Preview: Big Ears 2014

There’s little doubt that AC Entertainment are some serious heavy hitters when it comes to the organization and execution of festivals. While the long-running Bonnaroo is the biggest and best example, and the just-announced-as-defunct Mountain Oasis Festival (itself a sort of ersatz Moogfest, which itself had long been an AC event) was a wonderful event that somehow didn’t pan out for them, they run some festivals that have existed in the shadow of the more-publicized events.

Chief among these is the upcoming Big Ears Festival, in Knoxville TN. Started in 2009 (and on hiatus for some succeeding years), the festival returns March 28-30. And the lineup – often characterized as “esoteric” – is nothing if not intriguing.

While some of the names have show up at other big events (John Cale was a featured performer at 2013’s Hopscotch Festival), many of the artists slated to appear are well outside most people’s idea of “festival acts.” Groundbreaking New York/new wave legends Television (sort of the Doors of the new wave movement) are headliners, and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead will appear in several guises. Works by celebrated minimalist composer Steve Reich will be presented (several of these featuring Reich himself), and a pretty long list of hip-but-not-overhyped indie bands like Earth are scheduled to perform.

One of the chief advantages that Big Ears purports to enjoy is its location: downtown at multiple venues in a walkable metro area. Knoxville’s by no means a big city, and the primary venues are within blocks of each other.

I’m pleased to announce that I – along with my fianceé and fellow photographer – will be covering Big Ears 2014 for this here blog. We’ll be on the ground all three days (Friday through Sunday) and – if circumstances allow – -we might even live-blog the happenings here and/or on my Twitter page. Either way, look for extensive post-festival coverage of Big Ears.

And then, before the dust settles, it’ll be time for Moogfest 2014.

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About the Author

Bill Kopp

With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.