2008 Woodie Awards
F *** Yeah Tour stops at the Mill
Kathleen Serino - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 7/1/08 Section: Arts/mp3s
"There are 26 of us traveling on that old church bus running on vegetable oil playing hopscotch across the country. Yeah, I would definitely call it a circus," 23-year-old Sean Carlson said about his creation, the F*** Yeah Tour (new sibling of the F*** Yeah Fest), while changing lanes on a California highway.
Since its June 17 kickoff in Baltimore, the tour has been traveling from city to city neither for money nor fancy hotel rooms but for the love of what the membeers do: play music, show art, and tell jokes (even if they have to pile on top of one another "tetris" style at bedtime). And as for the name? Well, let's just say it was a spur-of-the-moment title that stuck.
Carlson's dreams of a festival came true in 2004 when 88 bands, artists, and comedians combined with a crowd of 2,500 and became what Carlson referred to as "a small beast." His "circus" will play tonight at the Mill, 120 E. Burlington St.
"I didn't really know what was going on, but it was a blast," he said in describing the original event. "And I hated it because I was the one organizing it; it was not fun for me. I was 18; I didn't know what I was doing." It has taken place in Los Angeles' Echo Park every summer.
This year Carlson finally realized his goal of taking the festival on the road. He teamed up with Matt Johnson of indie duo Matt & Kim and Keith Morris of punk staples the Circle Jerks (once also of Black Flag) to organize the tour. Carlson has several pairs of hands helping him today: Three of Carlson's closest mates are moonlighting as crew members for the tour.
"It was just an excuse for me to hang out with them for the next three weeks and have the best time of our lives," he said. "That's the way we look at it."
Carlson considers F*** Yeah as DIY creative events, free from corporate subsidiaries, which makes both the tour and the festival look like breaths of fresh air compared with the other major summer festivals today.
When asked if he's making a profit, he replied, "Money?! Girl, I don't even know what money is … You do it for love of music. At the end of the day, I'll be in debt. Everyone else will have fun. But it's worth it."
Since its June 17 kickoff in Baltimore, the tour has been traveling from city to city neither for money nor fancy hotel rooms but for the love of what the membeers do: play music, show art, and tell jokes (even if they have to pile on top of one another "tetris" style at bedtime). And as for the name? Well, let's just say it was a spur-of-the-moment title that stuck.
Carlson's dreams of a festival came true in 2004 when 88 bands, artists, and comedians combined with a crowd of 2,500 and became what Carlson referred to as "a small beast." His "circus" will play tonight at the Mill, 120 E. Burlington St.
"I didn't really know what was going on, but it was a blast," he said in describing the original event. "And I hated it because I was the one organizing it; it was not fun for me. I was 18; I didn't know what I was doing." It has taken place in Los Angeles' Echo Park every summer.
This year Carlson finally realized his goal of taking the festival on the road. He teamed up with Matt Johnson of indie duo Matt & Kim and Keith Morris of punk staples the Circle Jerks (once also of Black Flag) to organize the tour. Carlson has several pairs of hands helping him today: Three of Carlson's closest mates are moonlighting as crew members for the tour.
"It was just an excuse for me to hang out with them for the next three weeks and have the best time of our lives," he said. "That's the way we look at it."
Carlson considers F*** Yeah as DIY creative events, free from corporate subsidiaries, which makes both the tour and the festival look like breaths of fresh air compared with the other major summer festivals today.
When asked if he's making a profit, he replied, "Money?! Girl, I don't even know what money is … You do it for love of music. At the end of the day, I'll be in debt. Everyone else will have fun. But it's worth it."
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