REALLY excited to announce a new component to the BLED FEST experience: The TicketWeb Community Room. Our friends at TicketWeb, in addition to being the best ticketing platform on the planet, are big believers in giving back to the community, and made a financial donation that we've decided to turn into a new room that will be hosting a grouping of four discussion panels, listed below! Full panelist lineups will be announced soon, but it'll feature members of bands like La Dispute, Into It Over It, and Slingshot Dakota, as well as various folks doing important work in non-profit organizations and in the music business throughout the industry! PANEL #1: "Safe Space", Not "Boring Space" Overview: One of the biggest pushbacks we receive when discussing the idea of making a show space "safer" is that the danger and "no rules" element of punk rock is what drew those folks in in the first place. We're going to discuss how to implement elements of safe space mentality while still keeping that raw edge that gives us life. PANEL #2: Representation In Music Overview: We're going to discuss how to include more women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other minorities into all parts of the music business / community. We'll focus on diversifying on stage, in the audience, and behind the scenes. PANEL #3: Take Your Act To The Next Level Overview: We'll talk with 4 successful musicians on what success means to them, how to take a step forward from whatever level you're currently at, and how to grow your brand and spread your art to new places. PANEL #4: Finding Your Niche In Your Local Music Community Overview: We are going to sit down with a group of folks who have activated themselves inside the music scene, doing things that aren't exactly performing music. We want to help encourage folks who maybe aren't musically talented to find their place in which to share their talents, either as a career, a side job, or simply a pastime! These panels will take place early on in the afternoon, starting at 12:30, and will last 45 minutes, with a small segment of time reserved for a few questions from the audience. The panels will be free to all those who purchased a ticket to the festival (onsale now and going fast at BLEDFEST.com!) P.S. A portion of TicketWeb's donation, $250.00, is being set aside to be donated to the non-profit or activist group who best uses BLED FEST as a platform to make a difference for people of all walks of life.
If there aren't any huge conflicts, I'd like to do 1, 2 or 4. EDIT: Actually, I might do 3 too, depending on who's on the panel.
I'd love to check out 1 or 2, so hopefully not any conflicts that are really pressing during that. Although there's no way there won't be haha
Those all sound really really interesting (except maybe #3 since I have the artistic talent of a 3 year old who can't color inside the lines, which is probably why #4 sounds so appealing). And I think it's fantastic that they're addressing #1 and #2 head on, at an event that is actually directly affected by those conversations. There's bound to be some really interesting conversations at that. Still deciding if I want to commit to the drive up there, especially since Pet Symmetry, Ratboys, Slingshot Dakota, and Petal are all going to be playing Chicago the day before and after, but I'm honestly considering it just because I want to support what they're trying to accomplish here.
#4 hits me personally really hard because that's a lot of the stuff i'm trying to do with my own life. not as a career but i still want to be an important productive member of the community.
I've loved attending Bled Fest the past few years, but I think this year will really be (the start of) something special.
We're getting a good chunk of these in CLE surrounding as well. Which makes it easier for me to split my day up here Friday: Cayetana, Diet Cig, Petal, Slingshot Dakota at Mahalls Sunday: Pet Symmetry, Ratboys, Runaway Brother at Mahalls Sunday: Alcoa, Spill, Jake Clark at Mahalls Locker Room
I'm like 75% in, it's just that I have no one who will want to go with me, so I'm looking at a 4.5 hour drive both ways alone, but that's what coffee is for right?
Respect to Bled for doing this. That's seriously awesome and more festivals need to take note of how this whole festival is handled.
Yeah, if Bled Fest has removed the other acts for it, PWR BTTM should be removed as well. Truly disappointing that things turned out this way.
There are a lot of things going around about one of the members. They haven't released a statement yet but I really don't see how they wouldn't get removed with the direction and hard work Bled has done to make the festival what it became this year. It'll be pretty hard to find another headliner so last minute.
Bled Fest said on FB/Twitter that they're going to be looking into the matter. If the band's tour gets cancelled, or if they get pulled off, I hope that doesn't mean Tancred and Nnamdi can't play either since they're touring with them.
Fuck, I didn't even think about that. Nnamdi is one of my most anticipated sets. I literally just bought my tickets today, so I'm pretty upset. There are still plenty of artists I want to see but PWR BTTM was easily my #1. But I do hope they do the right thing and pull them from the fest.
Yea I can't imagine that Bled Fest is in anyway considering not removing them. Especially with how close this all came out to the fest. Even IF this all got proved untrue - which seems very very unlikely at this point - it'll take time and has already compromised the safe space that Bled Fest has set up. To keep PWR BTTM on now would undo everything they have been working towards. Really curious who they'll get in their place though.