And then, if you had been to Upstream: what was it like? Does it suck? Is anyone there? Who is your favorite band so far? What if, as a musician, you don’t want to create music for video games and commercials to support your art? What if you just want to make art? What if your fans can’t afford to attend Upstream? What if you, as a *musician,* can’t afford to attend Upstream? Several of the musicians present said that they would have attended the larger fest themselves to support their friends’ bands who had the opportunity to play there, but the cost was prohibitive.
There was also talk of Upstream, and it was eye-opening. The mood was one of community and coziness. As festival attendees flitted between the two stages, they had the opportunity to buy handmade art and also freshly made tortillas with various fillings. But, denied or not, here they were, playing to a packed crowd who were also not at Upstream for reasons of their own (the exorbitant ticket prices, the desire to hear music outside the norm, solidarity). Some of these bands were denied by Upstream, which is surprising considering their talent. SMI was present on night two of the fest, and each of the four bands played (more or less) rock and punk of the sort that would have easily slotted into an Upstream stage.
The three nights of Downstream also featured a second stage, each night highlighting a different genre, from hip hop/Afro-punk and soul to metal.
And it succeeded on all fronts, and only in part due to the schlockiness of a large percentage of the bands participating on the main stage (think of the weirdness of The Fabulous Downey Brothers, who performed at Upstream, multiplied by four with a mountainous helping of crazy outfits and sexual posturing).
#GOOFUS GALLANT PRO#
Substation’s Downstream Music Fest + Festival, created and curated in direct response to Paul Allen’s Upstream Music Festival + Summit, celebrated the antithesis of its inspiration: non-corporate, anti-viability, and pro shock value.
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