Poll: Would you go to SMAF it featured both Mike Ford and Great Atomic Power

If The Susquehanna Music and Arts Festival featured both Mike Ford and Great Atomic Power (Murray and Dave are in the band) next year would you go to the Festival? It is in Northern Maryland, an hour from Philly, three from my house in New York City. It is on Mother's Day Weekend. You have your choice of cabins or camping. Best of all there is real indoor plumbing and hot showers.

where is the option for "the mind and body are willing, but the bank account is weak"?

(yes, I know this is about next year, but I doubt things will be any better then.)

If you volunteer you don't have to pay for the Festival so all you have to worry about is travel expenses.

lessee, it's ~300 miles each way.  my car averages on the low end of 30 mpg which works out to 10 gal each way not including any stops for food & potty.  at present, gas is about $3.10 per gallon and is averaging a $0.16 raise per year according to the DOE. 

If I take those numbers and actually do the math in my head, it works out to $32.60 for gas alone each way.  This doesn't include food, emergencies or the fact of, hey I hate camping.  Besides, the free admission for volunteering is only for the day one volunteers... not the whole festival.  At least, that's what the SMAF website says.

The point is, it's not economically feasible to travel 10 hours and pay to see one or two acts (who may not even perform on the same day) and spend vacation days surrounded by dirty hippies (or worse, folkies who won't stay off their damn cell phones while their crotchspawn terrorize the paying audience).  It's a nice idea for those with the means, but not everyone has the means. :-)

**not being pissy, just realistic.

Pissy might not be the word, but statements such as assuming all children are unruly "crotchspawn" implies a healthy dose of bitterness.

And no, I'm not a "moo" or going "chiyl-druhn can do no harm!" or any of the other (ironically) childish phrases that many of the folks who label themselves "child-free" throw around, but I'm being realistic, too.

I don't assume all spawn* are unruly.  However, I guarantee at an event of this size there will be some brat or five running around causing havoc while its parents are oblivious.  I refuse to parent other people's children just because they seem to be incapable of doing so.

You're making an assumption that I don't have kids.  Just because I don't announce my every move on FHDC, don't presume to know my personal life. 

*In my circle, spawn and its variants are appropriate ways to describe children.  Yes, the parents use this description as well.

**considers the matter dropped

Wouldn't that be like assuming that Hugh's Room only caters to "English Teachers?"

It caters largely (nearly exclusively) to the middle-aged "let's sit quietly, listen to mellow music and get home early" crowd.  Anyone who's been to even one show there can vouch for that.

That's unfortunate you feel that way.  I would think supporting a new band in the same city would be a priority especially since it was their CD release of their "mellow music."

But the above statement makes me think you've never been to a Great Atomic Power show.

Everyone knows they don't do King of Spain. That's saved for the Mike Ford shows.

I was talking about the venue in general.  Way to twist my words, Chrissy. 

Bowing out before you accuse me of being Doug's mouthpiece again. 

They need to figure out a way to smuggle Jian there and then do an impromptu reunion of Moxy Fruvous. 

now *that* would indeed be worth the drive.

where's the "sure, but only less than an hour" option?

There would probably be no excuse NOT to go, what with it being not so far away and everything.