Ups and Downloads of 2008 Festival

What: The Los Angeles Download Festival 2008 Where: The Gibson Amphitheater at Universal City When: July 20, 2008

Upload: New Simpsons ride anyone? The Gibson Amphitheater is located on the grounds of Universal Studios. Thus, a ticket to the festival allowed concert-goers to "sneak" in to the amusement park, as well.

Download: Being "rock-blocked" from the main floor. A regular priced ticket did not get you passed the security guards protecting the standing room near the main stage. Apparently, you needed to buy a more expensive ticket ahead of time in order to get on to the floor. Who ever heard of paying more money to stand?

Upload: Mute Math's stage antics. From doing flips over the keyboard to drumming on everything in sight, including the microphone stand, piano stool and a drum in the middle of the audience, Mute Math's acrobatic stage performance was one of the best I've seen in awhile. Oh, and the music totally rocked too!

Mute Math used a variety of instruments during their performance,including some "untraditional" drums.

Photo Credit: Paula Ashlee

Download: Where's the commerce? One of my favorite things to do at festivals is to check out the clothes, causes and compact disks at the various booths on the grounds. There was not that much to do in between sets at the Download Festival, though. I want my free CD samplers!

Upload/Download: Revolving stage. It was a cool trick how the stage rotated around to a second stage, and it accelerated the set-up time between main stage performances. However, it would have been a lot more exciting if the bands had been on the stage ready to hit that first note as it locked in to position. Opportunity for total "badassness" missed.

Upload: Flosstradamus dance party. The deejaying duo from Chicago did not have the most impressive set that I have ever seen, but the dance party they set off in front of The 5 Gum Stage was a sight to behold. The audience more than worked off all those calories they put on at the margarita stand.

Download: Sexism on the scene. Two dancing girls in the crowd took off their shirts revealing their heart and star-shaped pasties, only to be reprimanded by not one, but three security guards. I didn't see them telling any topless men to put on their shirts!