The High Water Festival, held in Charleston, SC began in 2017. This two-day festival was held in 2017,2018 and 2019 and then had a pandemic hiatus in 2020 and 2021. It returned in 2022 and this year will be held on April 24 and 25 at Riverfront Park in N. Charleston, SC.

In previous years, the festival was a hot ticket. They sold out the two day festival tickets each year long before the year’s festival began. While concert goers like myself hoped for one day ticket sales, in previous years this never came to pass. The organizers didn’t need to open it up to daily tickets because there were enough buyers for the two day passes. Until this year!

I attended the two-day festival last year along with many friends, and I enjoyed both days very much. Last year, the daily headliners were My Morning Jacket and Jack White. This year, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Beck and Wilco will headline the festival. With three weeks to go before the gates open, several local music facilities (North Charleston Coliseum and the Charleston Music Hall) have begun advertising tickets for sale. I wonder why?

Currently, you can purchase a one day pass for either day for $110 plus fees or a two day pass for $200 plus fees. VIP tickets are $325 for a one-day pass and $600 for two days, plus fees. If you want to learn more about the festival and what you get with your VIP tickets, you can view this at highwaterfest.com.

As a seasoned concert goer, the prices do not seem to be outrageous for a festival with many performers. However, when you add up the ticket price and fees, you should get in for $130-140 per day.Tickets have been sold on an increasing price scale, the earlier you buy the lower the price. It’s a gut feeling but I believe that the organizers missed the mark with this year’s lineup and ticket cost. The price for a daily pass at this point may be scaring folks away.

Since its inception, the festival has been curated by Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent of Shovels and Rope. They have done a good job of bringing in friends and admired musicians annually. I decided to pass on this year’s festival due to the overall lineup. Perhaps I am no longer in the demographic age group for the acts they were able or wanted to procure. I wasn’t moved enough to make the commitment. Should the organizers have taken a different approach to the lineup of performers this year? Based on last year’s lineup and headliners, I think so. I can see that the aim is to blend musicians that would appeal to different age groups while being strong enough to draw a large enough gathering to sell out weeks, if not months, before the shows.

While I am in my 60’s, I am an avid concert goer and possess the disposable income necessary to attend one or both days. I don’t think I am alone. Amongst my peers, I have not heard a lot of chatter surrounding the festival. I wonder why? While we can’t expect the promoters to admit to selecting a weak lineup, it is my hope that they will do some soul searching and learn from this year’s results.

If you know something that I don’t know, feel free to chime in in the response section at the end of this blog. Happy Concert trails to you!

#highwaterfestival #missingthemarkintwenty-three