The first annual Pemberton Festival, in the city of the same name in British Columbia, Canada, definitely did its work attracting the right names to attract the right attention -- Tom Petty, Nine Inch Nails, Jay-Z, Coldplay, the Flaming Lips, My Morning Jacket, Death Cab, etc. Unfortunately it seems it didn't quite do its work on the organizational front; while Live Nation's trumpeting a "triumphant success," headline writers in Canada are going more with "Confusion, Dust Mar Pemberton Festival." Apparently things felt slightly out of control at times, from issues at the gates, within the gates, and with traffic on the way in. Those traffic jams affected artists, too (which messed with the schedule), unless the artist's name was Jay-Z, in which case you helicoptered in (personal air vehicles are great for punctuality).
We sent photographer Jenn Perutka to brave the dust and lineups. Despite the weekend's rough spots, her photo set makes it look like quite a time. Also there's a set of crowd shots in there that help illustrate how the audience passed the time "in creative ways" while waiting for N.E.R.D., including tossing crowdurfers in the air, cross-crowd competing strip teases, and good ol' fashioned long faces. Enjoy the scroll.
CHROMEO
GRAND OLE PARTY
METRIC
SERJ TANKIAN
WOLFMOTHER
NINE INCH NAILS
DAY TWO
MSTRKRFT
MY MORNING JACKET
SAM ROBERTS BAND
TRAGICALLY HIP
THE FLAMING LIPS
TOM PETTY
DAY THREE
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
MATISYAHU
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
N.E.R.D.
WAITING FOR N.E.R.D.
JAY-Z
COLDPLAY
