Street Scene celebrates 20th anniversary

By: Jeff Pack - Staff Writer | Wednesday, August 25, 2004 11:03 AM PDT ∞

San Diego County's largest music festival ---- not to mention the area's biggest block party ---- turns 20 this weekend when Street Scene opens Aug. 27.

Traditionally, the streets of downtown San Diego were packed with weekend revelers from all over the county and beyond. With more than 80 bands performing on eight or nine stages that wound along side streets and into large parking lots, the three-day festival was a maze of activity.

Organized chaos was what Scene Scene producer Rob Hagey was in charge of for every one of those 19 years, and according to him, it was time for the festival to grow up.

"We just needed to be much more focused," he said. "It became increasingly more difficult to put on an event such as this from a production standpoint and still try to increase the quality of music we were hoping to bring to the festival."

Say goodbye to Sunday, 21-and-up-only admission, to the peripheral stages featuring small and eclectic acts, and to the winding streets. Say hello to all-ages admission, one 600,000-square-foot open layout and three big stages featuring 30 of the most popular contemporary musical acts.

This ain't your father's Street Scene; heck, it may not be your older brother's. The elimination of the blues and jazz acts, once the fuel for Street Scene's success, may drive away some of the festival's longtime faithful. But developmental changes downtown, soft ticket sales during the past couple of years and a desire to stage a bigger, more professional festival are what drove the organizers' decisions.

So far, Hagey said, it was the right one to make.

"Sales are great. With our advance-buying discounted rates ($55 for both days up until as late as early August), it's been working out well," he said. "A great example is someone coming in wanting to get tickets for Jack Johnson and realizing for an extra $15 they could go to both days of the festival. It's a pretty good deal."

Hagey said the age restriction might have been more of a hindrance than a help when it came to ticket sales.

"I am under the impression that we were the only one (large music festival) that was 21 and up," Hagey said. "I am assuming that we will be seeing a lot of new people. With the talent being geared toward a younger crowd, I am not surprised by the results of who is buying tickets."

An effort toward targeting that younger demographic is what spurred organizers to seek more contemporary, more marquee artists to fill their bill. Acts such as Black Eyed Peas, Ludacris, San Diego's P.O.D., Wyclef Jean, AFI, A Tribe Called Quest and Jimmy Eat World hit smack-dab into the heart of the targeted audience.

By moving the event to just south of the newly opened Petco Park, it gave organizers the chance to lay out a more manageable venue. With 600,000 square feet of open space, finding your way to the next performance will no longer require a map and compass.

"This venue is exciting because it's so big and so much more open," Hagey said. "Everybody will get a chance to see everything. From one location, you'll be able to see all three stages."

Given Street Scene's reputation for being the county's biggest party of the year, it may be hard for fans to imagine that the festival will live up to its billing. Alcohol will be served at this year's event but only in designated areas centrally located throughout the venue.

North County residents who plan on sipping on something alcoholic over the course of the evening may want to consider taking the Coaster down from one of the North County Transit District's many stops. Discounted rates and special rail runs will be made available on both Aug. 27 and 28 to make sure everyone arrives safe and sound.