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Scott Wallace - staff |
Luxury palooza!
Music festivals now offer VIP options, including massages and gourmet food. But is it rock 'n' roll?
By Matthew Shaer | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the August 10, 2007 edition
Page 1 of 3
Chicago - For the approximately 150,000 fans pressed into Grant Park last weekend, Lollapalooza wasn't just a music festival – it was a full-contact endurance test. The temperatures soared on Friday, and the rain swept in on Saturday. The crowds were large; the lines were long.
But on a small hill overlooking the AT&T stage, a few lucky concertgoers stretched out on white couches and reclining beach chairs, sheltered from the sun and rain by umbrellas. They dined on catered food and drinks, provided by a restaurant downtown. The service was complimentary.
So were the massages.
And the blue portable toilet, that bane of the modern festival experience?
Forget it. Each restroom was an immaculate, air-conditioned trailer, filled with an array of high-end soaps and hand sanitizers.
Sick of the mosh pits and the long-distance views, hundreds of music fans forked over extra cash to join the party at this year's "Lolla Lounges," Lollapalooza's new luxury seating options.
They came, they saw, they dined. And they stayed out of the mud.
In the past year, fans have shown an increasing willingness to pay more – lots more – for a taste of luxury, and a respite from the madding crowds. In June, the pop artist Prince made news by charging over $3,000 per couple for a private show at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. Tickets for a summer concert series in the Hamptons, featuring Dave Matthews and Billy Joel, run about $3,000 – per person. And next month, when Genesis arrives in Philadelphia, VIP booths for the band's show at the Wachovia Center will retail at $3,500.
Concert promoters have responded to the soaring ticket sales by beefing up their luxury options, even at festivals long known for providing a decidedly middlebrow mixture of mud, sun, and camaraderie. This year, for instance, Austin City Limits will charge almost $2,000 for weekend VIP access. Bonnaroo VIP access went for $1,125 per person.
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