Rocklahoma Teams with AEG Live, Will Add Modern Bands to Bill

Here's the official press release I just received from the Rocklahoma folks.

Pryor, OK – The producers of ROCKLAHOMA announced today that they will be teaming with the world’s largest producer of music festivals, AEG Live, to revamp the rock festival in 2010.   The management team that created the critically-acclaimed rock festival in Northeast Oklahoma in 2007 has brought on board one of the most respected festival producers and promoters to serve as executive consultants of the festival in a multi-year deal. 

“In keeping with the vision that we set out to realize three years ago, we have learned that we need the strength of a major player in the live entertainment business behind us if we want to continue to grow ROCKLAHOMA,” said Mark Nuessle, President and Co-owner of the festival.

Nuessle added, “AEG Live brings an incredible amount of expertise and credibility to the table, and that is exactly what we must have to continue the process of making this festival one of the premier destination rock festivals in the U.S.”

As part of the multi-faceted deal, AEG Live will focus specialized attention on reworking and further developing ROCKLAHOMA in several key areas including talent booking, marketing, sponsorship, ticketing and festival operations.   The entertainment company will work hand-in-hand with the current ROCKLAHOMA management team to grow and expand the festival to new levels of attendance and acclaim in the coming years. 

“We’re really excited to be working closely with the entire ROCKLAHOMA team to create an even more incredible festival for the rock fans in Oklahoma and surrounding areas.  Mark and his partners have built something very special with this festival that more people need to see and experience,” commented Joe Litvag, Senior Vice President of AEG Live.   

The first major changes come with this announcement that ROCKLAHOMA will be a three-day festival in 2010, and it is moving from its past mid-summer dates to May 28-30, 2010, Memorial Day Weekend.

“One of the first things that we discussed with our team and AEG Live was the idea of eliminating a fourth festival day in an attempt to create more depth-of-talent on each of the remaining three days. We want to expand the reach of our audience to a greater distance by giving the fans who will attend from other parts of the country an extra day to return home on the long Holiday weekend,” commented Nuessle.

Litvag added, “Additionally, we felt that by moving ROCKLAHOMA into May, the festival could capitalize on more suitable weather for the fans as well as deeper artist availability by not directly competing with the U.S. summer touring season and European festival season.”

In keeping with the ROCKLAHOMA tradition, next year’s festival will include booking the most formidable classic rock bands in the world.   But in addition, festival producers and AEG Live will create a much more diverse roster of rock artists that will include a large confluence of new active artists, as well as the classic rock artists that ROCKLAHOMA is known for.

Announcements of the 2010 ROCKLAHOMA line-up, on sale information, new VIP packages and additional festival upgrades and improvements will come later this winter.

For additional information, and to see highlights from 2009 – please visit www.rocklahoma.com.

Comments

[okstpat]

Is this going to be good or bad?

[Kenny Ozz]

Ladies and Gentlemen. The end of Rocklahoma.

[GEO II]

I agree. The end of Rocklahoma, because it provided a product that was not available elsewhere. The chance to see the great "hair bands" made it a destination for those of us who have been listening to this music for years. By adding modern bands, I see no reason to make the trip. I can see them when they come to my area, without having to travel. I guess we have to wait and see what the ratio is, and see if it is still worth the trip, but I am initially disappointed. They would have been better off scaling down the venue for sagging attendance, which is happening everywhere, in all genres of music.That would at least keep it specialized, and keep people of this genre interested in making the trip.

[Snoot]

Yeah, adding modern bands is a bad idea.

[Ryo Vie]

With AEG taking over, you can expect ticket prices to skyrocket. A huge promo company doesn't come on board for nothing (or next to nothing). Modern bands is an awful idea. They are trying to capture a new audience and commercialize the festival. So now instead of getting a band like Dangerous Toys or Junkyard, we're going to have to see Haelstorm or Puddle of Mudd? Not that's there's anything wrong with those bands, but this is THE nostalgia festival. Let other festivals have the new bands.

And while I agree that moving the date(s) of the festival was a good idea (much more suitable weather in May), the weekend they picked was a terrible one. Do they realize how many people are travelling that weekend? I'm curious to see if this year's festival does better than last year's on attendance.

Ryo Vie
http://rockandrollguru.blogspot.com

[Damnp78]

The date change could also mean bad new for M3 Fest as well...

[Eric]

AEG getting involved in Rocklahoma can only make it better. Lets be honest it wasn't exactly going in the right direction. 30,000 -> 10,000 -> 5,000.

[Fitz]

This fuckn SUCKS!! The whole point was 80's bands Ive gone 3 yrs in a row and loved it every year. If they add modern bands I will be the first one to sell my tickets. Hopefully M3 still happens and its a different weekend.This could be the death of Rocklahoma hopefully there will be another festival somewhere in the country and not Rock gone Wild LOL!

[kari]

I agree that AEG has the clout and $$$ to get the bands we want to see but with them saying they are going to add more current bands this makes me very nervous. The whole part of why I loved Rocklahoma was the fact that they had all the bands from the genre I love all in the same place. I'm going to try and be a bit optimistic but I think it's safe to say the Rocklahoma we all love is officially GONE.This will sky rocket the price of VIP tickets, now they are talking a future announcement of VIP packages so what does this mean for those few of us who have renewed our current VIP tickets? The only thing that is nothing new is the waiting game about what is happening with the festival.

[KixRules]

I am pretty sure M3 is going to happen the weekend before Rocklahoma, so anyone who is pissed about the new direction of ROK can certainly come to Baltimore for a great one day festival that is M3.

[djwill]

As I thought when I was interviewed earlier this year:

Article: http://therockpit.net/Articles/InterviewDJWillOct09.php

[kari]

I read dj will's interview and I thought he had a nice spin on the fest. I'm on that boat of if they don't keep true to the spirit of the 80s bands, I'm out! Here's to AEG being able to bring MAIDEN in! Maybe they will make it better and not as "modern" as we are all suspecting, then again, who knows! Back to waiting on the drama that is Rocklahoma....

[Will]

The festival was a dead man walking without AEG coming in. You can't have a day where less than 5,000 people show up at a festival and expect it to continue. Festivals have to evolve and change every year to be better. With that, Oklahoma in May is 20 degrees cooler than Oklahoma in July. This will keep the festival alive. Look at Moondance Jam, Rock on the Range, and Rock-Fest for others that mix with modern with classic rock. It will work out just fine and I look forward to the lineup

[cruefreak9]

This news makes me more thankful of ROK1.....and that I was able to attend. ROK2 was attended, but was a letdown. And ROK3 didn't get the ticket re-up. It can change, and that is fine....but it will never be the same.

[Ruth]

Dont worry it will Rock because AEG Rocks they do no want they are doing.