ProgStock 2024, International Progressive Rock Festival

[gopr]

ProgStock 2024, International Progressive Rock Festival, at the Williams Center, Rutherford, NJ, October 17-20, 2024 Feat. Patrick Moraz, Larry Fast, SAGA, Gong, Steve Hogarth, David Cross Band and Many Others!

The American Northeast’s Only International Progressive Rock Festival, takes the stage October 18-20, 2024, with a separately ticketed preshow on October 17.

ProgStock Festival (https://www.progstock.com), The American Northeast’s Only International Progressive Rock Festival, will take the stage for its eighth straight year from October 18th through October 20th, 2024, at the Williams Center in Rutherford, New Jersey.

Doors open for regular passholders at 4:00PM on Friday, October 18th and at 11:30AM on Saturday, October 19th, and Sunday, October 20th.

In-person attendance at ProgStock 2024 includes a seat in the historic Rivoli Theater, opportunities to meet, greet and get to know our artists, and the chance to witness unique and spontaneous things that only happen at ProgStock. For those who can’t attend in-person, ProgStock offers live-streaming of our staged performances during the festival.

Performers on our main stage include SAGA, Lifesigns, The David Cross Band, SiX BY SiX, Circuline, Gong, KYROS, Advent Horizon, and special guest appearances by: John Mitchell (Lonely Robot, Frost, It Bites, Arena, Kino) & Jez Fielder, Michael Sadler (SAGA) & Seren Sadler, Phideaux, Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella, Dave Bainbridge (IONA, Strawbs, Lifesigns, Celestial Fire) & Sally Minnear (Celestial Fire, Pendragon), and Rachel Flowers.

Featured Guests at ProgStock 2024 include Patrick Moraz (YES, The Moody Blues), Richard Macphail (author, “My Book of Genesis”), Larry Fast (Synergy, Producer/Musician with: Peter Gabriel Band, Tony Levin Band, Wendy Carlos, Annie Haslam/Renaissance, Foreigner, Bonnie Tyler, Nektar), Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Security Project, Dark Sky Alliance), and Steve Hogarth (Marillion, h natural).

A separately ticketed special event, available only to 3-day passholders, will take place on Sunday, October 20th at 10:00am, featuring a Q&A with Steve Hogarth led by Michael & Seren Sadler.

Just outside our theater doors, Bob Moog Foundation Plaza will host some of the most unique and memorable happenings at ProgStock, led by our very own Robeone, Robert Schindler. Spontaneous performances, listening parties, and many more once-in-a-lifetime experiences await you in Bob Moog Foundation Plaza every day at ProgStock, as we help to raise funds for this extraordinary foundation.

Fine art exhibits and features will be provided by Paul Whitehead, album cover artist for Genesis, and a fan favorite at ProgStock; Michael Bennett; Victoria Flowers; and Deane Arnold, the world-renowned pumpkin sculptor featured on the Food Network.

Additionally, there will be a separately ticketed prefestival show on Thursday, October 17, starting at 7:00pm EDT, featuring the Genesis tribute band, Abacab, followed by Last Call Live, a pro-am showcase of progressive musicality, featuring ProgStock attendees and some members of our mainstage lineup.

Prior to the full festival, ProgStock is also offering a series of shows under the moniker, “ProgStock Presents.” Tickets for the festival and these special shows are available from the ProgStock Box Office.

“I have been working in this field of music for over fifty years as a recording artist, producer and advancing the technologies necessary to this style of music. ProgStock Festival has given me the opportunity to interact with my fan base and for me to work with and encourage the next generations of artists.” – Larry Fast, Synergy Electronic Music, Inc.

“It was just incredible, in every way! wow…Wow…WOW! What a thrill to be there and see those incredible bands. I almost do not have sufficient words to describe how fantastic the entire experience was.” — RH - 5-Year Patron of ProgStock

ProgStock 2024 & ProgStock Presents Newspaper Ad med res.png

For more information, contact: Ann Rinaldi, co-producer, ProgStock Festival, marketing@progstock.com, +1 252-402-5395 (cell/WhatsApp)
Direct Ticket Link: ProgStock.simpletix.com/
Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/07...qF2OtxsxII7Slf
ProgStock Store: https://progstock-store.square.site/
ProgStock 2024 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1263207887729352
Livestreaming Ticket Link: Stageit.com/ProgStock

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

[Rajaz]

Good news for those of us who cannot make it in person, Progstock is on Stage It, starting with Total mass Retain tomorrow and continuing with We Love Zappa, Nektar and Jane getter Premonition:

https://www.stageit.com/ProgStock

[nodak]

I just bought a Stage It ticket for TMR tonight. It's a 3.5 hr show. Is there an opening act? Besides The YES Album what else are they going play....maybe all of Relayer !!!

[Garyhead]

RIP Richard Macphail (author, “My Book of Genesis”),

[JKL2000]

I've never been to Progstock. What's the deal with the opening acts? How long do they play typically? It seems an odd way to do things, an opening act before each full set, but I guess I'd have to experience it to see.

Strange that Phideaux is an opening act - is he playing an acoustic or solo set or something?

[Shadow]

I was at the theater recently. Are hard hats required by OSHA to sit in the theater.

[Jimmy Giant]

We were watching the ceiling when the first bass pedal note hit. It holds together somehow.

I liked the opening acts. Play maybe 20-30 minutes if I remember correctly.
Now if they can get a stage manager that can keep everything on time, that would help tremendously.

[JKL2000]

Yeah, are the opening acts acoustic or solo mostly?

[Jimmy Giant]

Pretty much. Have to be able to get them off stage quick.

[kenschwartz]

I liked the opening acts. Play maybe 20-30 minutes if I remember correctly.
Now if they can get a stage manager that can keep everything on time, that would help tremendously.

Interesting. I find the opening acts detrimental, for the following reasons:
1. they are often an act that Tom expects to book for the following year. I know it is supposed to "whet your appetite" but for me it's more like "well, I sort of just saw them last year...I'm not really going to go out of my way to attend this year...at least not just for this band". and since, for me, it is a 3 hour drive, I need a good reason to go.
2. they are often stripped down - and it has seemed to me that rather than come up with new arrangements for fewer instruments, they just play with fewer band members. (fwiw, I found that to be the same for IZZ-lite, when they opened for BBT)
3. the lack of everything running on time has caused meals to be missed (and I often travel with someone who, for medical reasons, NEEDS to eat at a predictable time).
4. the lack of everything running on time has caused bands to shorten sets (for example, jobson having to cut the final 20 minutes from his set), or bands running way into the night (for example, pattern seeking animals, who didn't finish their set till about 1:30 AM if I remember correctly)

sometimes, less is more. half the attraction for me is the chance to catch up with people that I only see at festivals.
and finally, I wonder if Tom could afford to bring in bigger names if he didn't have to pay the 4 or 5 opening bands.

and obviously...ymmv

[JKL2000]

^ Thanks, helpful insights! I'm undecided! It's most likely my last chance to see Saga again, but maybe once was enough...

[kenschwartz]

^ Thanks, helpful insights! I'm undecided! It's most likely my last chance to see Saga again, but maybe once was enough...

IMO:
By all means, go.
You are much more likely to regret not going than you are to regret going.

[Rajaz]

Saw them before at Progstock but can't this year so I have high hopes to at least see SAGA on the Stage it stream.

[JKL2000]

IMO:
By all means, go.
You are much more likely to regret not going than you are to regret going.

That's true. I'm sure I'd have a good time.

[Jimmy Giant]

I have an extra Prog-Ducer ticket. They're sold out. PM me.

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

We were watching the ceiling when the first bass pedal note hit. It holds together somehow.

I liked the opening acts. Play maybe 20-30 minutes if I remember correctly.
Now if they can get a stage manager that can keep everything on time, that would help tremendously.

Stage management is a daunting task and kudos to anyone who takes on this basically thankless job.
I don't know anything about this festival, stage manager, or venue but often delays can be caused by sound issues, delays by the bands themselves, or other variables (like the weather, in the case of Progday). I am not saying their stage manager is not responsible, he very well could be. In my 16 years of personal experience delays l encountered were almost always due to some band issue--thankfully not severe enough that we couldn't make up the time.
I call it a "thankless job" because you are never lauded for keeping the train running on time, and you shouldn't be. It should be a job that no one notices. It is a hazard however because you are the first person to be looked at if there is a problem. Again it may have been the stage manager's issue that things ran long here, but don't be too quick to judge. There may be more to the story than you know.

[Jimmy Giant]

I know people in the know.

Still have a Prog-Ducer pass available.

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

I know people in the know.

Still have a Prog-Ducer pass available.

Well there you go. I know nothing of the situation but wanted to offer possible support to a fellow "stage mangler", in case there may have been something out of his control.

[Garyhead]

Yeah......but the year I went. Lord Eddie Jobson had an afternoon chat. NO ONE ended that chat....he went over...into the intermission, and took Mystery's slot. All this for a lecture.....I could see Mystery standing behind the stage......

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

Yeah......but the year I went. Lord Eddie Jobson had an afternoon chat. NO ONE ended that chat....he went over...into the intermission, and took Mystery's slot. All this for a lecture.....I could see Mystery standing behind the stage......

There is no defense l could come up with for that, *especially* if there's a band on deck waiting to play. Unfair to the band and the attendees. If l had been expecting to see them l would have been livid. I imagine the band was also. If not the stage manager, the organizers should have stepped in.
"Sorry Mr. Jobson, but we need to wrap this up" is not a difficult thing to say.

[Jimmy Giant]

ProgStock 3day ProgDucer pass (sold out) still available. PM me.

[ChrisNY]

Hello everyone. I have a 3 day pass that I unfortunately won't be able to use Right Row K. Please PM me if interested in purchasing.

-Chris

[Rajaz]

Last night's steaming was a complete fiasco! The opener John Mitchell was already 90 minuts late and still they were still trying to fix a console mixer problem. It was almost 11 p.m. on my Atlantic time zone and I sure did not feel to keep waiting any longer having stayed up late the previous night but that steaming was the opposite for an excellent performance by the David Cross Band.

These endless delays have become an annual common ocurrance in Progstock that lacks organization and a reliable technical support team, I can forget about getting a refund for this newest disaster. Oh, and two artists cancelled as well: Six by Six and Patrick Moraz but that was beyond the festival's control and unfortunate.

[kenschwartz]

That's true. I'm sure I'd have a good time.

so did you go? if so...thoughts?