The U.S. version of All Tomorrow's Parties, a U.K. festival that was to make its stateside debut October 19-21 at UCLA, has been postponed until next year due to a combination of travel anxieties, diminishing ticket sales and trepidation regarding the aftermath of September 11.
The three-day concert, whose lineup, featuring Eddie Vedder, Stephen Malkmus and Stereolab, was curated by Sonic Youth (see "Sonic Youth Invite Vedder, Malkmus To Their Party"), has been rescheduled for March 17-20, according to a UCLA spokesperson, who said that 90 percent of the lineup will return and tickets already purchased will be honored on the makeup dates. A full roster will likely be announced in November.
"Though Sonic Youth have been severely compromised (their studio exists at 'ground zero' and is, for the most part, inaccessible — some of us have been evacuated from our homes, some of us were directly under shower of the attack), the band was prepared to play ATP regardless," the group said in a collective statement. "All involved were prepared to have the event address the crisis and to deliver proceeds in benefit. A gathering of musicians, artists and poets could only have been a positive thing.
"Personal travel anxieties, a complete halt to ticket sales and a general sense of unease due to the unpredictability of the USA/Middle East conflict are the primary factors of our decision to postpone. Additionally, a sense of responsibility towards our children at this time for an environment of stability and reflection is indeed a priority."
Sonic Youth and Tom Verlaine, whose legendary new-wave quartet Television were slated to reunite for ATP, will follow through with their plans to lend a hand at home with a benefit concert on October 7 at New York's Bowery Ballroom. Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon will also perform with avant-garde drummer/composer Ikue Mori, DJ Olive and Chicago indie-rocker Jim O'Rourke, according to Sonic Youth's publicist. Other performers should be announced shortly.
The concert will raise money for the Asociación Tepeyac, a not-for-profit organization representing Latin American immigrants who worked in the World Trade Center, and a fund established by the New York Women's Foundation to aid low-income women formerly employed in the twin towers.
