Me (as a blond) and Kyle at Pitchfork Fest 08

But this year, don’t forget your iPhone. Web 2.0, social media, new media… musicians, concert venues, and music festivals are all jumping on the ‘interactive’ bandwagon.

As if crowd surfing wasn’t interactive enough.

Obviously, SXSW has been the leader in merging music and technology (click here to read Daniel’s post from 2008’s festival), but more and more, other fests are forced to think out of the proverbial box.

Voice too hoarse to shout your request? No worries, Pitchfork Fest is giving ticket buyers the opportunity to name the set list of their favorite bands online. This year’s headliners The Flaming Lips said they “will do their best to accommodate the wildest and most obscure of request– covers included.”

Photo by David Donovan Evans

And from what I’ve read in the news, it all seems to be working. Despite the recession, music festivals are thriving.

Photo by David Donovan Evans

To what do they attribute this success? According to this internet marketing blog, “MySpace has long been a popular social network within the music industry. Artists often preview new albums on the site, for example. When it comes to these concerts, however, MySpace doesn’t generate nearly the engagement of Facebook, or even Twitter or email.”

One of my most favorite new media + music mash ups of all time is the All Eyes series from CurrentTV. Check out the fan-sourced video of My Morning Jacket at Lollapalooza.

This really gets my gears turning about possible ways we can apply these new media/social media stategies to the programming here at the IMA for The Toby and Summer Nights, or other events at the museum. How have you seen social media used effectivley at a concert, festival, or event?