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Post by Larry Farnsworth on Jul 2, 2024 13:21:40 GMT -5
both Spinna and Cosmo are great. Cosmo in particular is known for hosting events with lots of very cool people, not sure what they'll be getting up to in Newport but the potential is there.
If 2023 had the worst ending of any festival you attended then why are you blaming the artist who went second to last (LDR) instead of the one who closed (Billy Strings)?
I mean I know what the answer is but still
Second this confusion.
How on earth was the ending “the worst of any festival (OP) attended” AND that OP blames Lana Del Ray for that?
Did some of the crowd in the pit suck for LDR? Yes. But it wasn’t the young girls sing-screaming along who sucked. It was the middle-age men wearing captain hats who spent the day drinking and showed up and pushed in moments after she started playing who sucked. (Those men have always been at Newport; they just usually spend their day on the beer pier and not in the pit.)
LDR showed extreme reverence for the stage she was playing on. She had one of the most Newport sets of all “headliners” playing last year: playing a few unique songs that were not part of her tour, bringing out multiple special guests to play along with her to create unique and intimate moments. All while probably losing some time in her set from what she was promised or had expected because the festival chose to move Billy to the headliner spot once it was determined he’d be a late arrival at the fest that day.
So she had some dancers on stage? The festival used to book cloggers… so choreographed dancing isn’t an anomaly at Newport either.
OK,
Am back. So first off, my quote comes off as the worst of any festival attended... and the context should have stated that it was the worst of any Newport festival I have attended. Newport endings have been super special since Roger Waters in 2015 (with the exception of COVID disruptions) and last year was a let down.
Yes, Billy Strings likely owns some of the blame. But from what I have heard from back stage sources (that may or may not be trusted) it was Lana's demands that killed the Newport vibe. She wanted her own space, rehearsal time, was upset about time changes, etc. I was super dissapointed that Billy didn't have any guests but even moreso that there was barely anyone on the side of the stage even watching. It was so different from the Kumbaya feeling that every closing has had for the past several years.
And... yes, the crowd for Lana was super awful for me. The guy standing behind me had flown up from Miami just for Lana... arrived an hour before hand and was asking me what the quickest way to leave was after her set. The two girls around me sob-sung every lyric and held their phones up for the entire set. Was impossible to enjoy... and I was ready to enjoy it. I love her music. Was one of the rare instances where seeing a performer live was a let down compared to their recorded music.
Ultimately Jay is responsible as the festival organizer so should not blame either Lana or Billy.... Separate thread for the Jay salary discussion.
For reference, for 2023, 402k a year puts Jay Sweet just under the 99th percentile for individual income: dqydj.com/income-percentile-calculator/. I’m sure there are a million behind the scene things we don’t see and that Jay Sweet works very hard, but it does blow my mind when I see non-profit leaders make so much in general.
OK, about Jay's salary.
In examining year-over-year payments, it seems clear that Jay is likely in a profit-sharing arrangement. This is evident as his salary has decreased in certain years, which incentivizes performance and motivation. I understand the logic behind this.
However, this compensation needs to be reassessed. While pjl44 's comment about Doctors Without Borders was amusing, it’s important to remember that Newport Festivals Foundation is a non-profit. We should be careful not to transform it into something akin to "Bourbon and Beyond" or any other Live Nation festival. Newport has a unique history, having been founded as music for the people, with a mission to bring music education to children. What would Pete Seeger say about paying the organizers at such an elite level.
The membership program is marketed as a way to donate to the foundation and support music education. Non-profits and their boards must be held accountable.
In 2014, Jay earned a reasonable $168,000. Over the next 10 years, this rose to $402,000.
If Newport Festivals Foundation no longer wishes to operate as a non-profit, they should consider transitioning away from this model and forgoing the associated tax benefits and goodwill. As long as they remain a non-profit, the board must diligently oversee expenditures to ensure they align with the organization’s mission.
For reference, for 2023, 402k a year puts Jay Sweet just under the 99th percentile for individual income: dqydj.com/income-percentile-calculator/. I’m sure there are a million behind the scene things we don’t see and that Jay Sweet works very hard, but it does blow my mind when I see non-profit leaders make so much in general.
OK, about Jay's salary.
In examining year-over-year payments, it seems clear that Jay is likely in a profit-sharing arrangement. This is evident as his salary has decreased in certain years, which incentivizes performance and motivation. I understand the logic behind this.
However, this compensation needs to be reassessed. While pjl44 's comment about Doctors Without Borders was amusing, it’s important to remember that Newport Festivals Foundation is a non-profit. We should be careful not to transform it into something akin to "Bourbon and Beyond" or any other Live Nation festival. Newport has a unique history, having been founded as music for the people, with a mission to bring music education to children. What would Pete Seeger say about paying the organizers at such an elite level.
The membership program is marketed as a way to donate to the foundation and support music education. Non-profits and their boards must be held accountable.
In 2014, Jay earned a reasonable $168,000. Over the next 10 years, this rose to $402,000.
If Newport Festivals Foundation no longer wishes to operate as a non-profit, they should consider transitioning away from this model and forgoing the associated tax benefits and goodwill. As long as they remain a non-profit, the board must diligently oversee expenditures to ensure they align with the organization’s mission.
Agreed. A lotta people don’t want to read/hear this, but it’s true. Easy to plant your face in the sand and say I don’t care about that side of the business.
But let’s be honest…they want the tax benefits….so they’ll stay “non profit”
Also - when you look back at the earlier years of this festival, Wein took pennies to nothing for salary.