The summer (going into fall) is a very big concert season (in america), looking at Livenation's website, so it can be very difficult to book certain acts. The only real difficulty for an organizer with booking a trending artist is born out of the high demand, and offers being made by competitors. Recently there's been a noticeable spike in booking artist that are trending or just a tier above a new band. For example this year's Bamboozle Festival will feature sets by DJ Pauly D and rapper Kreayshawn. Pauly D, while a DJ, isn't really something you'd really expect to encounter at Bamboozle. And while Kreayshawn has become an artist rap enthusiasts are looking out for, she is hardly a big industry name; with no album released to date. However they will likely garner the attention of pop culture followers, who will no doubt receive a broader exposure to music by going to see these artists; similarly, these artists will be able to reach a different audience.
For some big name bands, they don't need to be convinced, they really want to do it. They either want to give back to the fans, or simply keep in touch with their roots by playing these types of shows; or both. Some artists got their big breaks riding the festival circuits by building up their fan base, and eventually going on to headline their own tours. Some of the most well known examples being acts like Avenged Sevenfold and The All American Rejects. Both bands played the 2005 Warped Tour, since then they have enjoyed chart topping album releases and their own tours. They also had brief spots on "The Warped Wednesday" show on Fuse. When they played Warped they weren't new bands anymore, however, their careers were just beginning to reach their present day peaks.
In 2008 Avenged Sevenfold released a dvd of their live show in their hometown of Long Beach. In the dvd the band retold some of their difficulties and expressed their gratefulness to their fans at those early "formative" shows. In 2011 the band headlined Uproar Fest, playing alongside other big hardcore acts; including Bullet for my Valentine, 3 Days Grace, and Escape the Fate. Now garnering attention for the complexity of their music, it's hard to believe they're the same band that "completely choked" on their first live show.
The All American Rejects have attained a similar level of buzz thanks to the broad exposure of festivals. Throughout the band's career, they have actively played festivals; including festivals overseas. Some past gigs have included the 2003&5 Warped tour, Summerfest 06, and Leeds festival. Presently the band is also set to play this year's Bamboozle Festival, as well as kicking of their independent north american tour. It may be stretching themselves a bit thin but these bands really don't seem to mind going above and beyond for their fans. Considering the humble beginnings of most bands, they do really express a great deal of gratitude towards their fans. And while some bands may not (or ever) frequently play festivals, doesn't mean they don't like their fans, but may simply have to do with the difficulties of a music festival.
2- http://www.last.fm/music/The+All-American+Rejects/+events/2003
3- Avenged Sevenfold Live in LBC, dvd
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