The Ins and Outs of Starting A Festival

What’s is the hardest part of inaugurating a festival? Getting started. “First, figuring out all the paperwork, specifically starting the LLC. There was a lot of black and white paperwork that had to be done and because. I’d never started my own business before and that was very difficult. Second, knowing where to begin. Luckily, I got linked up with John Felty (our production manager) and Matt Mayes (our booking agent) early on, (ring a bell Jupiter Coyote fans?) and because of their prior experience, they were able to guide us. Third, reaching out for help. Because our idea was so large and new to the Boone community, it was difficult finding people who both wanted to join and could actually see the big picture of such a large undertaking.” (Jimmy)

Given all these challenges and endless red tape, it helps to have experience, but let’s face it; when you’re growing up in your music fan prime, seeing shows, and going to festivals, who wants to work? Can you really expect anyone to want to intern at Superfly and work all weekend rather than hanging out with your friends at a Bonnaroo or the like? More importantly, it takes a vision and a pair of nards. “Neither of us have any experience in the music industry. I used to play in a band that recorded a CD and toured around NC but I don’t think that qualifies me with much if any experience in the music industry. I have always been into music and have been to several music festivals but no real experience in the music business.” (Wes) “This entire thing was “I try, I learn. I fail, I learn. I succeed, I really understand.” (Jimmy)

Next, to differentiate oneself from the rest of the festivals, it really takes a clear vision. Wes and Jimmy took the approach of setting out to make Music on the Mountain something the Boone, NC and Appalachian State University community could rally around while concurrently supporting a cause close to their hearts, renewable energy. When a lot of the festivals rely on similar musical acts, this identity is becoming more and more important to ensure the ongoing success of a festival. “We don’t want (and won’t) to have another hippie, drug and drunk fest. We have reached out to support a cause greater than the music, our environment. In addition, by involving the entire community (which includes Appalachian State University, the biggest part of Boone in my opinion) we hope to create a sense of pride that our town can rally behind. We want our town to be proud of what we’ve set out to do.” (Jimmy)

Lest we forget, the finances are no easy feat. This is a tightrope in and of itself. There’s the question of taking a for-profit approach or working with charities; forecasting the expected costs and expenses from countless sources; and of course selling tickets. “We will be giving 60% of the proceeds to these three entities…We hope to raise around $30,000-40,000 from sponsorships and at least another $50,000 from ticket sales.” (Wes)

In terms of booking the talent, certain acts are clearly tougher to get. “We got everyone we wanted except for Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison… they were really hard to get in touch with and a bit too expensive so we heard.” (Wes)

In seriousness, this is another very daunting step, particularly when you are a first-timer and trying to lock in that first big name. “At first, [we received] very little and poor [reception]. It helped tremendously when we brought Matt Mayes on board. Even though we got Matt to do most of our booking, my partner (Nick Barringer, the other founder of Black Paw Entertainment, LLC) and I had about 10 different full sheets of paper (which we made during our Literature class and passed back and forth) with different options of bands. But John did want me to get my feet wet, so he made me do the Sam Bush contract, which was a 40 page legal document. Yeah, we wanted the big ones. We tried hard to get guys like James Taylor and Widespread Panic, but we just didn’t have the funds. Then we tried to get guys like the Avett Brothers and The Old Crow Medicine Show, but still no one budged with us, which kinda sucked because our event is a benefit show and both those bands have strong roots in the area. But no hard feelings, that’s how they eat too.” (Jimmy)

Finally, the most trepid element of hosting the first time festie is going toe to toe with the big dogs. A lot of music fans pick out their one big festie for the summer, so it’s certainly no easy feat becoming that one. In Music on the Mountain’s case, Wes and Jimmy had a clear idea to stay local and draw likeminded people in it for more than just partying and music, the renewable energy cause. “We are hoping that since this is the first festival of this type in Boone, the Appalachian community, along with the Western part of NC and eastern part of TN will be very supportive. Tickets are a bit cheaper than other festivals in and around the area so that’s in the festivalgoer’s favor. We will also offer other fun activities such as a 30 ft inflatable climbing wall, a challenge course, and the green village to educate people on renewable energy.” (Wes)

“Of course it’s hard to have a blue grass festival 45 minutes away from MerleFest, and it’s hard to have an “artistic” festival 2 hrs away from Bele Chere and Asheville. Yeah, it’s tough but we believe ours is different than all the others. We’ve tried to combine aspects of Merle Fest, Bonnaroo, and Bele Chere. But also, it’s hard because there really are tons of great bands in the Boone area, but because it’s hard to get off the mountain there are a hand full of smaller festivals which appeal to the more traditional Boone locals, so we have to compete with those too.” (Jimmy)

Clearly, we take for granted what goes on behind the scenes as festivals spread across the country at a resounding rate. Hopefully, after hearing what goes into the development from idea to fruition, selecting the right ones to attend will become based more on the vision and positive output for the greater community as opposed to the ones out to make a buck. The music is good no matter how you choose, so why not stick with the ones that aim to do something positive?