IamA The Promoters/Producers of The Governors Ball Music Festival, NYC's Marquee Music Festival, AMA!

Can you just break it to me now who is up against Two Door Cinema Club, so I can have these next few weeks to be upset?

Any act not touring this year that you really wanted to get?

1) Gary Clark JR. 2) Rod Stewart.

Super excited to finally go this year for the first time! Seeing as Kanye's new album has a bunch of collaborations, do you think we can expect any surprise guests for Kanye's set?

Probably fair to say that you can always expect a surprise with Kanye ;) -YR

Last year, when waiting in line for the bathroom and the mariachi band came out of the toilet, I met a girl named Julie. She was really hot. After I came out of the portos I waited for her to come out of one for ever. Do you guys know her? Help a bro out?

Wow. This is a Missed Connection if we've ever heard one. We know a lot of Julies but we have no idea if any of them are the one you are seeking. Email us at [email protected] with a full description of your story, your love, where you would take her and what you would do on your first date, and we will distribute to the masses. We got you Muzical. We got you.

Been going to the fest the last two years. One of the best parts is being able to visit NYC. But the no reentry policy makes that a bit hard. I was hoping with the RFID bracelets, you guys would start letting us come and go like other festivals with those bracelets do.

Any chance of that policy changing soon?

This is really interesting to hear actually because we haven't heard this request from many other people at all. Because Randall's Island isn't in the middle of Manhattan, not many people have expressed interest in coming and going. However if enough people ask about it, we can certainly explore it. Lots of operational challenges to it, but im sure we could tackle it.

What are you doing this year to prevent soundbleed between the main stage and the Honda Stage? Nobody could fully experience poor Lana last year.

To fix the potential of soundbleed on the Honda Field, we are adding more speakers to the Honda stage and position the speakers in ways that can help direct the sound better. We have had numerous phone calls and meetings about this very issue so we are hopeful that this problem will be fixed for 2016!

Hey GovBall! I've been going since 2013 and I always ask this in your AMA's. Any chance we get some better beer options? I'm not a fan of cider or Miller, so I usually pay extra to drink wine but it's not my favorite thing especially at a fest. I love how Lollapalooza does it, where you can get the regular stuff everywhere but there are a few dedicated locations for craft.

Please!!!

This is definitely something we've been working on. Hopefully for 2016, we'll see -YR

AEG and Panorama are making big moves. What steps are you taking to ensure the longevity of Gov ball? What kind of competition can we expect? As somebody who would much rather support an independent company like yourselves, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the longevity of the festival.

We book and produce a better festival. - JW

Did Kanye really create the lineup artwork?

His creative team, DONDA, created a poster, and we loved it, so we used it. -JW

First off just wanted to say I love your fest and I go every year!

With the 2016 election heating up I know a bunch of festivals have voter registration onsite. Will I be able to register to vote at Gov Ball? Any other socially conscious actions I can take on site?

Thanks for the support! Actually, yes. This year, we'll have Headcount on site to help people sign up to vote. -YR

Depeche Mode for 2017?

good idea. -JW

Just thought I'd say that I've been going every year since you guys started and you guys are hands down my favorite music festival. However, do to recent financial inquiries I won't be attending this year. I wanted to know how far in advance do you guys have to start booking acts? So for next year do you have to start planning now or within a few months? Hope everything goes well this year. Cheers!

Hey! Booking is a year-round process. We're already talking 2017 with artists, and in some cases, 2018 too. It never stops. -JW

Will you ever release the answers to the Crossword puzzle? I'm still obsessed with figuring it all out.

Yes we can do that!

Any progress on booking that Talking Heads reunion for future Gov Balls?

Totally. -JW

Chvrches and Kanye arent overlapping...that's awesome! But does that then mean that Death Cab and Kanye are conflicting?

Kanye and DCFC will be overlapping for a portion of the time, yes. - JW

Glad that you guys booked Jaime XX this year. Any chance that he will be performing in the Gotham Tent? Is the tent still called the Gotham Tent?

Yes, and Yes. -JW

Maybe I'm biased because I'm a New Yorker, but I honestly think Govball has the best lineups every year. Not oversaturated and no fluff, just all solid acts top to bottom. Which year's lineup was your favorite?

Honestly? We love every year. -JW

Hey guys, I've been volunteering for the fest the last two years. My question is will you guys have a sign-up for returning volunteers before first timers? Last year I almost didn't get a slot because I didn't know the applications went live. Also, how would I go about applying for an internship with you guys? Id really love to work in the music industry. Thanks for putting on an awesome event every year!

Yes! This is actually happening Monday so make sure you read your email. For internship avails, email us at [email protected] with your resume and interest in interning and someone will be right back to you...

Awesome. Thanks for the info. Can't wait for this year!

note that this is actually happening on Monday.

What makes Gov Ball more appealing than Coachella?

1) NYC 2) The people 3) focus on quality of music rather than what you're wearing and what celebs you might see 4) NYC -YR

Is there still an ongoing battle with AEG regarding their Randall's Island fest? I heard that it is still going to be taking place this year, but will you still be fighting to prevent it from continuing in the future?

NYC is a big city with room for multiple festivals. We are supportive of other events, but we want to create a scenario and environment where everyone can be successful. We were opposing the AEG event because they were trying to go two weeks after us with the same exact type of lineup and that would have resulted in both events losing. Since they are doing their event later in the summer, we are not fighting to prevent it.

Hey Gov Ball team. I got a 3-day pass to the festival and am really looking forward to it (I'll be ringing in my birthday with you that weekend). I'll also be getting a 3-day pass to the Panorama music festival when that lineup drops.

I want to ask you about the opposition you've shown to Panorama from its inception -- what's with all the hate?

If Austin can support three major weekends of music in a span of six weeks between ACL and Fun Fun Fun Fest, why can't New York support two? And if you think you can't compete with AEG's new festival and think more people will choose to go to that one, why do you deserve to exist? If festival-goers decide to go to Panorama over Gov Ball, won't that tell you something about the quality of that festival vs. yours?

Sorry for the blunt line of questioning, but I'm just trying to understand your reasoning (though I get that you're trying to protect your economic interests here).

For the record, I want you both to succeed. I'd love to be able to go to two major music festivals in New York every summer.

First of all, thanks for your support. This year's gonna top the previous ones! Fair question - generally competition is great, it breeds excellence. In this specific case, however, we feel the efforts of our future competitor have been predatory. There are some things we can't go into having to do with closed-door conversations with our competitor, but suffice it to say, we strongly question the ethics of how they handled this. Furthermore, initially wanting to be two weeks after us was a clear attempt to simply be competitive. There are plenty of other great times of year to do this and be successful. NYC can handle two large-scale music festivals, but for both to succeed and be great, the more time in between them, the better. This way each promoter doesn't have to fight over who gets to book which acts, resulting in higher talent fees and likely watered down lineups.

Wouldn't it have benefited them to pick a weekend further away from you anway? They haven't announced yet either so I can't imagine this was part of their plan. Stereogum claims their date was for booking congruences with their other festivals (Firefly, etc) are you saying this isn't true?

We think it would have benefitted them to pick a weekend further away, yes. However, they picked a weekend two weeks after us at a site they did not yet have the permit for, so once they officially got denied the permit, they had to scramble to move those acts to a different weekend, and therefore didn't have all the options in the world. There's plenty of reasons that go into picking a date, and I'm sure routing artists was a major one, but also pretty sure being competitive specifically to us was another reason.

last year i went to a festival called shaky knees and they had this crazy way of entry to the festival without buying a ticket; people would have to get a size specific tattoo of the festival logo somewhere on their body (like a legit tattoo). would u guys ever consider doing that?

This is totally crazy and insane and we love it. Sure we'd consider it.

When can we expect to see set list times for each day?

In a month or so. - JW

Hey GovBall! Welcome back. I really enjoyed the Black Keys and Tame Impala last year at the main stage.

Could you ask HAIM to cover Tame Impala's "'Cause I'm A Man"? That would be great.

That's a glorious idea! Tame Impala was probably my favorite set last year myself -YR

We'll pass it along to them! - JW

You tryna hook your boy up with tickets? I kid, I kid.

I'd kill to see The Strokes live.

The strokes were actually asking us about you. They want you there!

Last month we lost one of, if not THE, greatest and most influential artists of all time, David Bowie. As we lost him in NYC, are there any plans to incorporate a Bowie tribute at this year's festival?

This is in the works.

How early in the day are Years & Years playing on Friday? Want to make sure I leave work early to catch them.

Their set is 3:00pm to 3:45pm. -JW

OMAM on main stage or one of back two stages? Who are they up against?

OMAM on main stage, against Big Grams. -JW

Bought a Sunday pass for Kanye and Chrvches.

Are they going to overlap?

They're won't overlap! Both playing the main stage actually.

How can someone get a gig collaborating with your Instagram/Social media team? How many members are on the staff? Need another photographer during the events? You guys are always live updating and keeping things fresh, even in the off season that's gotta take hands on the deck. Lastly, the lineup looks sick, can't wait.

We bring on a bunch of folks for social media at the festival. If you have experience in the social media and events world, send your resume to [email protected] and someone will reach out...

I ask this every year: Can we finally get some BaoHaus at Gov Ball!?

We will email our friends at The Infatuation, who are curating this year's food vendor lineup, and tell them to get on this!

What did you guys think of the new Star Wars movie?

Favorite NYC restaurant?

Not a star wars guy. More of a space balls kind of guy. My favorite restaurant is Sushi Yasuda. - TR

I've been to Gov Ball for four consecutive years. It's a very well run festival, 2014's lineup was heaven for me! Though, nothing showed me how well you run the festival like the flash floods of 2013, when you did everything you could to manage the grounds, rescheduled Friday acts, honored Friday tickets, and kept everyone updated regularly through social media.

I've seen past AMAs where you guys highlighted that you try not to book repeat acts. This year's lineup looks very familiar, with acts like Beck (2012), Kanye (2013), The Strokes (2014), of Monsters and Men (2013), and Gary Clark Jr. (2013).

My question is: Why so many lineup repeats this time around? I was on your side about Panorama until your lineup announcement, but maybe some healthy competition will keep you on your toes for next year's bookings.

Thanks for the support, Scarlet. Booking a festival is similar to shopping at a supermarket. Sometimes you're forced to choose from the options on the shelf. Every established festival that exists is forced to repeat acts from time to time. Not every act tours every year. The acts that are playing Gov for a second time ALL have new music and are touring on new cycles. So in our eyes, it's all fresh. -JW

Hey GovBall guys! Went the past two years and had a great time! I can't help feel that this year, the bookings of Kanye and The Strokes seem repetitive. Were these late-in-the-game bookings or was it decided early on to have them return? Also, are you in the loop whether The Strokes will play new music?

Gov Ball is the only place in North America to see Kanye perform songs from his new record. It's also his first NYC area performance in 3 years. It's a big deal, in our view. Regarding The Strokes - look up a few questions and you'll see my previous response on them, and new music. - JW

What is your favorite Ice Cube movie? Friday, Barbershop, Boys N Da Hood, or Ride Along?

Give me the gun Trey.

Wow. You win for best question of the day. This is also such a tough question. On one hand you have to say "Boyz n the Hood" because that movie was so powerful and amazing. On the other hand you have to say "Friday" because the one liners in that movie are just amazing. On the third hand, who wouldn't want to listen to Cedric The Entertainer's amazing stories all day long while cutting people's hair in Barbershop. We're gonna go with Boyz N Da Hood, but we're also gonna say you should have included Three Kings, because that is an underestimated movie. "But it takes respect to get respect. Understand?" - TR

Friday without a doubt. -YR "Whatchu tryin to build a clubhouse?"

Which one of you is the voice of Govball? How do you decide what to sound like and do your fingers hurt from replying to all our tweets? ps. love tagging my friends in your instas

All of us are the voice of gov ball. It's very much a voice by committee. Just imagine a gospel choir singing at the top of their lungs. That's us releasing our voice.

Will Two Door Cinema Club be on the main stage?

Yup! - JW

since TLOP has a lot of featuring artists, is there a chance that some of them will get added to the lineup or come out during his set?

Perhaaaaaps. You'll have to wait and see. -JW

Is Robyn playing the Main Stage?

Nope. She's playing Honda Stage, at night. -JW

Hey y'all, welcome back. I have two questions, simple ones tho:

1.) Why bring back the Strokes? They were awesome in 2014, yeah, but to bring them back so soon is questionable. I'm going all three days, for sure, but I am curious. 2.) Is there one act you definitely regret not booking? Undercard or headliner, doesn't matter.

Thanks, y'all!

Hey! Not sure if you've been following reports or news about The Strokes, but they may or may not have some new music in the works for 2016. This would be their first batch of new tunes in, well, just about a half decade. Kind of a big deal. Also, they've played a total of 8 shows in North America in the last decade, so I'd say it's a pretty big deal any time they hit the stage. Regarding question #2 - I regret not booking Rod Stewart. Would have been great.

Who will be playing against Haim? Will their set conflict with The Killers??

haim is actually right before killers on main stage. miguel is against haim. -jw

Will The Killers and M83 overlap?

For a portion of the time, yes. - JW

Will there be any special guests we should be keeping an eye and ear out for ?!?

always

Love you guys, been every year since it's inception. A couple questions- 1) how has dealing with Panorama been effecting you? 2) why the obvious steer away from the EDM trend at fests and 3) how do I get a job with you guys!

1) Hasn't effected a thing! Other than not getting LCD. 2) we were never a big EDM fest. we've always had a handful of electronic artists, but never a ton. 3) apply! -JW

Hey there - Looking forward to attending my first Governors Ball this year! I'm wondering if Matt & Kim and Of Monsters and Men will conflict on Friday night? I saw both of those bands on the lineup and had to buy my ticket. Now I'm hoping that I'll get to see both! Thank you!

They will not conflict! You're good. - JW

First time festival attendee here! What should I expect? Any tips on how to get a really good view of the artists?

Here's what you should expect: a ton of really happy, upbeat, good looking people. a ton of amazingly talented musicians. a ton of really unique and weird art. a ton of really delectable food stuff. a ton of activities to take part in when not dancing your ass off. and maybe a dance off or two in the middle of the festival grounds.

Hello! Two questions for you here...

1. I find that every year I go to Gov Ball, the cell phone connection is pretty bad. A mild inconvenience for a festival as awesome as Gov Ball, but it makes it difficult for groups to separate/reconvene for overlapping acts. Any suggestions on how to textually communicate with people once on Randall's Island?

2. When is the 2016 food lineup being announced? A girl's gotta eat!

1. We have verizon, at&t, and t-mobile bring in cows (cell on wheels) to make the service better each year. Unfortunately, there's only so much you can do when you have tens of thousands of people in a small space that usually doesn't hold that many people. Recommend charging your phone to max, and picking pre-designated meeting spots just in case.
   
2. in a few weeks. gonna be better than ever! -YR

will galantis and thomas jack be at the same time?

Nope. You're safe. - JW

Loved the festival for 2 years straight, so to get the jump this year, I purchased a payment plan ticket. Unfortunately I got laid off and have to recind my ticket. Anyway to forfeit my ticket before the next payment(s)?

So sorry to hear that you go laid off. If you just don't make your next payments, your ticket will be voided and you should be good. Best of luck finding a new job and sorry to miss you this year!

Are you guys working with 90s fest again this year?

It is not 100% coming back, but if it does come back we are working with them. We love them and we love the 90s. We also love (and still wear) JNCO jeans.

How open are you, if at all, to switching locations so that you can offer camping?

Not open at all, honestly. We're a city-based music festival that offers the convenience of sleeping in a comfortable place, and other amenities based around convenience that cities have to offer. Camping festivals are great, and there's plenty of them to choose from, but that's not us. -YR

this girl that I've been dming might come to gov ball and it'll probably be the first time we meet. is there any way to do something special for her?

Hell yea! Buy her a super vip ticket! -YR

What is YOUR favorite food option at Gov. Ball?

Lobster Roll, i think. -JW

Luke's Lobster, Beecher's Mac & Cheese, and Arancini Bros.- TR

Did you guys try to book Radiohead this year?

fair to assume we try to book radiohead every year -YR

All big festivals in Europe have T-barriers or other sorts of fenced off pits in front of the stage to prevent overcrowding or people being crushed. Will this be implemented at GovBall this year?

Hi there. We would love to have T-barrier set ups but our main stage field isn't that wide (it's very linear). We want to make sure folks can get where they want to go easily, especially if there is god forbid an emergency evacuation. We will huddle up and re-look at this however because maybe there's a way to make this work and accomplish everyone's goals. Thanks for this!

Hey there, been a Gov Ball attendee since 2014 and have enjoyed it immensely each year. Can't wait to see the performances this year though!

Will Samsung be present at all this year?

Of course! We allow all kinds of cell phones...

Will there be aftershows this year? Any idea when those will be announced/what we can expect?

For sure! Gov Ball After Dark concert series will be announced in early April. Double the pleasure, double the fun. Or something like that. -JW

It says on the "VOlunteer" section of the website that we should "stay tuned for more info in February!" - is there any news to share on that front?

On Monday Vols from past years will get an email about the 2016 program. An email will be sent to the masses on Wednesday about the Vol program.

You've mentioned trying to book Pearl Jam and Phish in the past, did either come close this year?

PJ is playing MSG this year. Phish we didn't try to book this year. -JW

are there age restrictions on all gov ball after dark shows?

for some of the venues, yes. each venue has their own age rules. we'l make it very clear when we announce each show to avoid any confusion. -JW

are you guys going to be selling band merch? the last festival i went to didnt have any, it seemed really odd.

yep! each artists will be selling at 2 pieces of their own official merch. -JW

Can you provide some insight as to who will be playing against Eagles of Death Metal and Courtney Barnett?

Thanks, really looking forward to my first gov ball!

EODM against Vic Mensa. Courtney against Chvrches. -JW

I'm curious to know: who was the first act you booked for this year's fest, and the last act you booked, and when did you get them to sign on?

Also, who were you most excited to get on the lineup?

Thanks!!

i think the first was technically courtney barnett. honestly, i can't remember who the last one was. sorry. JW

Hey GovBall. Went to your 2015 festival and loved it and am returning this year as well! Excited for Kanye. 2 questions:

A) Will there be more bathrooms this year? This lines were so long that it discouraged me from buying drinks! B) Will momofuku be coming back as a vendor? I need some more of that crack pie.

A) There will be the same amount of bathrooms this year. However, what we will be doing is messaging and educating folks on where bathrooms are, so people all don't flock to one area of bathrooms. Certain areas are so overused because of their placement, and others, which aren't that far away at all, are under used. We are so limited by space onsite that we can't add any more, but we think if we educate folks on where they can go, they can make a better informed decision and not wait in lines.

B) Working on it...

Ive heard somewhere that you guys do multiple ticket re-releases to stop tickets from selling out to fast, is this true? How fast are tickets selling this year compared to past years and how soon are you expected to sell out?

We've done a couple re-releases in the past for various operational reasons, but we're not planning to do any this year. Tix are selling faster than ever before, and expecting to sell out sooner than past years -YR

who is the act you're most excited about this year?

strokes, two door, catfish. - TR

i heard sky ferreira was supposed to be on the lineup, did something happen or was that just a rumour?

she pushed back her album release and a bunch of other plans. -jw

Who is conflicting with Beck, Jamie xx, and Miguel?

Beck-Matt&Kim Jamie-Bloc Party Miguel-Haim -JW

Hi, I've traveled from Florida the last two years for your festival.

Besides Rod stewart, what "historical" band would you like to see headline the most? (ex: Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, etc.)

And, any truth to Radiohead or Daft Punk as headliners?

Thanks, see you in June, plane tickets booked! :)

Pearl Jam count as historical, in this context?-JW

Just wondering, have you guys tried booking Macca? I feel like he's the pinnacle #1 for any fest.

yep. -JW

Is Vince Staples or Vic Mensa playing the MainStage? And who are they conflicting with?

Vince will be on main stage, against CWKids. Vic is in tent against EODM. -JW

There were rumours that Sigur Ros were originally going to play the festival but had to back out. Is this true?

Were there any other artists that you guys wanted to book but were unable to?

Not true.

How stoked are you guys to get off work and watch Fuller House on Netflix? a) So stoked! b) I have been staring at the clock all day. c) I am sad that the Olsen Twins aren't in it, but I will still binge watch till I can't keep my eyes open anymore.

d) we've got the Jesse and the Rippers EP on repeat 24/7

Can you tell me who I will have to miss to go see the OG $wank, Joey Bada$$?

Galantis. -JW

What's your stance on pay-to-play style festivals?

We support artists over here. I wouldn't be comfortable having an artist pay us to play at the festival... -JW

Is Lord Huron or Action Bronson playing the main stage? And who are they conflicting with?

Huron is one main stage against Mac Miller. Bronson not on main stage, but playing against Bob Moses. -JW

Is Action playing the tent? Who's Thundercats against?

nah he's on an outdoor stage. thundercat - misterwives. -JW

PLEASE ANSWER! How long do headliners (The Strokes specifically) play for?

anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours, usually. -JW

What are we looking at in terms of food this year?

Is Courtney Barnett and TDCC a conflict?

Food will be the bomb. We'll be releasing the food lineup in the coming weeks. Courtney and TDCC will not conflict. - JW