NYFalls.com Talk

The Grassroots Festival is this weekend! The bands start Thursday at 2:00 and run until Sunday night. This festival has grown into a huge event, drawing top acts from all over the country. There's something for everyone, with four stages running simultaneously. I have guests coming from MI this year!

It sure has gotten huge! As I recall going when I was 19 and 20 tickets for the weekend were around $60 including camping. Now they are $150+!

More talent = more $$$!

Well Im not going to profess that I know all these bands....but alot of them are the same bands that were there 10 years ago. Donna the Buffalo, John Brown's Body, Preston Frank & his Zydeco Family Band, Johnny Dowd, Jones Benally Family Dance Troupe, The Red Hots, Campbell Brothers, Bubba George Stringband just to name a handful...and there is probably another 5-10+ that are the same as well.

The only mainstream bands (at least that I am aware of) I see that are added are.... Arrested Development, and Rusted Root. And those arent worth the $100 increase in cost.

Granted for that many mainstream bands playing for 4 days the cost would be more like $1000 a ticket but come on...somebody is getting rich off of this...it isnt that the talent is better.

hobkyl wrote:Well Im not going to profess that I know all these bands....but alot of them are the same bands that were there 10 years ago. Donna the Buffalo, John Brown's Body, Preston Frank & his Zydeco Family Band, Johnny Dowd, Jones Benally Family Dance Troupe, The Red Hots, Campbell Brothers, Bubba George Stringband just to name a handful...and there is probably another 5-10+ that are the same as well.

The only mainstream bands (at least that I am aware of) I see that are added are.... Arrested Development, and Rusted Root. And those arent worth the $100 increase in cost.

Granted for that many mainstream bands playing for 4 days the cost would be more like $1000 a ticket but come on...somebody is getting rich off of this...it isnt that the talent is better.

From the website:

The Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance started a long time back as a concert to benefit local AIDS support organization AIDSwork at the State Theater in Ithaca NY. Featured artists were Donna the Buffalo and pals The Horse Flies,and Neon Baptist.

Encouraged by the success of that night, members of Donna the Buffalo conspired to create a festival that would continue to raise money for the fight against AIDS and other worthy causes, provide regional and national exposure for excellent local musicians, and expose the local and regional music lovers to excellent national and international artists.

The idea proved a success, and with the help of zillions of volunteers, and the generous support of many friends in the musical community, GrassRoots came into being as an annual event.

In the intervening decade(s), GrassRoots has grown from humble beginnings to become a nationally recognized event, unique in its focus on traditional and contemporary roots music, and one of the few self-sustaining non-profit arts organizations in the state.

No one is getting rich off this, Kyle. When I said more talent, I didn't mean more talented. I meant that this year there are 60 some bands!

Ok, ok...guess I'm just jaded by the cost of it. And I wasnt aware of what the proceeds were going...guess I should have researched a little more before putting in my 2 cents.

I'll be out in that area, but I can't drop $30-40 for the half-day I have available. sounds like fun though.

It is quite the cast of characters!