Announcing The 4Knots Music Festival, Taking Place This July 16

• If you look at the VV's past Siren pages, the 2003 and 2004 Sirens each drew 150,000. Assuming it had little to do with the current economic situation, I must agree with the few here who think the new fat cats at Coney (who have all but succeeded in pushing longtime merchants out, some of whom have been there for decades and were legendary) may have rubbed the VV crew the wrong way, and VV decided not to do business with them.  But you have to admit, if something like Siren wasn't broke, why fix it by moving it?  The Siren Fest was literally on its way to becoming legendary.  Another 5 years and it surely would have.  By moving it and renaming it, it's as if the VV were starting all over again. I would have to think that it will take a coalition of independent music organizations, and other sponsors who are indie-music-friendly, coming together to revive Siren, either next year or the year after, assuming VV doesn't plan to return to Coney.  I am from Brooklyn, but unfortunately I have never been to this festival; but given the accounts of those who were there in any of the years 2001 to 2010, the venue and the atmosphere are beyond comparison. Is there another music festival in Brooklyn that is as big as Siren?  If not, then this is a BIG piece of Brooklyn that may be gone, unless someone new, or a new team, with indie music experience and perhaps deep pockets, can revive Siren. I would not drown the 3-headed girl that is the (almost-legendary) symbol of the Siren Festival just yet.  And neither should you or anyone in Brooklyn.  As I said before, it may require new management, assuming the VV are in no position to run 2 festivals (one in mid-July and perhaps the other in mid-August), and they are willing to sell or loan the rights to the name of the festival.  There IS room enough for both Siren and 4Knots to coexist, is there?

• 1 P.M. I believe

• What time does it start?

• What will make this different from all the other mediocre free shows going on at South Street Seaport? Nothing as far as I can tell. Siren was always a lot of fun. Catching a buzz, going for a swim, going on some rides. South Street? There's nothing to do in that shitty tourist trap except buy very overpriced food and beverages and shop for very overpriced crap available at every mall in the United States. I'm not embracing that kind of change. You should accept that this is a bad idea. There will be a lot of people there, too many. Don't let the turn out fool you that it is a success. It's going to suck.

• and it sounds LIKE NO BEEER AGH!

• I'm coming from NH.. do we just show up and go right in?  or do I need to print out a free tix ahead of time?  also, will there be parking?!

• 4. What about Siren? Siren had a fantastic 10-year run, but the 4 Knots Festival will replace it on the Voice's summer-show docket. Embrace change!  You are a flippant tool and can embrace your lips around my hard throbbing member. Moving the festival down to a fucking tourist mall that was built specifically for the dumb rich kids that have overrun the city with their family money is a slap in the face to all of the working class schlubs, artsists, musicians, and whatnot that went to your festival every year. For 10 years I lived on the east coast and that gig was the highlight of the summer because the bands (usually) were pretty good, but it was the setting, and the ability to drink a beer in the open (at reasonable prices) like an adult was what really made it worthwhile. 

• All due respect, but we all know that Pier 17 is a Tourist Trap, do we need it to be more crowded? What about Randall's Island, or even the Liberty State Park - APW was "F-ing" awesome. Or even just using the stage at the Williamsburg Water Front and the lot for the Flea. WHY - Pier 17 ?

• What a disapointment! What a disaster this will be! My friends & I considered Siren a yearly tradition! A brilliant idea - cool music & coney Island! We have no intentions of attending this {S}knot event. And as for your 'embrace change" comment Not all changes are for the better. When it comes to manhattan the last decade few of the changes I saw were good. I look at the Village Voice in a new light as well. Good Riddence.

• I attended all Sirens in Coney Island but I won't be going to South Street. Not a good place, as most people already pointed out.  If there's time, you should do the Siren, maybe later in the summer and compare the two.... Though I think your decision was NOT based on how to best appeal to the fans of the classic Siren festival.

• No wonder no one reads the penny saver, I mean the Voice anymore.

• did anyone consider that it might not be the village voice's fault that they had to move the festival?? with all the money scheming going on at coney, i wouldn't be surprised if they were pushed out because coney didn't want a free fest anymore.

• South Street Seaport is much smaller than Cony Island, which is packed to the brim every year. How do you plan to fit all the attendees in the new location?

• Dudes, just be happy theres something fun and free out there this summer. Jeez ya'lls make it sound like Siren was all there was to life and Coney Island is paradise. Who cares where it is, if the musics there, just go. May I also remind you all that EVERYTHING in the world is about the $$$.

• What is my life without Shoot The Freak? :(

• Awful idea to move it. I have been a Siren veteran for many years now and will NOT be supporting this new festival. And coming from a sailor....you picked a stupid name "4 knots".

• VV- Don't try to bullshit a bullshitter, this is all about $$. Don't lie to us guys. Oh and thanks for taking what many of considered to be one of the best days of the summer (booze, rides, hotdogs, beach, shoot the freak etc.) and destroying it.

• How can I volunteer?

• Dear Tony, The Seaport will never be as fantastic or authentic as Coney Island. The best part about Siren was making a day of it--the music, the beach, the Cyclone, the whole thing, moving it to the Seaport sucks.

• Are you kidding me? You couldn't do one more year while the original boardwalk businesses were still open? This is a real disappointment. An epic disappointment, actually. What's the deal?

• Booooooo. No rides, no beach, a giant mall and a bunch of tourists? No like.

• You named the festival after Don Knots?

• Perhaps a Coney Island Sailboat Parade, followed by a race from a port near Coney island to a finish line on the East River Pier 17. This may appease some loss of business in the Coney Island business district, and perhaps inspire the resurrection sailboat racing as a tradition, considering the name of the festival.

• 10 Reasons Why I (and most others I presume) Will Not Embrace this Change 1. Necessity to wear more clothing. 2. What are we supposed to do between sets? Go shopping? You do realize that South Street is a mall right? How much did they pay you to move the event here to draw consumers? 3. No Nathans. 4. Where are we supposed to get beer? I know there is a new beer garden coming to South Street that is being compared to the one at the Standard Hotel...but Coney Island has Beer Island! Do you know your audience at all? 5. I personally find it offensive that you're catering to the Manhattan crowd when your loyal Siren Fest attendees have predominantly been outer-borough dwellers. I suppose you'll have a new crowd this year, congrats. 6. No Beach. 7. South Street is overrun with Tourists 8. South Street is a confined area. Coney Island is a long stretch with plenty of room for your 100,000 (as per last year) attendees to go. Have you calculated how much more you'll have to spend on security or is that being provided by the Seaport as another perk for getting consumers down there? 9. Going along with many of the above points, everything is going to be more expensive. Food, drinks, shopping... 10. Lastly, it is sad that you think that your audience/readers are so dumb that you can spin this as a positive change. There has to be a political/economic incentive behind this, and I am certain that there are people involved in the planning of this event that know as well as we do that the moving of the event is a poor decision.

• Just a note: The Drake/Hanson incident only had a crowd of about 25,000. If you look at the press release on the Siren fest 2010 site, it states that 100,000 people showed up last year. WOW! BRILLIANT IDEA!

• not only is this a crappy idea, it's dangerous (in relation to accumulation of large people as mentioned above). count me out from this year on.

• We would all like to know...

• How will the Organizers deal with the Large Crowds expected, remember that "Hanson, Drake" incident, I don't know about all those folks on that pier!?! Al least in Coney Island I had some elbow room and if I got too hot I could take a dip in the ocean!

• fail

• I hope The Voice reveals the real truth behind the change. The paper has a duty to its history to do so. Was it rowdy drunk teenagers making a mess? Was the space not available due to increased cost? Please tell us the truth without trying to mask it behind see-through marketing talk.

• embrace my middle finger

• Re: to Tony: The better the lineup, the more chaotic this is going to be.

• Hate to say this as well, but this is a recipe for disaster. You are telling me that you want to cram thousands of indie rockers into DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN to an ALL DAY FREE FESTIVAL full of bands that everyone will want to see? Then you factor in the clueless tourists. Instead of walking the boardwalk and relaxing on the beach between sets, am I supposed to walk around the freakin' mall? Definite downgrade, I love the Village Voice and what they do, but this is really not very well thought through. The Seaport has its own great festival, but they keep it to one to two acts a week, not an entire all day festival that is supposed to be on two stages. Oy vey, oy vey.

• Lame

• One hundred percent right. This is a horrible change. South Street Seaport is as awful as Coney Island is awesome. I went to all ten Sirens and it was a highlight of my summer every year. I will not be going to this thing. Thanks for the memories.

• Yes, I'll be on tour at this time and would love a slot in the festival. Who's booking the show, por favor? Gracias.

• Hey guys - First off, I want to say that I really appreciate all the work you guys do to make this festival happen. I assume it's more a labor of love than anything so I want to thank you for it. I realize I run the risk of sounding like a spoiled child here but I cannot figure out why you would make this change. From a fan's perspective, there was little better than watching bands play with the sun setting on the ocean behind them. Nowhere else could you watch your favorite band and then take a break to stroll along the boardwalk, ride one of the greatest coasters in the world, and experience and bring life to one of the coolest places in the city, if not the country. Coney Island definitely had it's downsides - it was a bit of a trip, it was a bit run down, probably wasn't the safest place - but it was completely unique. It was the was little things about the place - the beautiful decay of Coney Island. The soft serve at Dennys. Getting a hot dog at Nathans. The music ended up being the background for a perfect day out. Now I look at the Seaport. A cool place but it's not a place for music. Watching the other shows there during the summer is rarely enjoyable. The place is overrun with tourists and other people who don't give a damn about the music and just want you to get out of the way so they can go shopping. It's cramped and poorly laid out. A 6 lane highway rumbles by overheard mere yards from the stage. It's already proven difficult to hold large shows there (surely you remember the Drake fiasco/riot there last year). Not only that but the Seaport already has its own festival. With all due respect to the work you've done to make this happen, the Seaport is a definite step down in terms of quality of location. And so I get to my question. Was there another reason to the move? Were you not able to hold the concert at Coney Island due to politics or money or Sitt? Thanks for reading and my apologies for the long comment. - Tom W

• The same people who put together our killer lineups in the past are putting together the new festival. But with a change of venue, we think we can make an even better experience. As Maura says, embrace change. This thing will be great.

• It brought people to Brooklyn. There are so many free, summer concerts held at South Street...what makes this different? I am just wondering why the change happened.

• Free music on a warm summer night. That's what we stand for, Crystal. That hasn't changed.

• What about the Hiroshima Club?

• Sad. I grew up with Siren Fest for the past 10 years heading to the boardwalk and drinking at the beach while listening to great bands. Taking it out of Brooklyn and renaming changes everything I thought the Voice stood for.

• Are they any slots open for bands?

• Do you need any volunteers to help with the running of the festival?

TotalComments: 44