Music Midtown 2003 (Atlanta)
 

Here's the lineup so far for Music Midtown Festival in Atlanta May 2-4. It's better than last year at least. $45 a pop. More names will be added (Foo Fighters rumored). I'd LOVE to be able to yank about a dozen stinkers off this list and replace them with something more interesting. Doubt I'll go.


• 13 Stories Locals stage
• 3LW V103 stage Saturday
• Aimee Mann Fox 5 stage Sunday
• Alana Davis 96 Rock stage Saturday
• Amerie V103 stage Saturday
• Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra Fox 5 stage Sunday
• Ashanti V103 stage Sunday
• B-52s Z93 stage Friday
• Bachelor Red Locals stage
• Blue Epic Locals stage
• Bob Dylan 96 Rock stage Friday
• Ben Harper 99X stage Sunday
• Buddy Guy Fox 5 stage Saturday
• Caitlin Carey Fox 5 stage Sunday
• Cam'ron V103 stage Saturday
• Cowboy Mouth 96 Rock stage Saturday
• Cracker 96 Rock stage Friday
• Crosby Stills & Nash Z93 stage Saturday
• Dave Mason Z93 stage Saturday
• Deeper Shade of Soul Gospel stage Saturday
• Def Leppard 96 Rock stage Sunday
• Dial 8 Locals stage
• Disco Biscuits Fox 5 stage Friday
• Donnie V103 stage Friday
• Drive by Truckers 96 Rock stage Sunday
• Drivin N Cryin 96 Rock stage Sunday
• Edgar Winter Z93 stage Saturday
• Eve V103 stage Sunday
• Everclear 96 Rock stage Sunday
• Fat Joe V103 stage Sunday
• Favorite Locals stage
• Francine Reed V103 stage Friday
• Franky Perez 96 Rock stage Sunday
• The Gain Fox 5 stage Saturday
• G-Love & Special Sauce 96 Rock stage Saturday
• Gipsy Kings Fox 5 stage Sunday
• Godsmack 99X stage Saturday
• Gomez Z93 stage Sunday
• Gov't Mule Z93 stage Sunday
• Homeroom Locals stage
• India Arie V103 stage Sunday
• Isley Brothers V103 stage Saturday
• Jack Johnson 99X stage Sunday
• Joe Cocker Z93 stage Saturday
• Jorma Kaukonen & Blue Country Z93 stage Saturday
• K-Ci & JoJo V103 stage Saturday
• Kings X 96 Rock stage Saturday
• Leftover Salmon Z93 stage Saturday
• Les Claypool Frog Brigade Z93 stage Friday
• Live 99X stage Saturday
• LL Cool J V103 stage Friday
• Mary's Eyes Locals stage
• Mavericks Fox 5 stage Saturday
• Medeski, Martin, Wood Z93 stage Saturday
• Mina Mina Goodsong Locals stage
• Ming & FS Fox 5 stage Friday
• Mofro Z93 stage Sunday
• Morris Day & the Time V103 stage Friday
• Nivea V103 stage Sunday
• Orion Crisis Locals stage
• Outshine Locals stage
• Particle Fox 5 stage Friday
• Psyche Origami Locals stage
• Ratdog Z93 stage Sunday
• Richard Smallwood & Vision Gospel stage Saturday
• Saliva 99X stage Saturday
• Seether 99X stage Friday
• Shaggy V103 stage Saturday
• Sheryl Crow 96 Rock stage Friday
• Sick Speed Locals stage
• Sixpence None the Richer Fox 5 stage
• Something Corporate 99X stage Sunday
• Sound Tribe Sector Nine Fox 5 stage Friday
• Southside Johnny & Asbury Jukes Z93 stage Sunday
• Steve Winwood Z93 stage Friday
• Supafuzz Locals stage
• Susan Tedeschi Fox 5 stage Saturday
• The Hiss Locals stage
• Tonex Gospel stage Saturday
• Tonic 99X stage Saturday
• Tony Bennett Fox 5 stage Saturday
• Trapt 99X stage Saturday
• Uncrowned Locals stage
• Unwritten Law 99X stage Friday
• VHS or Beta Fox 5 stage Friday
• Vivian Green V103 stage Saturday
• Y.O.U Locals stage

Saw the line-up about an hour ago and was thrilled with some of the guests. Overall, it's not the best list, but I cherish any time to see Live or Tony Bennett, and it looks like there's more than enough to keep me busy depending on how they arrange everything.

Hopefully they don't add too many more big name acts. This thing has gotten out of control in recent years. I enjoy seeing hasbeens like Night Ranger more than current superstars. If I want to see a big name act, I'll just go to their full concert. I also hope they don't overload the night acts like they're prone to doing.

das

Too bad they can't do something like this in the Tri State area. They have everything from Tony Bennet to Godsmack to LL Cool J. Great diverse lineup :up:!

They should change the name from Music Midtown to Music Meltdown. I went from 95-98 and I thought in 98 it was bad(note, i can't remember the last year I went, it was when it relocated to around the Marta Civic Station, whatever year that was). There are WAY too many people there. On Saturday, it really took about an hour to navigate in the sea of people from 99x stage to 96rock stage. This while surrounded by 95+ thousand people, during 95+ degree heat with 195+% humidity. It's not worth it, by a long shot, even to see the not-so-popular acts or the has-been, where are they now acts.

I don't have a name, I agree with you. I actually went the first two years they started this 10 years ago and it was perfect. Better mid-level bands and not a huge crowd. $45 is not a bad price for 2 1/2 days of music IF you like a bunch of the bands. Of course, you gotta add food and beer to that price.

The problem I've had in recent years is that most of the bands I want to see seem to all play on the same night. You can't buy single day passes anymore and I don't want to wade around in that mess for two other days going hours between sets I'm interested in.

Volunteer on their website. I worked there on Friday back in 2001 & spent most of Friday handing out programs. Got done in time to see Bob Dylan go on stage & got free passes for the other days. A very good deal & you get to meet pretty cool people.

Nice lineup. I've only gone once (96, I think?) and it's a great place for established bands/groups and up-and-comers. I think I saw Cake there for the first time ... also Ben Folds Five.

Nice to see a bunch of different genre's of talent there -- I think it used to be just a 99X thing ... now it seems like V103 and 96 Rock are getting into the act.

BTW -- where is the venue this year? Last I remember, the venue was moving

Don't get wrong, though. 45 bucks is an amzing price to see all those bands. There are a couple that I would go and see. But I won't be going because A.) I moved to San Francisco a couple of months ago and B.) it's too stressful to be there with ALL those people.

My theory about Music Midtown is that the population of the festival is directly related to population explosion that Atlanta saw right after the Olympics. You can't blame the promoters (is it still Peter Colons and that other Alex something guy?) If more people want to go, bump up the prices a little more (not by much, thank Buddah), an get some bigger name acts on the bill. The onlyy thing I am still impressed by is the ticket prices. Average growth of popularity in this festival would lead the average person to assmuse this festival would cost around the mid-to-high 50s or low 60s.

So, who's going?

I'm pumped.

Main attractions I've looking forward to: Live, Evanescence, Tony Bennett, and Def Leppard. Plenty of other good acts, but those are the ones I'm drooling over. I know some people don't like the crowds, but where else can I see Evanescence, Shaggy, and Tony Bennett in the same afternoon? Variety rules.

das

Just me, eh?

Well, screw all of you! :) I'm going to have a blast whether you like it or not! :D

das

I've gone a couple times. Last time was a couple years ago though. It is true: the variety of bands is amazing. I saw Dylan, Arrested Development, Fastball, Kool and the Gang, Jerry Cantrell, Night Ranger, Indigo Girls, Foo Fighters, Loverboy (not all the same year mind you...) and I can't even remember who all else.

On the other hand, the crowds really are overwhelming, and the last time I went, it was HOT. I tend to get burned out after the 2nd night and end up skipping out on the sunday shows.

For me the decision to go comes down to whether or not a bunch of friends are going to brave the crowds together. This year, I would be on my own, so I'm not going.

das, have fun! I'm skipping it... just not enough interest for me (which makes me vewy vewy sad). The last time I went was two years ago only because a friend had a free ticket. Saw Cheap Trick, Lucinda Williams, Smithereens and Victoria Williams. Enjoyed that.

Well, it's storming like a mofo right now with severe thunderstorm warnings and a tornado watch coming out of Alabama. I have the freaking Black Plague too and REALLY don't need to be standing in the rain. But **** it. I'm going to see Live tonight if it kills me, and the fates conspiring to keep me away can shove it! :)

On the plus side, if there is one, Live is at the 99x stage, and they should be on asphault, so at least I won't be in the mud.

If I survive, I'll be sure to return to this thread and taunt all of you with stories of how much it rocked. :)

das

I'm going today, Saturday.

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth theneobez •<HR SIZE=1>I'm going today, Saturday. <HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

Today is definitely the best day. I'm about to walk over myself. Have a great time!

das

Shouldn't they change the name of the event to Music Downtown? :)

King's X, Tonic, and Tony Bennet were the highlights. Great show, my feet hurt though. . .

and I saw alot of hot girls.

Yeah, my feet are killing me. I have a long walk from where I am, and I've made it 8 times already.

Holy crap, Tony Bennett kicked ass. I know that sounds strange, but from front row-center -- and I mean literally dead center pressed up against the front railing (I listened to lame country from Maverick to get that spot) -- it was an incredible show. The set was a bit short, but what do you expect ... he's 300 years old. And Clayton Cameron is a complete and total badass with the brushes, even if he's a dead ringer for Phil Lamarr. I wish Ralph Sharon had been well enough to perform, but Lee Musiker did a great job, even subtlely encouraging the crowd to chant Tony's name.

Add to that seeing Buddy Guy, and today will go down close to the top of music experiences in my life. Buddy Guy's a freakin' legend if ever there was one, and he lived up to it as he wandered off stage and into the crowd. The guy's pushing 70, and he's still kicking ass. Damn right he's got the blues, and they never sounded better.

Other highlights for me today were Edgar Winter who broke out with a 20-minute rendition of Frankenstein followed by some incredible dueling instuments and Evanescene who looked great and sounded better. I wasn't sure how their sound would translate live, but it works. It has a stronger rock edge to it on stage, but that's fine with me. Oh yeah ... damn, she's hot. :)

das

das, do you like country music at all? The Mavericks were one of the only reasons I would have gone to MM this year. They are one of the few decent country bands around. What was lame about them? Tony Bennett would have been cool. I remember seeing Tito Puente 10 years ago and that was really sweet. That's the great thing about this festival... go see people you might not ordinarily check out.

To be fair, the Mavericks were pretty good and tried to put together an energetic show for their 12 fans. They sounded a lot better when they played with a more Mexican flavor. I don't mind country or even country-western, but I have no interest in the cheap pop that's disguised as country for marketing that's evolved in recent years. They played enough of the latter to hurt their cause, but most of it was pretty decent and probably would have been more entertaining if the crowd weren't a boring group of overgrown high-schoolers straight from the cast of <B>Varsity Blues</B> donning "I Heart Jesus" shirts and swaying back and forth with what must constitute "emotion" round them parts. :) Seriously, these guys weren't too bad, and my comment about it being lame is mostly influenced by the fact that I had just seen Buddy Guy on that stage and immediately afterward saw Tony Bennett, both of which were such vastly superior experiences that meeting the Pope probably would have come across as lame to me at the time.

das

Gotcha. Funny explanation. You didn't make it back there today (Sunday)?

So is this anything like Light Up Atlanta :lol:

das...Buddy Guy is just awesome. When I lived in Chicago I saw him probably 15 times at his club and Blues Fest and the like. Got better every time I saw him.

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth atlantamoi •<HR SIZE=1>You didn't make it back there today (Sunday)? <HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm going to overlook this question on account of your clear addiction to crack. :) I've got two words for you: Def Leppard. Not a chance in hell I'd miss it. I did get kind of a late start today, but there really wasn't anything early on worth going to see. The 99x stage had a decent line-up with Seether, Jack Johnson and Ben Harper, but I've seen them already and I needed to stay home and chug orange juice to keep from dying anyway.

Def Leppard, as I'm sure you can guess, rocked. The crowd was ginormous. Some guys pushed by me about 20 minutes into the show. They said they had come from Zwan and that it was a barren wasteland over there, because everyone was at Def Leppard. I cannot confirm this, because frankly, who cares about Zwan. :)

Overall, a great Midtown. I don't know why people wuss out and don't go. I would have paid $45 just to see any <I>one</I> of the acts I saw (well, OK, not the Mavericks ;)). I know people have become jaded with how large and corporate the event has become, but it still rocks.

das

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth palebluedot •<HR SIZE=1>So is this anything like Light Up Atlanta :lol:

das...Buddy Guy is just awesome. When I lived in Chicago I saw him probably 15 times at his club and Blues Fest and the like. Got better every time I saw him. <HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

:lol: I get high just <I>thinking</I> about Midtown. ;)

Buddy Guy ... holy carp. I didn't think anything could top seeing Chuck Berry, but Buddy Guy may replace him as King of the Dirty Old Black Men. Almost 70, and he still rocks harder than the corporate power chord monkeys that dominate the airwaves.

das