Comments on: Hard Economic Times Take The New York State Fair’s Concert Series Down With Them http://idolator.com/5083103/hard-economic-times-take-the-new-york-state-fairs-concert-series-down-with-them Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com Sat, 26 May 2012 18:17:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: tigerpop http://idolator.com/5083103/hard-economic-times-take-the-new-york-state-fairs-concert-series-down-with-them/comment-page-1#comment-761092 tigerpop Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:11:18 +0000 http://10fd94cd0a1176c7788979a153315f34#comment-761092 <p>@<a href="#c8850823">Chris Molanphy</a>: The tickets for those shows were extra, on top of fair admission. Otherwise, who in Syracuse wouldn't go see Def Leppard?!</p> <p>I have awfully fond memories of the one and only concert I ever saw at the NYS Fair: Flaming Lips/Ween/Sonic Youth, fall 2006. Holy fuck, what a great bill.</p> @Chris Molanphy: The tickets for those shows were extra, on top of fair admission. Otherwise, who in Syracuse wouldn’t go see Def Leppard?!

I have awfully fond memories of the one and only concert I ever saw at the NYS Fair: Flaming Lips/Ween/Sonic Youth, fall 2006. Holy fuck, what a great bill.

]]> By: MrStarhead http://idolator.com/5083103/hard-economic-times-take-the-new-york-state-fairs-concert-series-down-with-them/comment-page-1#comment-761102 MrStarhead Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:53:51 +0000 http://10fd94cd0a1176c7788979a153315f34#comment-761102 <p>At the Oklahoma State Fair, there's an arena on the grounds that hosts concerts during the fair (I... don't laugh... saw Jars of Clay and Lifehouse in a double bill about seven years ago), but you have to buy separate tickets to see those shows. Is that not what New York did?</p> At the Oklahoma State Fair, there’s an arena on the grounds that hosts concerts during the fair (I… don’t laugh… saw Jars of Clay and Lifehouse in a double bill about seven years ago), but you have to buy separate tickets to see those shows. Is that not what New York did?

]]> By: Mike Barthel http://idolator.com/5083103/hard-economic-times-take-the-new-york-state-fairs-concert-series-down-with-them/comment-page-1#comment-761112 Mike Barthel Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:15:35 +0000 http://10fd94cd0a1176c7788979a153315f34#comment-761112 <p>It should be noted that there was a BIG controversy locally about the Live Nation sponsorship, since previously the booking was done by a state employee, whereas Live Nation was paid millions of dollars. Check the Post-Standard for some of the coverage if you're interested.</p> It should be noted that there was a BIG controversy locally about the Live Nation sponsorship, since previously the booking was done by a state employee, whereas Live Nation was paid millions of dollars. Check the Post-Standard for some of the coverage if you’re interested.

]]> By: Audif Jackson Winters III http://idolator.com/5083103/hard-economic-times-take-the-new-york-state-fairs-concert-series-down-with-them/comment-page-1#comment-761122 Audif Jackson Winters III Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:06:26 +0000 http://10fd94cd0a1176c7788979a153315f34#comment-761122 <P>@<A href="http://idolator.com/5083103/hard-economic-times-take-the-new-york-state-fairs-concert-series-down-with-them#c8850823">Chris Molanphy</A>: But I think that cited figure applies to concerts that fairgoers would have to pay extra, on top of their fair admission tickets, to attend. So I think what implictly is being said is, "we book these headlining acts hoping to break even or take a small loss on the concert portion, with the hope that the band draws more people to the fair, boosting sales of fair tickets."</P> <P>So if you are only drawing 10 percent of the fairgoers to pay an additional sum to see one of the headliner concerts, it's a pretty good sign that the presence of those headliners isn't having the intended effect.</P> @Chris Molanphy: But I think that cited figure applies to concerts that fairgoers would have to pay extra, on top of their fair admission tickets, to attend. So I think what implictly is being said is, “we book these headlining acts hoping to break even or take a small loss on the concert portion, with the hope that the band draws more people to the fair, boosting sales of fair tickets.”

So if you are only drawing 10 percent of the fairgoers to pay an additional sum to see one of the headliner concerts, it’s a pretty good sign that the presence of those headliners isn’t having the intended effect.

]]> By: T'Challa http://idolator.com/5083103/hard-economic-times-take-the-new-york-state-fairs-concert-series-down-with-them/comment-page-1#comment-761132 T'Challa Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:04:49 +0000 http://10fd94cd0a1176c7788979a153315f34#comment-761132 <p>@<a href="#c8851988">Halfwit</a>: Ha! I love it. Like you, I used to think that those middle-of-the-road talk shows were sticking my musical heroes at the end of the program to force the "millions" of like-minded fans to watch their show.</p> <p>Sadly, the truth of the matter is that there were just enough of us to get said musical acts on the shows in the first place.</p> <p>Reality does bite.</p> @Halfwit: Ha! I love it. Like you, I used to think that those middle-of-the-road talk shows were sticking my musical heroes at the end of the program to force the “millions” of like-minded fans to watch their show.

Sadly, the truth of the matter is that there were just enough of us to get said musical acts on the shows in the first place.

Reality does bite.

]]> By: Halfwit http://idolator.com/5083103/hard-economic-times-take-the-new-york-state-fairs-concert-series-down-with-them/comment-page-1#comment-761142 Halfwit Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:43:14 +0000 http://10fd94cd0a1176c7788979a153315f34#comment-761142 <p>@<a href="#c8850823">Chris Molanphy</a>: <i>(This is why the musical guest is almost always last on an evening talk show.)</i></p> <p>I always thought that this was to get the fans to sit through 90 minutes of scripted banter and cheap jokes in order to get their ratings up.</p> @Chris Molanphy: (This is why the musical guest is almost always last on an evening talk show.)

I always thought that this was to get the fans to sit through 90 minutes of scripted banter and cheap jokes in order to get their ratings up.

]]> By: Chris Molanphy http://idolator.com/5083103/hard-economic-times-take-the-new-york-state-fairs-concert-series-down-with-them/comment-page-1#comment-761152 Chris Molanphy Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:06:17 +0000 http://10fd94cd0a1176c7788979a153315f34#comment-761152 <p>The core reason is buried in the middle of that statement:</p> <p><b>"With only ten percent of fairgoers attending these concerts..."</b></p> <p>Read this carefully - people who go to the fair elect <i>not to attend a totally free concert that's been offered to them</i>. Why? The death of the monoculture.</p> <p>I know, this is an old phenomenon, dating back to at least the mid-'90s. But maybe the fair circuit is just now catching onto what <i>Tonight Show</i> bookers have known for a generation: current music is ratings (or attendance) poison. (This is why the musical guest is almost always last on an evening talk show.) You're guaranteed to lose a sizable chunk of your potential audience, when you put on a country act and the pop fans don't show, or you put on a hip-hop act and no one over 40 shows, etc.</p> The core reason is buried in the middle of that statement:

“With only ten percent of fairgoers attending these concerts…”

Read this carefully – people who go to the fair elect not to attend a totally free concert that’s been offered to them. Why? The death of the monoculture.

I know, this is an old phenomenon, dating back to at least the mid-’90s. But maybe the fair circuit is just now catching onto what Tonight Show bookers have known for a generation: current music is ratings (or attendance) poison. (This is why the musical guest is almost always last on an evening talk show.) You’re guaranteed to lose a sizable chunk of your potential audience, when you put on a country act and the pop fans don’t show, or you put on a hip-hop act and no one over 40 shows, etc.

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