When the organizers of The 111 Music Festival announced in July that they wanted to create a music festival that would be held on a SunLine bus a thing, some people were a bit puzzled by the idea – including me. DJ’s and bands on a bus, taking its normal route, and servicing its regular riders just seemed a bit puzzling. Back in July I wrote:
Weird. Definetely weird. In a town that has tons of concert venues, pools, and resorts (none of which are used to their full potential) – why in the world would anyone want to sit on a Sun Bus all day? And what about the people that actually need to use the bus for, you know, getting to their jobs and houses and stuff?
“It’s the same experience you’ll get on a normal Saturday (bus ride), except you have a nice added bonus: There will be an amazing act performing,” said Ian Cush, the marketing director with the art scene [to The Desert Sun].
The local event would not alter normal bus routes and there would be no added costs to the rider.
Great! Just what someone who has been working a 12 hour housekeeping shift wants: a bunch of hipsters dropping beats (and god knows what else) in the aisle of a Sun Bus for 45 minutes as they just try to get home
But hey, maybe I was wrong? Maybe I am just getting old and do not get the new hipster generation with their EDM, tight jeans, and their supposed wanting of a music festival on public transit.
To show old curmudgeons like me up, a crowdfunding campaign was held on the popular website Indigogo for the festival from August 9th – October 8th. And, after a month on the site, the festival managed to raise…zero dollars.
Not to worry though. Even while raising $0, it looks like the festival is still a go for November 1st – as they have a website and a logo with a slogan:
“When There’s Music, It’s a Soundbus” – and so it appears this, is a thing that is somehow actually happening.