All Tomorrow's Parties

Most mainstream music festivals tend to be behemoth, corporate-sponsored affairs with haphazard lineups (generally consisting of a random selection of bands who have released albums sometime in the previous year) and wildly overpriced beer. All Tomorrow's Parties changed all that by launching a series of festival events devoid of corporate branding and showcasing an actual curatorial spirit. Not only are the festivals typically staged in unusual, intimate locations like old country clubs and rundown resorts, but most ATP events are curated by artists such as My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai, and The Breeders. The first ATP Festival took place at a holiday camp in England, but similar festivals have since been staged in the U.S. and Australia. Following the success of the festival events, the minds behind ATP soon expanded the brand to include a record label (home to Apse and Fuck Buttons), promotion and film divisions. All Tomorrow's Parties, a documentary by Jonathan Caouette, highlights the festivals' first decade and provides a nice glimpse of its freewheeling aesthetic. Every festival organizer espouses Woodstock's utopian musical experience, but All Tomorrow's Parties is one of the few that actually comes close to delivering it.