All Points West 2010?

In 2008, the Tri-State Area unveiled a summer music festival that would hopefully last for years. Now, in 2010 and with two All Points West festivals past, their future does not look promising. All Points West is (or was) a summer music festival started by the promotors of the popular California festival Coachella. All Points West is sought as the Coachella of the East Coast because of the surrounding enviornments of each festival. In Liberty State Park, NJ, All Points West has stunning backgrounds of the NYC skyline across the Hudson River, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty. With headliners Jack Johnson, Radiohead, Coldplay, Jay-Z, and Tool, APW was sure to be an all out success. According to an article on the NY Times website published on Feb. 23rd, the future of APW is "in doubt." The article explained how it might and likely be simply, too late. Festival planners apparently have become frustrated in finding headliners for the festival and now might not even be able to sign other acts because their sets have already been confirmed. In the past two years, there have been troubling obstacles to overcome for the festival. In 2008, festival-goers complained that ferries from Manhattan and other travel options were either too slow, or not organized well enough. In 2009, deciding even whether to continue the festival (because of financial reasons of the year before) the festival was in the bull's eye for a huge rainstorm for two of the three days. The rain forced the festival to cancel early acts, but never the less, the show went on. The fans got a dose of mud dancing as well, but fans made the best of it. This year the festival is in question simply because there are no acts signed. No headliners and no other acts. Only dates were picked but not yet confirmed. Promotors said that it is very unlikely that there will be a festival this year because there is simply no time to plan. It may seem dim for the APW fans, but there might be some light at the end of the tunnel. NY/NJ needs APW because we can't deal with the shitfest called Bamboozle.

Maybe APW 2010 was simply not ment to be. But there still is a chance. It sounds plain lazy and an excuse that the planners couldn't find headliners and no other acts (although Bonnaroo and Coachella are releasing their entire line-ups). APW can happen but the planners are going to have to work extra hours and weekends to make it work. APW might just be postponed, but not dead like the past NY festivals. The only insight to any other APW festival is that the planners are going to give it the "overhaul" it needs to work. APW isn't dead. Or is it? Only time will tell.

-- Sean