Generally speaking, sophomore outings are known for being less than well received, especially when it comes to music. However, Clarion Call Media absolutely did not disappoint with their second “Best Friends Forever” festival in Las Vegas. This year hosted numerous acts from across the genre board, including names like Super Chunk, Pedro The Lion, and Jawbreaker, as well as a farewell performance for Mineral.
Touching base on the performances quick, there was a lot to take in and unpack this year. With big names like Jimmy Eat World, Rilo Kiley, Cursive, and Minus the Bear, you know it was going to be a showing of the ages for all our emo fans. Most main stage artists were given an hour set, meaning we were treated to entire albums in most cases. I personally was really happy to experience Menos el Oso in its entirety. Other high points include Cursive playing Domestica, as well as Jimmy Eat World finishing out our weekend with the undisputed emo anthem, “The Middle.”
While the performances this year are definitely a huge part in why this festival was so good, the real star of the event was efficiency. As far as festivals have gone in the past for me, one of my biggest complaints has always been how hard it is to see every performance on the card that interests me. With a two stage layout, I was expecting a fair bit of overlap, making it a challenge to see everything. Yet this event was setup pretty near flawlessly. There was an average of five minutes to move from one stage to the next, and enough space that no one was crowding in. Even with a massive rain storm hitting on the first night, causing almost two hours total of delays, things ran so smoothly. Five points to Clarion Call.
Adding to the efficiency, whoever was in charge of creating the set times for this festival deserves a medal and should host a Ted Talk. Not only was there an almost perfect design in how the set times were arranged, but the lineup was done in such a way that genres and favorites were split enough so that you were not going to be rushing from stage to stage. Chances were, if you were there to see Tigers Jaw, you were not going to stress about getting over to Midrift, and if you were there for Midrift, you were not going to be rushing to get over to Pretty Girls Make Graves. Another five points to Clarion Call.
Now, here is a question I know is on your mind: how was the cost? Well, this is the only spot where I cannot really give any points. That is not to say it was not worth the money. Honestly, price point was right on par with just about every other festival that comes through Las Vegas. Tickets for the event were pretty well within normal range for festivals like this – about $100 for single day GA, and about $200 for VIP. Three day passes followed suit as well, $200 for GA and about $350 for VIP.
As expected, food and beverage inside the festival ground were average for things like this. You could expect anywhere between $20-$30 for a meal, and between $15-$20 for a drink. This becomes more of issue for day pass holders than for 3-day, as single day passes were not allowed re-entry if they left the festival grounds.
Speaking of the grounds, the Las Vegas Downtown Event Center is truly one of the best outdoor venues I have personally attended, not just for this event, but for numerous others as well. They have excellent staff in all areas, from custodial to security, and everything in between. The festival grounds stayed clean, with ample trash bins everywhere, that I never saw even close to full. Restrooms were just as clean, and we all know how important that is!
Over all, I cannot say enough good things about Best Friends Forever. It was masterwork for how festivals can and should be run. Here is to hoping next year runs as flawlessly as this year.
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