollars, at a certain point, all practicality is lost in favor of pompous comfort. Despite the ludicrous nature of some VIP packages, festival curators know that loyal fans will still buy tickets. The festival culture has such a strong following, and most repeat-attendees will go no matter what the lineup is. They crave the experience.
VIP festival goers enjoy the music from a pool.
Moreover, these commonly dubbed “dad rock” bands have their own followings, composed of members of older generations who would never dare go anywhere near a music festival. They’ve grown out of that. But when the jaded AC/DC fan sees an opportunity they probably won’t have again anytime soon to see Angus Young in the flesh (and the shorts), there’s no doubt they’re ready and willing to drop the cash to do it. And as these seasoned fans typically are in stable careers, they have more than enough dough to dish out, and it doesn’t hurt as much to be paying a steeper price.
Keep your eyes peeled, because we might be seeing more dad rock names topping festival lineups in the future. Whether or not you dig that is your prerogative, but I say take it as a chance to see some iconic classic rockers before they’re off the scene for good.
