Suggestion for Jemfest 2003? - I know it's a way off, but...

darren wilson · #1 02-23-2002, 08:16 PM

Heh... i know JF2002 hasn't even happened yet, but i thought i'd throw this out there for consideration.

I just learned today that Buffalo/Niagara Falls New York has a Guitar Festival. 2001 was their first year, and it was held in mid-June. (It featured artists like Jeff Healey, Charlie Hunter and a Talas reunion.)

Wouldn't it be cool to have Jemfest coincide with the Buffalo/Niagara Guitar Festival?

Just an idea.

jeffrey · #2 02-23-2002, 11:16 PM

It's certainly a neat idea but...

Honestly.

I think they'd just get in the way of each other. It would take the focus off of what JEMFest is about and take it's "smallness" away, which is honestly part of the attraction.

The media ruined Jazz Fest, so I never go anymore. It just got too huge. *Bands like Dave Matthews started headlining it. Don't get me wrong, nothing against Dave, but he's far from jazz.

The same for JEMFest. What I'm looking forward to the most is the lack of huge crowds and traffic and enormous numbers of people and $5 bottles of spring water. JEMFest, for all intents and purposes, is a quaint gathering of individuals that largely stem from this message board. Mix it with something huge and it will become.. well...

Something else.

Kevan · #3 02-23-2002, 11:39 PM

Why don't they have the Buffalo/Niagara Guitar Festival coincide with Jemfest? *

I agree with Jeffrey. *Though not as small as one might think, I believe it to be the best guitar-based festival on the planet.
But I'm biased. :-)

BTW- did anyone notice the new name added to the artist lineup this year? *
Hmmm....still wanna stay home? :-)

pri0531 · #4 02-23-2002, 11:46 PM

How about the Houston, TX or NYC / Newark, NJ area?????????
Out,
GP

darren wilson · #5 02-24-2002, 02:46 AM

Well, i didn't mean to suggest Jemfest be mixed with the guitar festival... it just might be neat to have it continue to be its own self-contained event maybe just before or just after the guitar festival (with some overlap), which will give participants access to an even wider array of artists to check out.

Considering most people need to travel to attend a Jemfest, it gives people even more incentive to make a bigger trip out of it.

jeffrey · #6 02-24-2002, 03:28 AM

I tell you the #1 thing imo that would give more people an incentive to travel: if it were more centrally located.

Being about as far SE as you can be in North America doesn't exactly facilitate trave.

I'd look at St. Louis or someplace more centrally located. That right there would motivate more people imo.

s t e v o · #7 02-25-2002, 06:44 AM

serious thought

I wonder how much it would cost to have it in vai's mothership complex huh?
Every jem fan ever would attend and Vai would have no excuse not to make an appearence!

ken · #8 02-25-2002, 02:51 PM

Based on the Quicktime movies of The Mothership, Vai would have the ultimate excuse for a no-show: "THERE'S NO ROOM FOR ME because the place is small, packed with gear, and with all of you it's standing room only as it is. Besides, Kevan just ate at Taco Bell."

.

Nice try though. I'd have it in the Mothership whether Vai was there or not, as long as someone would keep Kevan away from Taco Bell....

s t e v o · #9 02-26-2002, 11:58 AM

well what does everyone else think?

the mothership pad is in hollywood its a massive house isn't it with the 2nd floor being the studio.
it is mentioned in the PAW tab book. It s got a control room, performance room and a lounge.
i think its around the 2000 sq ft mark.

Vai records all of his FN artists there so technically we could hire it out. If this turned into a Vai-able

option, we could say to vai "Hey Steve, If you would be so charitable as to let us use the mothership for free just think all those ticket proceeds goin to Make A Noise!!!" or we could at least get a favourable rate.

just think mr vai just browsing this site,

he sees this and thinks "Hey ****
this man!!"

Weell Mr Vai, we WILL clean up after ourselves!!!

Kevan · #10 02-26-2002, 12:37 PM

No offense to the town and it's residents but, there's not much to do in St. Louis aside from the Arch (I know; I've been there). *Orlando was chosen for several reasons:

1. *CHEAP for us as organizers. *Orlando costs 1/8th of what Vegas cost us. *:-)
2. *Not every guitarist is a single guy with no kids. *Many who attend have families. *Orlando has TONS of stuff for kids..and significant others. *This year, I'll be doing a day trip to Kennedy Space Center.
3. *Flights. *I've seen rates as low as $49 from some NY airports. *If you do some checking, I'm sure you can get a kickass rate somewhere online.
4. *Temperature. *Ever take a guitar from 80F down to 35F? *Watch that neck twist like Chubby Checker on a drunken binge.
5. *Standardization. *Our plan to do an "olympic"-type event schedule (where we move the location every year) turned out to be a bit much. *It's hard enough doing it every 4 years...every year is very difficult. *We concluded that if we held the event in one location each year, around the same 4 weeks, it would be easier for individuals AND companies to get to the event, or get cool stuff for the event.
6. *We found a location that LOVES us. *They are EXTREMELY helpful, and didn't say boo about the noise last year (Anyone remember how loud Frankenshred and Stephanie's Religion were? *Yeah....). *Rich isn't allowed to touch the luggage cart, but...that's completely understandable. *LOL *

Imagine if NAMM was in a different location each year. *I think it was Guy-Mann Dude who had a song called "Clusterphu**". *:-)

The Mothership isn't really a feasible idea. *As cool as it would be to hang there for a few hours, there's just not enough space. *Also, we're trying to keep the event from turing into "Vai-fest". *If folks want that, they can go to a Vai show. *Jemfest is about the rest of us- the owners and appreciators (is that a word?) of Ibanez guitars. *

Besides, SSV's collection would blow us all away. *:-) *

Rich · #11 02-26-2002, 12:42 PM

Luggage cart? What luggage cart?! :biggrin:

Two hands31 · #12 02-26-2002, 03:08 PM

*cough* London Ontario *cough* :biggrin:

jeffrey · #13 02-26-2002, 05:34 PM

Well I didn't mean St. Louis like "Hey! Let's do it in St. Louis!" It was just a recommendation as to a more central location in North America.

I agree about the flights and stuff, but from what I can tell most people are driving...

Ricky Garcia · #14 02-26-2002, 07:57 PM

Well said Kevan!! I agree with having it in one place every year and having duaghter events organized by others around the globe... There is a good chance that I am honored to play the UK Jemfest this year as well.

yurich · #15 02-26-2002, 09:24 PM

I think it's tough for us Canadians to get where it is at this point...maybe you should move it closer to the border...like Buffalo

besides, there are a lot of NYkers in attendance

unless, of course, someone's gonna organize a J-eh-fest up here...

(Edited by snakepit at 8:27 pm on Feb. 26, 2002)