All Points West In Trouble?

The down economy has already taken its toll on fledgling music festivals, including Rothbury, Pemberton, Field Day and Vineland, and it may be about to claim another: All Points West, the Goldenvoice-produced three-day fest in Jersey City’s Liberty State Park.

Though other summer festivals have either released or are in the process of releasing their lineups for the 2010 season, All Points West has been conspicuously absent, according to the New York Times. And the paper reports that a check with agents around the country came up empty – several anonymously said none of their artists have been booked.

Booking for major festivals is generally either well under way or completed by the time March rolls around, and it would be very difficult to start from scratch with major talent either lined up elsewhere or bound by exclusivity agreements from appearing in the region before or after other fests.

Mark Shulman, a veteran AEG talent buyer, told the paper that booking a 2010 All Points West has been problematic but would not confirm the festival’s status. Goldenvoice is an AEG affiliated company.

“There is no question that our biggest challenge is finding suitable headliners, and it has been more challenging this year than in the past,” Schulman said. “No final determination of any kind has been made for 2010.”

Goldenvoice did not return a request for comment by press time but did acknowledge to the Times that there were “difficulties” with All Points West..

Previous APW editions were scheduled in August, and each had its problems. The 2008 edition drew fan complaints about slow ferries from Manhattan and, the following year, heavy rains soaked the grounds.

But previous APW fests boasted solid headliners. Radiohead and Jack Johnson topped the 2008 lineup, followed the next year by Jay-Z, Coldplay and Tool. The Times reports that Liberty State Park officials said AEG applied for festival dates but none were confirmed.