It’s the classic question: What came first, the chicken or the egg? In this case, festivals like Sasquatch blame low attendance for increasing ticket prices, while festival-goers claim that greed on the festival’s part is why fewer people are showing up. Many say if Sasquatch could line up some better headliners and stop hiking the prices, then attendance would increase. All we really know is that ticket prices for big-name shows seem to be increasing, leaving most poor, starving hipsters unable to attend.

In the beginning, festivals were like a McDonald’s happy meal toy — you had two choices, Coachella or Bonnaroo, and that was it. Then in 2002, newcomer Sasquatch was spread mostly by word of mouth and became known as the pesky, indie version of Coachella.

As all of these shows got bigger and people realized festivals were profitable, suddenly they were everywhere. There are hundreds of music festivals listed across the United States, with more popping up every year.

Sasquatch grew as well, possibly to combat the competition, and possibly because the venue is huge and can actually handle multiple stages. It was fabulous and filled with hippies, there was enough peace and love to give attendees in a seriously good time. But Sasquatch hasn’t grown enough to justify its big price tag.

Coachella’s general admission prices break down at $399 for the actual pass with an additional $99 for camping. Sasquatch is $149.50 for a standard pass to pitch your tent, and $350 for the actual ticket. That makes a fifty-cent difference between the No. 1 festival in the country and its indie alternative.

Some argue that Sasquatch is trying to compare itself with sunny California’s Coachella, and eventually match its profits. However, Coachella is bringing headliners Guns ‘N Roses, LCD Soundsystem and Calvin Harris as its three main acts. Even with Sasquatch bringing in bigger names like Florence and the Machine, their lineup just can’t compare. Sasquatch claims its price reflects offering more musical acts when in reality, there hasn’t been many more in the past years.

Of course, Sasquatch did offer a monthly payment plan to try to ease the burden. But when the numbers are broken down, the lineup just isn’t worth the cost. The festival once renowned for showing the best new and upcoming musical acts has now increased its price to Coachella-level without adding anything substantial.

But it’s not the end of the world. The good thing about the slow demise of Sasquatch for us poor folk is that there are other, cheaper fish in the sea. Gentleman of the Road, Barter Fair and even the Governor’s Ball offer the same sweet rush music. Minus the cost and hippies, of course.

Emera Riley is a sophomore magazine journalism major. Her column appears weekly in Pulp. You can email her at elril100@syr.edu or follow her on Twitter @emerariley.

Published on February 9, 2016 at 8:30 pm