Led by heavyweights Hozier, Vampire Weekend and Noah Kahan, big-name indie-American artists will take center stage in August at “Hinterland,” a three-day event set in rural Iowa that brings attention to small-city music scenes.
The event takes place every year in Saint Charles, Iowa, a town with less than 700 residents. Although the town's population is sparse, the Hinterland festival managed to attract a crowd of over 15,000 people per day during its 2023 event.
Hinterland serves as an example of the lengths fans will go to in order to see their favorite artists. The success of the festival proves how much music lovers value unique concert experiences.
The event has only grown in popularity since its inauguration in 2015, expanding from a two-day to a three-day festival. Fans have flocked from over five continents and 37 states to get to Saint Charles, Iowa, according to a 2019 event organizer.
The festival's momentum is only continuing to grow. In preparation for the 2024 event, all tiers of three-day admission tickets, ranging from 250 to 350 dollars per ticket, sold out on the official site.
Live music has made a notable comeback. Given the unprecedented success of this past summer's tours, such as Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and Beyonce Resonance Tour, this trend will likely stay consistent for the foreseeable future. However, most of these chart-topping artists hit the same huge venues in the same major cities, leaving much of the United States without even a close stop on the tour. A notable example is Harry Styles’ Love on Tour, which stopped at only four major U.S. cities in 2022: New York, Austin, Chicago and Los Angeles. This put the onus on his fans to travel to him, at their own expense. That’s not a financial reality for many of his devoted fans, considering his concert tickets alone averaged $171 per seat.
There are practical reasons why artists prefer larger venues in big cities, like increased security practices. Smaller venues tend to have quicker security procedures in place, mostly relying on pat-downs and bag searches before allowing patrons to enter the arena. However, smaller venues still hold significant value to performers. They offer a more intimate experience for concertgoers and allow fans from different geographical locations the opportunity to see their favorite performer.
With the rise in competition between musicians for tour dates and venues, areas with smaller concert scenes will stand to benefit, especially among up-and-coming artists. By adding in smaller cities such as Topeka, Kansas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; or Portland, Maine to a tour, artists “can easily extend a touring cycle six to 12 months,” Ben Levin of Good Harbor, a music management company, told Pitchfork.
In addition to creating a more intimate concert-going experience, many smaller venues are in historic settings. The Majestic Theater, located right here in Madison, has been around since 1906 and is the oldest theater in Wisconsin. The venue recently attracted artists such as Tennis and Del Water Gap, who reached Billboard’s Top-100 chart for the first time in 2023. The Majestic’s rich history and connection to Madison make it a desirable site for any live performance.
Even titans of the music industry, such as Billie Eilish, see magic in small venues. Eilish surprised her fans with a show at a small venue in London this past August, where she brought out popular artists boygenius and Labrinth on stage as guests for the intimate performance. The venue, Electric Ballroom, only holds up to 1,500 guests, which made the night even more special for those in attendance.
With the popularity of the Hinterland festival, in addition to big-name artists like Eilish flocking to nontraditional venues, it’s clear that smaller, unique venues are in for music lovers in 2024. Spending 30 nights at Madison Square Gardens is out.
Grace Winokur is a sophomore studying journalism and communication arts. Do you agree larger artists should be touring in smaller cities? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com
