Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7576-7839

Date Available

12-17-2024

Year of Publication

2024

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Fine Arts

Department/School/Program

Musicology

Advisor

Dr. Donna Kwon

Abstract

This ethnographic study of U.S. popular music festivals subverts the impression of festivals as strictly ‘presentational’ live music events by utilizing a nuanced approach that is grounded in ethnographic fieldwork, historical analysis, and participant interviews.

Interlocutors, drawn from the author’s personal network of festival attendees, musicians, and promoters, reflect on “particularly positive festival moments,” the social and emotional benefits of festivals, and the corporeality of festival aesthetics. Discourse and published media play a vital role in festival participants’ perception of the festival field and their place within it; therefore, this study draws inspiration from the tripartite focus of iconic festival documentaries like Woodstock (1970), Gimme Shelter (1970), and Wattstax (1973), which capture scenes of the backstage, onstage, and audience spaces to emphasize the enduring cultural significance of these performances.

This research joins a growing body of literature that demonstrates the cultural impact of festivals, and calls for more community care, more integrity, and more support for the independent music industry, from regional gatherings to massive events held yearly across the U.S.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2024.509

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