Sad news came from AC Entertainment’s Mountain Oasis Team today: The electronic music festival, which launched last fall, will not be held in 2014. “We’ve decided to press the ‘pause’ button on Mountain Oasis for 2014 in Asheville,” says the statement currently posted on the event’s website. “Unfortunately, the success necessary to sustain the venture has eluded us. And many of the challenges we have faced in producing the festival have increased. It feels more and more like we’re trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. So, after four years of considerable investment and hard work, we’ve decided to put Mountain Oasis on hold, while we pursue some exciting opportunities elsewhere.”
This news comes as a surprise, since presale general admission weekend festival passes sold out, even though the lineup is yet to be announced.
AC Entertainment co-produced Moogfest in 2010, 2011 and 2012. After a split with Moog Music, the Knoxville-based festival promoter went ahead with its own take on electronic music: Mountain Oasis. With acts like Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan and Neutral Milk Hotel, the festival was well-received.
“The enthusiasm and response from those who attended and supported those festivals was amazing — a true inspiration for all of us here at AC,” the statement continues. “We want to thank all of the passionate, supportive fans who have attended the festivals, the wonderful artists who have played, and the many enthusiastic supporters in the community who have helped and encouraged us.
“We love Asheville. After a quarter of a century as Asheville’s major concert producer, we’ll continue booking all of the great shows at the Orange Peel and working with everyone at the US Cellular Center to bring top artists and shows to town. And perhaps, at some point in the future, we will have an opportunity to create another festival that highlights this ‘mountain oasis.’”
Presale tickets will be refunded in full, including service fees. To learn more, visit Mountain Oasis. To relive last year’s festival, check out the Xpress Tumblr
Photo by Nick King.
Uh oh, that doesn’t bode well. Isn’t AC Entertainment one of those “too big to fail” titans of the music festival biz around here?
Perhaps smaller sustainable festivals are our future? Festival season seems to be a game of ‘which one is cancelled for this year?’ recently.
Uh oh, that doesn’t bode well. Isn’t AC Entertainment one of those “too big to fail” titans of the music festival biz around here?
Perhaps smaller sustainable festivals are our future? Festival season seems to be a game of ‘which one is cancelled for this year?’ recently.
City/county (in a move I support) help fund Moogfest. The used to help fund Bele Chere. They don’t help fund Mountain Oasis. They do help fund Downtown after 5. They don’t help fund LAFF.
See a pattern?