Halloween in California? Don’t like Phish? Go To Las Tortugas

by Justin Ward on Jul 24, 09

in Festivals

las-tortugas

No offense to the promoters behind this year’s Las Tortugas Music Festival, but they clearly did not do their homework and decide to hold off this year given that they’ll be in direct competition with the Phish Halloween celebration dubbed Festival 8. It’s a good lineup and all, even if it’s about a 90% overlap of all the artists that just played High Sierra, but I just don’t see their festival selling enough tickets this year to justify the cost. That said, I do know one or two folks that still don’t care for Phish and may consider something like this instead, but to any of those folks my response is simple.

REALLY?

Wait…………….REALLY?

Are you sure?

SERIOUSLY?

Okay, well carry on then. Lineup after the jump.

Artist Lineup:

Umphrey’s McGee
Ivan Neville’s


Bag of Tricks (featuring Zach Gill, Steve Adams and Dave Brogan of ALO)

Blue Turtle Seduction
New Monsoon


Trevor Garrod
Counterclarkwise

Dave Brogan Band
Guitarmageddon
Sean Leahy
Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers

Izabella
Poor Man’s Whiskey
Tracorum
Tistrya and Friends
Montana Slim
The Trespassers
Smokedaddies

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  • Pete

    Yeah, they should’ve thrown it a week earlier or later — this is sure to dampen attendance. It’s too bad — I really wanted to go this year (amazing site, great bands), but there’s no competing with a Phish Halloween festy in the same state

  • Pete

    Yeah, they should’ve thrown it a week earlier or later — this is sure to dampen attendance. It’s too bad — I really wanted to go this year (amazing site, great bands), but there’s no competing with a Phish Halloween festy in the same state

  • dynamo

    this is an annual event. are they expected to check with all major bands before securing their site year after year? honestly, i would rather be in yosemite than socal for halloween (sorry, i just don’t like the la area very much)…but that’s not going to happen this year. sad. hope this doesn’t affect next year.

    • http://www.livemusicblog.com Justin

      this is not about location at all. and it’s not about checking with these bands; it’s about knowing that once the planning was happening and the rumors got stronger and stronger that they would have no chance in hell in selling enough tickets to put on a good festival. maybe they look at this year as a loss and they have the money to put it on…

      it’s sad, sure. but it’s not a pity party. this is the High Sierra music festival just presented in a slightly different location about three months later. i hate to say that they could have planned this a bit differently for the maximum effect, like pete suggests. maybe move it one weekend forward or back, and they’ll have a chance.

      • Bob

        Las Tortugas announced long before Phish even had Save the Date up. Last year’s Tortugas festival was actually nearly ruined by Lot Rats so people attending Las Tortugas are actually pretty excited that the Phish festival will be like fly paper and keep the wookies out.

  • dynamo

    this is an annual event. are they expected to check with all major bands before securing their site year after year? honestly, i would rather be in yosemite than socal for halloween (sorry, i just don’t like the la area very much)…but that’s not going to happen this year. sad. hope this doesn’t affect next year.

    • http://www.livemusicblog.com Justin

      this is not about location at all. and it’s not about checking with these bands; it’s about knowing that once the planning was happening and the rumors got stronger and stronger that they would have no chance in hell in selling enough tickets to put on a good festival. maybe they look at this year as a loss and they have the money to put it on…

      it’s sad, sure. but it’s not a pity party. this is the High Sierra music festival just presented in a slightly different location about three months later. i hate to say that they could have planned this a bit differently for the maximum effect, like pete suggests. maybe move it one weekend forward or back, and they’ll have a chance.

      • Bob

        Las Tortugas announced long before Phish even had Save the Date up. Last year’s Tortugas festival was actually nearly ruined by Lot Rats so people attending Las Tortugas are actually pretty excited that the Phish festival will be like fly paper and keep the wookies out.

  • Pete

    As Dynamo says, this is an annual Halloween themed event, and festival lineups are secured MOTNHS in advance, so that does make it tricky for them to move the festival once the rumblings started — I’m sure the promoters have been bracing themselves for this though and I’m sure they can break even despite this. Like High Sierra, in a lot of ways it’s about THE HANG, and anyone who has gone to the first 3 Las Tortugas will likely go back for round 4. Some people prefer the intimate, cheaper festival to the 70k plus clusterfuck this invariably comes with these massive Phish festivals.

    Also I agree, the LA area sucks, and even though they don’t hold a candle to the Yosemite site, the Coachella grounds are BEAUTIFUL, and I imagine perfect weather come late October (it’s ridonk hot in April).

  • Pete

    As Dynamo says, this is an annual Halloween themed event, and festival lineups are secured MOTNHS in advance, so that does make it tricky for them to move the festival once the rumblings started — I’m sure the promoters have been bracing themselves for this though and I’m sure they can break even despite this. Like High Sierra, in a lot of ways it’s about THE HANG, and anyone who has gone to the first 3 Las Tortugas will likely go back for round 4. Some people prefer the intimate, cheaper festival to the 70k plus clusterfuck this invariably comes with these massive Phish festivals.

    Also I agree, the LA area sucks, and even though they don’t hold a candle to the Yosemite site, the Coachella grounds are BEAUTIFUL, and I imagine perfect weather come late October (it’s ridonk hot in April).

  • beach

    Tortugas is a small event, 700-800 tickets max so it can’t be too hard to sell that many tix for an event that has a loyal following. If anything, phish helps; do you really think everone is a phish fan or dying to be at a 70k fest? No chance Tortugas gets hurt by this. The only folks hurt are the ones who want to be at both events.

  • beach

    Tortugas is a small event, 700-800 tickets max so it can’t be too hard to sell that many tix for an event that has a loyal following. If anything, phish helps; do you really think everone is a phish fan or dying to be at a 70k fest? No chance Tortugas gets hurt by this. The only folks hurt are the ones who want to be at both events.

  • http://phishandthedead.blogspot.com/ sam martin

    hopefully this will make phish easier to get. umphrey’s is so much a phish style band, while unique in their own way for sure. this the first year tortugas has a big lineup and bam they get hit with this.
    bummers. it could killa festival…kinda like what happened vegoose in 2007- having a bad lineup, or what will happen to Wanderlust b/c of Franti’s ruptured appendix.
    Aloha,
    Sammy

  • http://phishandthedead.blogspot.com/ sam martin

    hopefully this will make phish easier to get. umphrey’s is so much a phish style band, while unique in their own way for sure. this the first year tortugas has a big lineup and bam they get hit with this.
    bummers. it could killa festival…kinda like what happened vegoose in 2007- having a bad lineup, or what will happen to Wanderlust b/c of Franti’s ruptured appendix.
    Aloha,
    Sammy

  • http://www.livemusicblog.com Justin

    @beach: fair enough on the small scale, but maybe i’m missing something. or just extremely short-sided in my love for THE PHISH. ;)

  • http://www.livemusicblog.com Justin

    @beach: fair enough on the small scale, but maybe i’m missing something. or just extremely short-sided in my love for THE PHISH. ;)

  • http://www.musicphotographics.com Steve Holzer

    IMO, Phish Pest won’t impact Tortugas in the least. The bands playing there (especially ALO, TLG, UM, HBR) have ridiculously loyal fans & they’re much bigger fans of those bands than Phish. Phish fans seem to overestimate how popular they are. I personally know a few 100 people that wouldn’t remotely consider going to Phish even if Tortugas weren’t that weekend. On top of that, Tortugas has been shitloads of fun the last 2 years I’ve gone. It’s like a big private party for the bands & their friends &the peeps that go value that kind of atmosphere immensely.

    Last year lots of peeps complained about the large # of wooks. Nobody’ll be disappointed that they’ll be @ Phish this year instead. – Steve

  • http://www.musicphotographics.com Steve Holzer

    IMO, Phish Pest won’t impact Tortugas in the least. The bands playing there (especially ALO, TLG, UM, HBR) have ridiculously loyal fans & they’re much bigger fans of those bands than Phish. Phish fans seem to overestimate how popular they are. I personally know a few 100 people that wouldn’t remotely consider going to Phish even if Tortugas weren’t that weekend. On top of that, Tortugas has been shitloads of fun the last 2 years I’ve gone. It’s like a big private party for the bands & their friends &the peeps that go value that kind of atmosphere immensely.

    Last year lots of peeps complained about the large # of wooks. Nobody’ll be disappointed that they’ll be @ Phish this year instead. – Steve

  • http://handfulofbrains.blogspot.com/ Tony J

    And remember that not everyone who wants a Phish ticket will get one. This may be a nice fall-back event for a lot of people.

  • http://handfulofbrains.blogspot.com/ Tony J

    And remember that not everyone who wants a Phish ticket will get one. This may be a nice fall-back event for a lot of people.

  • http://www.musicandartblog.com hipster resistance

    all i can say is this looks like a langerado situation. i wish these ballsy promoters good luck

  • http://www.musicandartblog.com hipster resistance

    all i can say is this looks like a langerado situation. i wish these ballsy promoters good luck

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