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Drake almost bailed on Landmark Music Festival, emails show Drake almost bailed on Landmark Music Festival, emails show
(35 minutes later)
When superstar Drake rapped his hit, “Trophies,” to thousands of teens at last September’s Landmark Music Festival, fireworks and flames sprung from jets on either side of the sprawling stage, eliciting cheers. When superstar Drake rapped his hit “Trophies,” to thousands of teens at last September’s Landmark Music Festival, fireworks and flames sprung from jets on either side of the sprawling stage, eliciting cheers.
The spectacle was exceptional because it had taken place on the edges of the Mall, in a section of the national park fenced-off to the public for the first time for a music festival that commanded more than $100 a ticket. It was also exceptional because it almost didn’t take place.The spectacle was exceptional because it had taken place on the edges of the Mall, in a section of the national park fenced-off to the public for the first time for a music festival that commanded more than $100 a ticket. It was also exceptional because it almost didn’t take place.
Just days earlier, behind the scenes, the organizers — the Trust for the National Mall and Austin-based promoter C3 — were scrambling to keep Drake from ditching the festival because he wanted a taller stage, new internal documents obtained by The Washington Post show.Just days earlier, behind the scenes, the organizers — the Trust for the National Mall and Austin-based promoter C3 — were scrambling to keep Drake from ditching the festival because he wanted a taller stage, new internal documents obtained by The Washington Post show.
Previously undisclosed e-mails reveal that two weeks before the festival, the rapper’s management informed C3 that Drake would not perform on the 40-foot-tall stage structure originally approved by the National Park Service, which was ensuring park regulations were met. The rapper’s set specifications also included lasers and mortars, which were not approved. Previously undisclosed emails reveal that two weeks before the festival, the rapper’s management informed C3 that Drake would not perform on the 40-foot-tall stage structure originally approved by the National Park Service, which was ensuring park regulations were met. The rapper’s set specifications also included lasers and theatrical “mortars,” which were not approved.
In one of the e-mails, Robert Vogel, then director of the National Capitol Region of the Park Service, wrote that the requests from Drake’s management amounted to “a stage 30 feet higher than we have ever allowed [and] the extensive use of pyrotechnics.” “Losing our headliner would be devastating for the event,” Kristine Fitton, at the time the trust’s vice president of marketing (she has since left the nonprofit), wrote in one of the emails. “We’d get a ton of refund requests and negative press.”
Karen Cucurullo, then the National Park Service’s acting superintendent of the National Mall, eventually approved the 70-foot height, and the pyrotechnics that were used. Robert Vogel, director of the National Capital Region of the Park Service, wrote that the requests from Drake’s management amounted to “a stage 30 feet higher than we have ever allowed [and] the extensive use of pyrotechnics.”
The Landmark Festival was meant to be recurring benefit concert for restoration of the Mall, with portion of proceeds going to the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall. But widespread problems with the inaugural two-day concert led to speculation it would not be held again. Organizers confirmed this week that the festival would not return this year — the nonprofit cited the opening in late September of the African American History and Culture Museum as a conflict — the the documents paint a picture of behind-the-scenes headaches that could have contributed to the decision. With the festival in peril, Karen Cucurullo, then the National Park Service’s acting superintendent of the National Mall, conceded to the 70-foot height and the pyrotechnics that were used.
Documents also revealed other infighting in the days leading up to the festival, including who would operate the festival’s concession stands; they The Landmark Festival was meant to be a recurring benefit concert for restoration of the Mall, with portion of proceeds going to the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall. The concerts raised $570,000 for the trust, most of which went to recouping costs of the festival.
became a sore point as food vendors ran out of offerings, and lines for beverages, including bottled water, stretched so long concertgoers took to social media to complain. Widespread problems with the inaugural two-day concert led to speculation it would not be held again. Organizers confirmed this week that the festival would not return this year — the nonprofit cited the opening in late September of the National Museum of African American History and Culture as a conflict — and the documents paint a picture of behind-the-scenes headaches that could have contributed to the decision.
Vogel, addressing the occasionally contentious exchanges, called them “a pretty normal dynamic in any big event, particularly in a first-time event.” He added, “It’s not unusual for people planning events to say the whole thing may fall through.”
But documents also revealed other infighting in the days leading up to the festival. The Park Service raised concerns about Miller beer, a major sponsor.
“The NPS wants to avoid any controversy, and having the use of alcohol promoted in relation to the event would be controversial,” trust board chairman Chip Akridge wrote. “I suggested that maybe Miller could instead aim their promotion on patriotism rather than on beer.”
A battle over concessions, and who would operate them — the concert promoter C3 or hospitality firm Guest Services, which has long contracted to manage concessions for Park Service events — raged till mere days before the event. The contract was completed Sept. 23, just three days before the first day of the two-day event.
The festival’s concession stands became a major sore point with concertgoers. Food vendors ran out of offerings, and lines for beverages, including bottled water, stretched so long concertgoers took to social media to complain.
[Why the Landmark Music Festival isn’t returning to the National Mall this year][Why the Landmark Music Festival isn’t returning to the National Mall this year]
On Sept. 12, precisely two weeks before the performance and nearly six months after the festival’s 40-plus performers were announced and tickets went on sale, the trust informed the Park Service that Drake was on the verge of pulling out over the stage size. Drake, the Canadian rapper, was always meant to be the festival’s biggest draw. On Sept. 12, precisely two weeks before his performance and nearly six months after the festival’s 40-plus acts were announced and tickets went on sale, the trust informed the Park Service that Drake was on the verge of pulling out over the stage size.
“This is more than you want to know, I’m sure,” wrote Kristine Fitton, who was at the time the trust’s vice president of marketing (she has since left the nonprofit), “but Drake was panned when he played at Coachella this year so he went back and retooled his stage performance into something more elaborate. And he simply won’t perform now without this larger set design.” “This is more than you want to know, I’m sure,” wrote Fitton,“but Drake was panned when he played at Coachella this year so he went back and retooled his stage performance into something more elaborate. And he simply won’t perform now without this larger set design.”
“Losing our headliner would be devastating for the event,” Fitton wrote in another dispatch. “We’d get a ton of refund requests and negative press.”
A battle over concessions, and who would operate them — the concert promoter C3 or Guest Services Inc., which has long managed concessions for Park Service events — raged till mere days before the event. On Sept. 23, just three days before the first day of the two-day event, Rick Wayland of Guest Services sent the executed contract with C3 to Park Service.
The festival ultimately went off with some bumps on its first day, including endless lines for beverages (including bottled water), a lack of toilet paper, and wristbands openly being given away during the festival, in front of customers who’d paid the steep ticket price for theirs.The festival ultimately went off with some bumps on its first day, including endless lines for beverages (including bottled water), a lack of toilet paper, and wristbands openly being given away during the festival, in front of customers who’d paid the steep ticket price for theirs.
The Trust for the National Mall said this week that it was committed to bringing the festival back in 2017.The Trust for the National Mall said this week that it was committed to bringing the festival back in 2017.
MacKenzie Babb, a spokeswoman for the trust, denied that there were behind-the-scenes battles. “Our partnership is stronger than ever following the successful first-year Landmark Music Festival, which raised record awareness and funds for the park,” she said.