How to make a Vegoose
What Ashley Capp, Ken Weinstein and the producers have failed to understand in Years 2 and 3 is the lineup needs to be magical again. Furthermore, they need to really explode the local market. When I went to Vegoose 2007, half of the people I told about it didn’t even know about it. They need promotions around town. They need to give away sampler CDs with tracks of all the artists coming. They need to give away tickets in a big way; every weekend leading up to the show. They need to give away meet-and-greets. They need to advertise on Xbox Live (silly as it sounds, there are 5 million people on that. Bonnaroo figured this out, why can’t you?).
A local stage would be good, with headliners The Killers and Panic at the Disco. No, do not make the stage small. Yes, have a screen and camerawork like Lollapalooza.
Have a jam-band stage. Oh yes, the hippies and stoners are a HUGE revenue and often happen to be some of the more successful people (I know five hippies that make $80k+ a year).
Have an Indie Rock stage. Invite lesser-known acts that are making it big, real fast. Vampire Weekend, The Academy Is, Cobra Starship, The Beautiful Girls, etc.
Then invite some serious heavy rockers. Bring the Black Keys. Bring Smashing Pumpkins and ask them to play half old material, half new (advertise this fact!!!). Bring Radiohead!! Beck, Muse, etc.
Most importantly, make it a three-day festival. I hardly ever consider going to any music fest unless it is AT LEAST three days. Vegoose is one hell of an experience, and I would be horribly sad if it left for good. It has the potential of all the others; make us proud, Superfly and AC Entertainment.
–Eric Catmull
A riddle wrapped in an enigma buried in a letter about the grassy knoll
Dear Editor,
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department botched the investigation into the Buffalo Jim Barrier murder. Anybody knows that any death is ALWAYS a murder even if the evidence seems to prove otherwise.
Sometimes, as with this case, it’s also a murder especially since forensic science is not yet capable of proving every aspect. When somebody like Barrier makes the kind of enemies he undoubtedly did the question isn’t so much how much raw evidence was collected, although no effort should have been spared, as what the limits of science currently are.
How motive combines with opportunity may require several layers of interdisciplinary thinking. The only motive for the actual murderer may have been some twisted expectation of having an ace in the hole for some future connection to anyone connected to the Crazy Horse Too if not actually to the Rizzolos.
Ultimately something as simple as the “back and to the left” reaction that ultimately proved that JFK was shot from the sewer in front of his motorcade, some as yet under-appreciated detail will ultimately unmask whatever flaw is in the investigation if not to the actual perpetrator. We should expect this to be something that ultimately encourages more kinds of heroism.
Thank you,
–John Edward Mahalo D’Aura
Visionquest Kingtamer Champion Among the Oppressed
School police chief story sparks prayer
Dear Kate Silver,
You did an excellent job covering Police Chief Phil Arroyo [“Big man on campus,” April 17-23]. As an educator teaching in Palm Beach County, Florida, I have seen the repercussions that come from students being left to fend for themselves. They find more love in the gangs that lie to them about what a family unit is than what a family unit should be. Since they have no “adult” they can turn to or trust, they believe the lie.
I continue to pray that someday the family values that created our great nation will return and hopefully our children’s children will be the greatest generation.
–Ana Tessier
In which we provide free PR for Yellow Brick Road just for Shirley
THE BEST LOCAL BAND IS AND ALWAYS WAS YELLOW BRICK ROAD AT BOULDER STATION AND IT IS FREE.
–SHIRLEY
One special reader’s astute choices!
Reader G. Dolan wrote in to chastise other readers for their selections in our Readers’ Choice awards [May 1-7]. Dolan offered these picks, among a slew of others:
Best Pizza: I agree with Grimaldi’s. Although I can’t believe Pizza Hut or Papa John’s didn’t win again. However the suburban families and young punk couples who go there need to learn that pizza is not eaten with a knife and fork.
Best Hamburger: Are you kidding me? In-n-Out is a half step above dog food. This California stoner haven is not even on the same planet as Kilroy’s ...
Clarification
In the story “Printing God” [May 1-7], we got it wrong. We referred to the exhibit Out of Print as “... a series of drawings ...” It should have read “... a collection of prints, primarily lithographs, but also etchings and relief prints.”