The man who revolutionized prime-time TV by bestowing Bart and
Homer Simpson, Ralph Wiggum, Groundskeeper Willie and Apu
Nahasapeemapetilon upon the world is the same man who will handpick
the cast of characters for Los Angeles’ second edition of All
Tomorrow’s Parties, scheduled for June of 2003.
As the creator of the groundbreaking animated series “The
Simpsons” and “Futurama,” Matt Groening is easily
animator laureate of his generation, but hardly associated with the
music world. Just when the average concert-goer thought ATP could
not possibly get any more bizarre, the folks behind one of the past
year’s more unconventional music festivals further puzzled
fans by appointing Groening as curator for the upcoming event.
“The line-up will not disappoint, as Matt has excellent
taste in music,” ATP creator and organizer Barry Hogan said.
“I was aware that he was a huge Captain Beefheart fan from a
documentary in which he talked about his love for the album
“˜Trout Mask Replica.’ This is what inspired us to ask
him.”
But surely the decision came down to more than musical
preference. The fact that Groening is responsible for a worldwide
television phenomenon which has lasted for more than a decade must
have carried some weight. Nonetheless, the guess here is ATP will
remain strictly a musical affair, restraining itself from using
animated characters as sideshows.
With Groening on board, ATP possesses not only a Captain
Beefheart fan, but also a curiosity gold mine. One advantage this
year’s event has over its predecessor is the great intrigue
its choice of curator has already generated. Obviously there will
be interest as to whether a non-music concert curator can be
successful. Fans also get a rare opportunity to discover the
musical side of Groening, who mostly stays out of the limelight
despite his legendary accomplishments.
“I invite a curator to select the line-up, which usually
ends up consisting of artists that the curator feels connected to
or influenced by,” Hogan said. “It’s like making
a mix tape compilation.”
That special mix tape has been Hogan’s objective since
2000 when he started ATP as “a protest against corporate rock
events that were boring me and all around me to tears.” The
festival expanded from the United Kingdom to the United States in
2002. The Sonic Youth-curated event held at UCLA garnered enough
success to set off plans for an East Coast version at Asbury Park
for 2003 and a possible Japanese edition in 2004.
Many of those who attended ATP 2002 at UCLA will be wary of
venue capacity problems which kept ticket holders outside while
their favorite performers were on stage. However, Hogan argues the
idea of ATP is to offer two stages in case one is full.
“Anyone that paid to see just one band and wouldn’t
check out the other stage just didn’t understand what ATP is
about,” Hogan said. “ATP is a vehicle to open up
audiences to new music that fans wouldn’t normally pay to
see. I doubt that a band like Dead C would be booked or would want
to play at Coachella or Loserpalooza.”
At this point, venue improvements have yet to be finalized.
Royce will remain one of the venues along with probable off-campus
locations. Groening’s highly anticipated line-up is also far
from completion.
“We are making changes that will improve it. I realize
there were some teething problems, but most people who complained
should put their money where their mouths are and stage their own
festivals. Then they will see the hard work and effort that goes
into it,” Hogan said.