For several years, Apple has put on an annual concert series in London known as the iTunes Festival. Performers in the most recent month-long even in London included Justin Timberlake, Elton John, Katy Perry, and many more.
After seven years in London, it was Apple’s first iTunes Festival in the U.S.
The Beard had the opportunity to sit down with Eddy Cue, Apple’s Apple’s Senior Vice President for Internet Software and Services, and ask him what took so long.
“I wasn’t sure we would ever bring it to the U.S.,” Cue said. “We have something so special at the festival in London that you had the feeling that if you did it anywhere else, it just wasn’t going to be quite good enough. You have to have the right place. The combination of Austin, which has a culture of music, and this venue is fantastic — it’s made for music.”
Dalrymple goes on to describe the incredible buzz he saw and heard around the iTunes Festival at SXSW, noting that he saw folks from all walks of life talking about the festival, and the bands that are scheduled to play.
One possible reason for that: “We’re not trying to pitch our products here — it’s all about the artists and the music,” said Cue. “It’s about the emotion of the artists and the fans.”
Dalrymple also notes that the iTunes Festival is about appreciating the music and the artists, relating how he saw Imagine Dragons finish their set at the festival, and then going and sitting in the balcony to watch Coldplay. Artists appreciating artists. Something you don’t see as much as you should.
The iTunes Festival is an intimate experience. Small venues, such as Austin’s 2,750-seat Moody Theater, give the audience a feeling of intimacy that could never be experienced in the giant arenas that bands are usually booked for.
“We at Apple take a lot of pride in the festival because we have such admiration for what the artists do,” said Cue. “If we can help, even a little bit, it feels damn good.”
Bands on tap for Thursday night include: Soundgarden, Band of Skulls, and Capital Cities.
Live, and on-demand streams of the shows will be available via the iTunes Festival app, and the Apple TV.
The iTunes Festival app is available FREE for the iPad and iPhone in the App Store. [DIRECT LINK]
