Data for the Live Events Industry

[jamplifyblog]

Introducing Show Forecasts

We are excited to announce the launch of Show Forecasts, the latest feature of Ticket Counts Pro that algorithmically predicts sales for upcoming shows. Show Forecasts enables agents to make better-informed decisions about where to allocate both current and future promotional efforts for their clients’ shows.

Our algorithm analyzes the sales histories of thousands of shows to predict where sales will ultimately end up for each show. The algorithm takes into consideration multiple data points, including but not limited to the venue’s capacity and both the artist’s and the venue’s previous sales history. Ticket Counts Pro makes this all possible by collecting and storing ticket counts in a best-in-class cloud database, freeing your sales data from the limitations of a spreadsheet. With Show Forecasts, agents can more effectively highlight successes to their clients and focus marketing attention on shows that are lagging.

We visualize these predictions on our Artist Dashboard via a three-tiered star system:

Full star: A show will likely come close to selling out.

Half star: A show will likely sell between 50% and 80% of the house.

No star: A show will likely sell less than half the house.

Below is a screenshot of what Show Forecasts look like on the Dashboard for a particular artist:

This three-tiered system can inform both the short-term and long-term booking and marketing decisions that agents make on a daily basis. For shows with a full star, agents can feel more confident about booking their client(s) at that particular venue in the future, while shows with half or no stars serve as a signal to agents to check in on their promotional campaigns in those corresponding markets.

Since launch, our Show Forecasts have predicted sales performance with nearly 90% accuracy. We have collected over 116,000 ticket counts to date and continue to expand our client base every week with new booking agencies. We look forward to seeing Show Forecasts become an integral component of Jamplify’s toolkit for evaluating ticket sales performance and making smarter booking decisions.

[jamplifyblog]

Introducing Jamplify Live Intel

We are excited to announce the release of Jamplify Live Intel for Booking Agents, which empowers agents to find the best bookings for their clients.  On the back of our Ticket Counts Pro product that collects sales numbers from thousands of venues around the world, we have freed up agents and their teams to do what they do best: book shows. 

As we talked with our agency clients about their booking process, they told us that they use a wide range of databases and tools to source opportunities. For example, some scour Songkick to look at similar artists’ routings and almost everyone spends a ton of time on Google Maps trying to figure out if markets are within range of each other.

Speaking with our clients, we thought, "What if we could create a database of every show and venue in North America and pair it with the power of Google Maps?"

With Live Intel, we provide our clients with amazing flexibility to identify booking opportunities in ways they have never been able to before. And it's all beautifully displayed on an interactive map, so you always know exactly where you're sending your artist.

Target thousands of venues in North America by:

Distance from location (including radius clause)

Genres booked

Artists booked

When you need to fill an avail between two bookings, you can specify both booked cities and we’ll identify the venues in the middle that work best (as shown in the example above)!

For each venue, you’ll find a robust profile with a Full Calendar of announced bookings (powered by SeatGeek). If you use our Ticket Counts Pro product, you can also view all of your previous bookings with a particular venue and how well they sold, so you can identify venues that you should absolutely return to (or not). 

Live Intel has already become the daily tool of choice for our clients and we’re excited to introduce it to more agents over the coming weeks and months.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re interested in getting access or if you would like a live demo (Matt Sternberg, Head of Business Development, [email protected]).

[jamplifyblog]

Jamplify Case Study: Paquin Artists Agency

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At Jamplify, we have the fortune of working with some of the most forward-thinking booking agencies in the business. This past summer we began working with Toronto-based Paquin Artists Agency and their amazing roster musicians, family shows, magicians, and ballets. The below case study outlines how Jamplify has changed the way their agency accesses ticket sales data for their shows and leverages that data to drive decision making for their agency. 

“Jamplify is among the most user friendly pieces of online software I have encountered. The ease of adding and updating data has been enjoyed equally by our staff and clients.”

- Meaghan Sproule, Paquin Artists Agency

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Paquin Artists Agency began using Jamplify to eliminate countless man hours that were being spent collecting, managing, and analyzing ticket counts data.  Before using Jamplify, Paquin was spending upwards of 45 hours per week reaching out for ticket counts, following up with promoters, processing automated reports, and organizing ticket counts in spreadsheets to share with managers.

Paquin supplied Jamplify with over 500 tour dates to collect ticket counts for over the following 6 months.  The Jamplify team seamlessly consolidated hundreds of tour dates from several  spreadsheets into Paquin’s Jamplify dashboard.  

After the tour dates were added, the Jamplify system began ticket counts request automation, eliminating the need for Paquin to reach out and follow up with hundreds of promoters across 500 tour dates. 

To date, Jamplify has collected over 5,000 ticket counts for Paquin Artists Agency, allowing the Paquin team to focus on more important revenue driving initiatives.  By eliminating the ticket counts process through Jamplify, Paquin Artists Agency saves over $25,000 per year in labor.

“Not having to go through the laborious task of constantly contacting promoters and venues for counts has added countless hours back into staff’s weeks allowing focus to be on more important matters.”  

- Meaghan Sproule, Paquin Artists Agency

As ticket counts continue to pour in for Paquin, the agency has amassed a large data set that can be used to sell out more shows.  

“The greatest part of the platform is the sheer volume of data that is now at our fingertips allowing us to perform our jobs and serve our clients better.” 

-Meaghan Sproule, Paquin Artists Agency

[jamplifyblog]

Introducing Ticket Counts Pro

We always learn a ton by listening to our clients and music industry partners, and are incredibly grateful for their insights. A listen-first, build-second mentality in any industry goes a long way, but especially in ours, where there has been so much innovation for the music consumer (Spotify, Jukely, SeatGeek), but relatively little innovation for the music professional. By working collaboratively with promoters, agents, and managers over the past few years, we’ve had the fortune of building award winning tour marketing products that have been used by industry professionals around the world.

Through our experience building those products, we became intimately familiar with the ins and outs of ticket count collection. Agents told us firsthand how complicated the process can be. Presenting ticket sales data in effective ways is daunting. Oftentimes, there isn’t enough time or manpower on an agency-level to gather the ticket sales data agents need, let alone turn ticket sales data into actionable insights.

If you’re a booking agent, this might sound familiar to you:

You (or your assistant) emails several box offices for ticket counts

The box office contact emails back the ticket counts for each show

You (or your assistant) responds to some box offices to clarify their numbers

The box office contact responds with some clarification

Your assistant copies all of the numbers from various emails to various spreadsheets

Finally, your assistant emails you and relevant managers the most recent spreadsheets.

That’s six steps from when the assistant asks for the ticket counts to when the agent and relevant managers know how their shows are doing. Not to mention that at this point the data is just sitting in a spreadsheet, and doesn’t even begin to tell an impactful story. Multiply this across the dozens of shows an agent might care about on any given day, and that adds up to several hours every single day spent just trying to retrieve ticket counts. Zoom out agency wide, and you’re beginning to understand the scope of the problem.

Building on what we had learned from our other products, and the valuable input of industry leaders, we began to work.

-----

Six months ago, we launched the first iteration of Ticket Counts Pro; designed to automate the entire ticket counts process, from collection to followups with delinquent promoters, creating spreadsheets (with the agency logo), as well as presenting visuals for the ticket sales data automatically.

Out of the box, here’s what the product does for our clients:

Automated data collection from 1,000s of venue box offices: With Ticket Counts Pro, our automated system reaches out to the box offices on specific days of the week. No more need for your assistant to send an email to box offices on the days they want ticket counts.

Direct input into your database: The box office inputs the ticket count into a unique submit page hosted and the data flows straight to your dashboard.. No more transcribing ticket counts from the box office’s emails to a separate spreadsheet.

Visualize show performance: Jamplify provides all the graphs, tables, and reports you could ever need so you can get an immediate sense of trends in ticket counts. No more staring at numbers in a spreadsheet that are difficult to decipher.

Jamplify has even started providing industry-wide insights to our clients so they can make better business decisions as agents. Whether they are deciding what size venue to book, or wondering if a promoter’s market is really “a walk-up town”, Jamplify’s insights can better inform every business decision that they make. Ticket Counts Pro from Jamplify transforms ticket counts from an agency-wide headache into a powerful asset that helps agents make revenue-maximizing business decisions for artists.

We invite you to try Ticket Counts Pro from Jamplify and see for yourself what automating the ticket count collection process can do for your agency. Our CEO, Andy Pickens, can be reached at [email protected] to set up a demo.

[jamplifyblog]

What Makes A Major Music Festival Sell (powered by TiqIQ)

The music industry is larger and more ludicrous to investors than ever before, and consumers are directly experiencing a surge in ticket pricing. Companies like TiqIQ have aggregated impressive data regarding industry trends in ticket pricing, and it's clear that it takes more than a solid lineup to make a successful festival. The competition to break through and reach new listeners is intense, and success is based on several factors. Social media posts and email blasts can make or break the connection between artist and fan, and it can take just one particular show or song for an artist's career to blow up. EDM has become the face of American pop music with the likes of Disclosure, Zedd, Skrillex, Calvin Harris, and Rudimental filling mainstream radio stations. It wasn't long ago that Bonnaroo and the original Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas were the only events where premier art installations and comprehensive lineups existed-this past year dozens of festivals featured stacked lineups with huge names across various genres, and the competition is at an all-time high when convincing old and new fans where to spend their money. Securing a handful of popular artists on the lineup no longer guarantees strong sales or a successful production, as evidenced by the wildly comprehensive artist bills that so many of this year's festivals included. 

Certain artists used 2014 as their revival year (or major album debut), including Outkast, Nas, Neutral Milk Hotel, Eminem, Queens of the Stone Age, and the Arctic Monkeys. Some of the more mature festivals, including Coachella, Austin City Limits, and Sasquatch Festival, now span two separate weekends, with Sasquatch being the only one who had completely different lineup offerings across the opposing weekends. The artists listed above were featured headliners at all or some of the following festivals: Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Boston Calling, Coachella, Firefly, Governor's Ball, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Sasquatch Fest, and several more events across the nation. The overlap between lineups has become quite high and the decision-making process between events begins to be centered on alternate facets of the festival: the overall atmosphere, the amenities, the art installations, the sound quality, and the overall accessibility of the venue. Skrillex, Disclosure, and Calvin Harris were the most highly demanded performers of the EDM world, and all three artists tour at a pace that few can maintain, often playing multiple cities in a span of several days.  However, the value of a festival ticket is undeniable when compared to standalone show.

For example, Fitz & the Tantrums were featured at several major festivals including Lollapalooze, Austin City Limits,  and Bonnaroo, where secondary ticket prices ranged from $430 (Lollapalooza) to over $580 (ACL) after the initial presale was seized by hungry fans (data from TiqIQ). Meanwhile, the secondary market average to see Fitz & the Tantrums headline a show frequently ranged between 50-70$ depending on venue. If it's within reach of the consumer's budget, the festival ticket (5 to 7x the price of a single headlining ticket) usually includes more than 30 artists, and seeing only a few headliners pays for the price of the ticket. When amenities, cost of production, and sound quality is taken into account, most festivals are still a steal. 

There are intangible elements of advertising, culture, and mass appeal that give festivals like Coachella the ability to increase prices at-will because the social image of these experiences is something that fans seriously value. Meanwhile, other festivals are looking to take advantage of these price hikes to increase market share while the veteran festivals grow exponentially. Secondary market averages for Coachella Weekend 1 passes were over $1800, while the average for Weekend 2 was under $800. It is the curated image of these festival brands alone that drives prices to such high levels. Coachella had the exact same lineup both weekends, at the same venue, with the same amenities, yet the sales for the first weekend are consistently higher than the second. In contrast, most media outlets and fans report Weekend 2 as more enjoyable, more spacious, and that it featured better sound quality. Could it be possible that today's fans are primarily concerned with having a more unique, more elaborate experience than their peers, as opposed to taking the festival experience at face value and comparing the different festival attractions to determine their true worth?

Only time will tell as to how the festival scene develops over the next decade. If consumers show the industry giants that they care more about the press surrounding the event than the actual substance and quality of the production, the overall experience is sure to suffer at any upcoming festival who displays this profit-centered mindset. Don't worry though- if trends continue, there will always be up-and-coming festivals hard at work to reinvigorate the festival scene and provide the perfect balance between a unique experience and solid value. The consumer has the power to keep the festival scene original and authentic as long as due process is taken to research the facts!

--Andrew Cordivari

[jamplifyblog]

Why You Should Appreciate Diplo...

Most festival headliners face a barrage of hate and critique from the media, accusing DJs of "selling out", utilizing too many samples, lack of creativity, too much complexity, etc...However, it's pretty difficult to come down on Diplo (LA native Thomas Penz), who's played a major part in nearly every aspect of the music industry. Honestly...the man is single-handedly responsible for twerking.

He DJ'd throughout Philly while attending Temple University, and has produced with (or for) a myriad of artists including Snoop Dogg, Kid Cudi, Brittney Spears, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Robyn, M.I.A, No Doubt, and Die Antwoord. Some fans may show disdain for his work with pop stars, but Diplo has never left his roots as a true DJ and creative mastermind. 

He founded Mad Decent, a Philly-based record label that now transcends musical genres with a stunning array of DJs, producers, vocalists, and instrumentalists.  Snoop Dogg's acclaimed documentary "Reincarnation" shows Diplo as a friend and respected producer of Snoop and many others, and the Reincarnation album was mainly produced by Diplo. 

Mad Decent Block Party is an international concert series featuring talent from the impressive record label, as well as a few outside acts who are hand selected to take the party to the next level. The bill changes by location, but this year features the likes of Zed's Dead, Dillon Francis, Action Bronson, Flume, Big Gigantic, DJ Snake, and Diplo (with his side project Major Lazer), all for the price of an average concert ticket. 

Nearly every EDM festival in the world hopes to secure a spot for Diplo on their lineup, and if he is playing near you it's absolutely worth your time to see what this man is all about. His sets include a wide array of genres and are sure to get the crowd going wild. 

--Andrew Cordivari

[jamplifyblog]

Zed's Dead x House Music...don't worry bassheads! There will still be  heavy tracks on their upcoming "Somewhere Else" EP, debuting July 1st on Mad Decent. 

[rollingstone]

Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence is a melancholy crawl through doomed romance, addictions and blown American dreams. Our review.

[jamplifyblog]

See what Rolling Stone has to say about Lana's new work, which was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. 

[jamplifyblog]

Is Electric Forest The Best North American Music Festival?

There is no quantifiable method to prove which festival is the "best, but there are a handful of reasons why many fans consider Electric Forest the most comprehensive festival experience in the U.S.

-The Setup

Electric Forest takes place each summer in the cool, green woods of Rothbury, Michigan. Bonnaroo, Coachella, and EDC Las Vegas take place in climates that frequently peak past 95 degrees by early afternoon, and this is not to be understated for the campers in attendance. When I attended Bonnaroo in 2012, no one in my group could sleep past 10 am regardless of the time we returned to the tent the previous night due to the sweltering heat.

However, there is much more to the forest than just cool weather. The trees are perfectly manicured in a massive grid formation and the forest is interspersed with intricate abstract art installations. At night the forest truly comes alive, as the lights and lasers from the four surrounding stages project deep into the forest and dance around the tree silhouettes for a truly surreal experience. The forest is equipped with luxurious bars, dozens of futuristic hammocks for fans looking for some rest, and smaller stages that offer the opportunity for intimate performances.

The event staff is incredibly energetic, friendly, and helpful even with a wide range of ages within the volunteer pool. You never need to worry about getting lost between stages or losing your orientation while exploring the forest. There is even a team of "Electric Forest" police (volunteers) that comb through the forest after 4 am to check on everyone, clear them out to their tents until it reopens in the morning, and warn fans that the real police will come through around 5 am...follow the policies and you'll have no problems!

-The Lineup

This year features a truly astounding spread of talent from different genres, including some of the most sought-after live performers within all of EDM. The Glitch Mob, STS9 (two shows), Excision, Flying Lotus, Zedd, Moby, MK, and many, many more. EF also features 3 shows by the String Cheese Incident and 2 shows by Umphrey's McGee for the faithful jam band community. The diversity of talent speaks for itself...check it out here http://www.electricforestfestival.com/lineup.php

Electric Forest is officially SOLD OUT this year for general admission camping. I can't fathom what this means based on the scope of the festival last summer, but there is no doubt that everyone is looking forward to the time of their life.

Missed your chance to snag a 4 day festival pass? Don't worry! We have an awesome deal where you can win a free 4 day GA camping pass for promoting the event. Sign up here (http://buff.ly/1kKYhdv) and invite your friends- by driving clicks and selling tickets through your link you'll accumulate points, and the top three promoters win a 4 day GA festival pass!

Don't sleep on this festival. You are guaranteed to see some amazing talent, meet some great people, and experience an atmosphere unlike anything else.

--Andrew Cordivari

[tuneage]

Jack White – Lazaretto

laz·a·ret·to /,lazəˈretō/

noun, chiefly historical

an isolation hospital for people with infectious diseases, esp. leprosy or plague.

a building (or ship) used for quarantine.

a military or prison hospital.

[jamplifyblog]

Life in Color brings Chuckie, one of the most accredited house music producers in the dance industry, to the Izod Center on June 21st. This man consistently sees a wild response from crowds across the world, and his sets always get people moving regardless of the audience demographic. Chuckie has headlined various EDC venues along with dozens of massive international festivals, and he always adapts to the demands of the crowd. As a producer Chuckie has covered everything from electro-house to trap and his popularity continues to grow while collaborating with esteemed producers across different genres. 

Life in Color has developed into one of the most well-known brands in the live music industry, and although there have been numerous spin-offs the quality and scale of the original production cannot be replicated. The Izod Center will be packed to capacity with roughly 20,000 fans in attendance and this is a show you definitely don't want to miss!

We have an amazing deal for promoting the show and it only takes a few seconds to sign up here (http://buff.ly/1oxAYTq). Paste your custom URL to any social media account of your choice and you'll be rewarded for driving tickets! The prize breakdown is as followed:

Top Promoter wins:

Meet & Greet w/ Chuckie

3 UNLEASH Tickets

2nd Place Promoter wins:

3 UNLEASH Tickets

3rd Place Promoter wins:

2 UNLEASH Tickets

4th Place Promoter wins:

2 GA Tickets

4 Paint Vouchers

5th Place Promoter wins:

1 GA Ticket

Unleash Ticket Includes - Express Entry, UNLEASH Tour T-Shirt, Sunglasses, Free Paint Voucher, Lumiton all wrapped up in a LIC Drawstring bag

Must drive at least 1 ticket purchase to be eligible for rewards

--Good luck promoting and enjoy the music!

--Andrew Cordivari

[jamplifyblog]

Henry Steinway has some unusually well-known aliases: the man performs and produces as both RL Grime and Clockwork, and the common denominator is bass-heavy music. The former name propelled trap music into the spotlight after an array of well-received originals and remixes (you've probably heard the booming remake of Benny Benassi's classic "Satisfaction"), while Clockwork consistently produces some of the most innovative electro-house within the industry. 

Steinway is definitely not lacking creativity, and his amazing ability to span genres has captivated audiences around the world. Genre purists are prevalent today, as there are a myriad of sub-genres arising out of house, dubstep, and drum n bass and labeling new music is harder than ever. Is it trap, drum step, dubstep, bro step, or chill step? The answer is irrelevant for most artists, and by splitting productions between two names Steinway has evaded labeling and categorization while making the music he loves. If you're lucky you can catch Steinway playing two sets under BOTH of his names at some major festivals this year! 

Clockwork has an awesome wave of shows coming to California to close out the month of May, and we have a SWEET deal worked out for our fans. The top promoter of each show wins 2 free tickets to the show, an opportunity to get on stage with the man himself, and a signed tour poster! Check it out here ( http://buff.ly/1jRwSGl ) and invite your friends! 

--Andrew Cordivari

[jamplifyblog]

Atmosphere's new deluxe album "Southsiders" dropped last week with 20 brand new tracks and it made waves in the music world, reaching #2 on the iTunes charts. The Rhymesayers crew is keeping underground hip-hop alive and well. Pick this up as soon as possible! 

[jamplifyblog]

A Look Ahead to Bonnaroo 2014

The quaint city of Manchester, Tennessee has a population of just over 10,000 people, but for one week in June each year the scene changes into something entirely different. Bonnaroo returns to a beautiful 700 acre farm in Coffee County for the festival's twelve-year anniversary, and it consistently attracts over 80,000 fans from around the country. I drove down from New Jersey in 2012 for my first Bonnaroo experience, and we were pleasantly surprised to find fellow festival attendees at every single place we stopped along 81-South. The event has developed a cult-like following and campers talk about the distance they traveled as if it's a high-stakes competition.  The atmosphere across the unimaginably massive campground feels like you've stepped into a utopian society and every attendee is clearly ready for a fun time. We quickly discovered that many groups' itineraries made our fourteen hour drive seem like child's play and our neighbors were all friendly people who we got got to know well. You can get some great photos of the expansive landscape with a well-timed shot from the top of the ferris wheel, and the production set-up at each stage rivals the best indoor venues across the nation. The lighting and sound are well-thought out to make the crowd experience as enjoyable as possible, and you'll never battle for space to dance. The second shot above was from Mimosa, who kicked off the first night of the festival at one of the smaller stages.

The lineup is incredibly diverse this year with the hottest artists from every genre, and you can expect wildly creative art installations, delicious food trucks, and talented independent art vendors. Bonnaroo 2014 features a staggering selection of the best names around for fans of all ages and interests, including...

-Skrillex, Kaskade, Zedd, Disclosure, Chromeo, Die Antwoord, The Glitch Mob, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Break Science...

-Arctic Monkeys, Jack White, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend,  The Avett Brothers, The Flaming Lips, Neutral Milk Hotel, Tedeschi Trucks Band, the Head & the Heart, Umphrey's McGee, Mastodon, Meshuggah, The Bouncing Souls, Cherub...

-Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa, Frank Ocean, Chance the Rapper, Ice Cube, Grouplove, Pusha T, ASAP Ferg, Danny Brown...

...and there are still more than 50 additional artists on the bill-check it out here http://lineup.bonnaroo.com/

There are a variety of camping options for the weekend (with a range of amenities) so you can pick the best option for your crew. General Admission 4-day camping passes go for around $300 right now and VIP packages start around $1500. 

Bonnaroo is definitely something you should experience at least once in your life, as it's simply an atmosphere unlike anything else. The volunteers are friendly, the music is amazing, the food is delicious, and you'll have a hard time returning to society when it's over. Don't miss out!

--Andrew Cordivari

[jamplifyblog]

House music is quickly coming into the forefront of the American music scene. While the likes of Skrillex and Deadmau5 brought innovative styles of electronic music into the mainstream, house music has been around for decades and it's producers are only beginning to receive the recognition that they deserve. Carl Cox, Danny Tenaglia, and Victor Calderone have stuck to their roots while their popularity continues to grow, and the older crowds are seeking a sanctuary from the neon-covered youth.

Disclosure was (and is) the essential group that proved house music can be fun, entertaining, innovative and accessible to the masses. Two teenage brothers from the UK changed the music scene in one fell swoop, and their debut album "Settle" has remained on the PirateBay Top 100 International Music Downloads since it's release...January 4th, 2013. The drone of a repetitive drum and bass groove is no longer the standard: tempo changes, genre blending, soulful vocalists, and emphasis on bass are all characteristics of the new house music scene.  

Manhattan still caters to the clubbing crowd, but Brooklyn has adapted their nightlife for the music purists. Output (Rolling Stones' Top 10 American Clubs) became known and loved for their no phone, no recording policy, along with the absence of bottle service. The creation of Verboten and SRB (both nearby Output) has invigorated the scene with unprecedented energy, and both clubs are seeing the fruits of their labor. 

Hannah Wants is a UK producer/ DJ who's popularity is exploding due to some skillful yet catchy remixes and non-stop touring. Gotta Dance Dirty promoted several of her mix tapes and after recently hitting 100,000 listeners on SoundCloud she debuted her new remix of Disclosure's hit collab "Confess to Me". Her style is unique, captivating, and nearly all of her songs sound like the bass EQ is maxed out! Check her out on Soundcloud-you can directly download some great stuff for free. Crank up the volume and lace up your dancing shoes!

https://soundcloud.com/hannah_wants

--Andrew Cordivari

[jamplifyblog]

Your Pre-Summer Festival Guide: June 2014

This summer has music fans salivating, with more festivals than ever before and every lineup is better than the last. May is already looking crazy but the event calendar really fills up in June, and fans will have to make hard choices about how they spend their time and money. We have the scoop on the best of what's around and you can rest assured that it will be a memorable summer. There is a festival out there for everyone, regardless of musical taste or total budget. 

Wakarusa Music Festival- Ozark, Arkansas June 5th-8th

For those of you in the midwest (or if you're looking for a solid road trip) Wakarusa Music Fest offers a diverse array of the best talent around right now, and the jam band/DJ combination will have you dancing all weekend long. Fans of live improvisation will get their fill from EOTO, String Cheese Incident, Umphrey's McGee, STS9, Lettuce, Boombox, Twiddle, and Kung Fu. If you haven't seen a jam band perform live, you are missing out on what makes these groups legendary. Wordlessly shifting between songs, keys, and time signatures, jam bands throw down a live show unlike anything else. Their command of the stage and their respective instruments is quite impressive! EDM fans, bass heads, and everyone in between will love catching Rusko, Bassnectar, Infected Mushroom, Break Science, ill.gates, and much more. This looks like an awesome time and the prices are cheaper than most! 

Four day passes are $210 after fees, but camping must be purchased separately regardless of ticket option. 

http://www.wakarusa.com

Mountain Jam Music Festival- Hunter Mountain, NY June 5th-8th

What was once a small grass-roots festival has quickly grown into one of the premier summer events in the Northeast. This years festival runs a comfortable four days with an unprecedented lineup featuring Pretty Lights, the Allman Brothers Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Darkstar Orchestra, the Avett Brothers, Beats Antique, Trampled by Turtules, two sets by Umphrey's McGee, and more. Hunter Mountain is the perfect setting to dance through a long weekend and the cool climate is better than most  summer venues. Ticket prices have increased to reflect the size and scope of the festival, but there is an array of activities available for anyone desiring a break from the music. Yoga, creative art activities, massage therapy, and much more are available to attendees for little to no cost (http://mountainjam.com/activities/), and there will be plenty of delicious food and drink that is sourced from local vendors. 

Four day passes with camping go for around $280 after fees, and four day passes without camping are going for $250. Don't miss out!

http://mountainjam.com

Governor's Ball- Randall's Island, NYC June 6th-8th

NYC's beloved Gov Ball returns this year despite the muddy mess that went down last year, and the lineup has something awesome for fans of all genres. Old and new names fill the bill this year with headliners ranging from Outkast to Disclosure, and EDM fans are thrilled to see Sebastian Ingrosso and Axwell (2/3 of Swedish House Mafia) join forces once again. Jack White always brings his A-game and Skrillex is riding high on the acclaimed success of Recess, so there is no doubt that you will catch some incredibly special performances this year. Randall's Island is truly a great venue with tons of space, lush grass, and free water refill stations. The event organizers have taken even greater precautions this year to ensure the event will run smoothly and fans will have a great experience, regardless of the weather. 

There are a wide variety of ticket options: Single day general admission passes are available (Saturday is sold out) for $115, and a GA 3-day pass runs for $250. If you're looking for a truly wild experience there are numerous VIP options to  maximize your fun at Governor's Ball. Attendees always have great things to say about this event, so if you're considering it get your tickets now before prices increase! 

http://governorsballmusicfestival.com

Sonar Music Festival- Barcelona, Spain  June 12-14th

If you have a flexible schedule and some money to spend, Sonar Music Fest is the one event that will leave ALL of your friends in envy. This is Sonar's 20th anniversary, and the lineup reads like an encyclopedia with a stunning array of 140 internationally-acclaimed DJs. That's not a typo...Flux Pavillion, Richie Hawtin, Plastikman, Rudimental, Boys Noize, Bonobo, Trentemoller, Gesaffelstein, I am Legion, Brodinski, Camo & Krooked, Royskopp & Robyn, James Murphy, Pretty Lights, Loco Dice, and much more. If getting to this festival is even the slightest possibility, you have to make it happen! 

Three day passes are $270 dollars, and there are also a variety of single day passes. http://sonar.es/en/pg/tickets

Bonnaroo- Manchester, Tennessee  June 12th-15th

Ahh Bonnaroo-one of America's largest and best-known festivals. I drove down to Bonnaroo in 2012 and had the time of my life. The scope is something to behold-if you take a ride on the ferris wheel you can get some great photos of the entire festival ground to truly understand how massive of a project this is. The lineup was diverse and included the best of every genre when I went, and the management team works hard to make each Bonnaroo bigger, better, and more enjoyable for the fans. This year's lineup is like that of other established festivals like Coachella, Electric Forest, or Governor's Ball- the lineup is just PACKED with talent, spanning both musical genres and generations. Jack White, Kanye West, Elton John, Neutral Milk Hotel, Lionel Richie, Arctic Monkeys, Frank Ocean, Kaskade, the Avett Brothers, Vampire Weekend, the Flaming Lips, Disclosure, Zedd, the Head and the Heart, Chromeo, Slightly Stoopid, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and much more. Bonnaroo has the setup down to a science, and there are going to be even more creative art installations, food vendors, and amenities for campers of any age or budget. 

General admission camping passes are going for about $310 right now, but there is also a payment plan for those who are strapped for cash!

http://www.bonnaroo.com

Spring Awakening- Chicago, Illinois   June 13th-15th

Spring Awakening has emerged to become a premier electronic music festival in the U.S., as React Presents is doing everything they can to ensure the name and reputation continue to grow. Featuring two main stages and six featured headliners, the event returns to Soldier Field and although camping is not an option there is a wide array of hotels near the venue. The lineup this year rivals any major EDM festival, as it includes Pretty Lights, Big Gigantic, Kaskade, Knife Party, Diplo, Tiesto, Dillon Francis, Eric Prydz, Flux Pavillion, Bingo Players, Benny Benassi, Steve Aoki, A-Trak, Claude Vonstroke, Datsik, Kill the Noise, Feed Me, Ferry Corsten, Borgore, Arty, Blasterjaxx, Nervo, Kill Paris, Oliver, Tommy Trash, Markus Schulz, and much more. 

Three day passes run for $235 after fees, and for the 21+ crowd VIP three day passes run for $363 after fees. If you're looking for something new this summer you need to check out Spring Awakening! 

http://www.springawakeningfestival.com

Electric Forest- Rothbury, Michigan   June 26th-29th

This festival is trying harder than anyone to make each year better than the last, and I can confidently say that last year's EF was the best event I have ever attended. Hands down. Insomniac knows what they are doing, and in addition to art installations that will blow your mind the lineup is also another amazing one. Four full days of festival fun, with performance from the Glitch Mob, Excision, Flying Lotus, Steve Angello, the String Cheese Incident (3 shows), STS9 (2 shows), Moby, Schoolboy Q, EOTO, Tycho, Cherub, GTA, I am Legion, Kung Fu, MK, Pegboard Nerds, Seven Lions, Soul Clap, What So Not, and much, much more. The setup alone is worth the ticket price- I guarantee you've never seen anything like Sherwood Forest. The lasers and lights intersect in the forest, projecting across the neatly manicured pine trees to create a skyline that looks otherworldly. I may have a bias, but this is definitely one of the BEST events this summer and if you have the money it's absolutely worth it.

http://www.electricforestfestival.com

--Andrew Cordivari

[jamplifyblog]

Although the East Coast had an unusually long and dark winter, the temperature is on a rising trend and it's safe to say that summer is around the corner. All of the vitamin D-deprived music fans are crawling out of hibernation and preparing for a summer with the highest concentration of music festivals the U.S. has ever experienced. Nearly every genre of music is more enjoyable with sunny skies and good friends, but reggae is undeniably the sound of summer. Slightly Stoopid has performed all across the world after over a decade of constant touring, and the group released their seventh full studio album ("Top of the World") 2012.  Chemistry between bandmates is something that can't be created, but Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald (co-founders/current members) met when they were just young kids and the two have jammed together for nearly twenty years. It's these intangible details which make Slightly Stoopid such a fan favorite: their instrumental prowess is undeniable and the band members have just as much fun as the fans. 

The death of Bradley Nowell (Sublime) left a void in the reggae world which will never be filled. Nowell actually heard the band play at a small tavern back in 1995 and signed them to his record label immediately after, yet it took several years for Slightly Stoopid to mature into something greater. Their guitar work embodies the reggae style while showcasing strong composition capabilities, and their are few artists who can successfully weave technical guitar riffs into a smooth, tropical melody (check out the riffs in their smash hit "Closer to the Sun"). The band consistently blends a variety of genres into an unique final product, and both Doughty and McDonald have relaxed, airy vocals which perfectly suit the island vibe. 

Slightly Stoopid is taking off on a MASSIVE U.S. summer tour that is hitting 22 major cities and we have an amazing promotion running for each show. The group is even touring with the famed G.Love so you know the vibe is going to be great. Sign up here (http://buff.ly/1eRc7u5) to promote a show near you: the top promoter of each jampaign wins a pair of VIP tix, a BBQ Meet N Greet with the band, and a custom glass stash jar for whatever you can think of sealing up! This is a deal you don't want to miss: how cool would it be to tell your friends that not only did you meet Slightly Stoopid, but you BBQ'd with them too?! Start your planning your summer fantasies now and get ready for some great times.

For our Texas fans, there is a new festival coming to Oak Point Park and Nature Reserve in Plano! Suburbia Music Festival has an amazing lineup featuring Slightly Stoopid, Big Gigantic, J. Cole, Alabama Shakes, and more. Luckily for you we have another great jampaign running, and any of the TOP FIVE promoters will receive a pair of GA/VIP weekend passes! Check it out here (http://buff.ly/1jfC57t) and invite your friends! 

--Andrew Cordivari