Joe Pug has no problem playing a small stage at a large festival. Photo by Brian Carney.
While played a cover of ‘s “American Girl” on Main Stage West, Reverb caught up with Illinois singer-songwriter , who played the first set of the day on the Firstbank stage at noon.
“Yeah, it was a little early,” Pug laughed “I feel like I was on stage at a time when the audience and I are usually waking up.”
Despite Pug’s relatively low exposure, he is a festival veteran. A morning at Mile High was but a stop on his busy summer schedule that includes , and the .
Pug said that the success of a festival depends almost entirely on its management.
He noted that attendees seem to mix and mingle at “camping” festivals while people tend to come and stay within their “band of friends” at urban festivals such as Mile High.
The latter, however, offers a unique chance for artists to mix and mingle with new people.
“I walked by ‘s trailer this morning,” said Pug “It’s so cool to be a part of a festival where you’re playing alongside the guys you grew up listening to.”
John Hendrickson is a Features and Entertainment reporter for The Denver Post, an editor and featured writer at and a regular contributor to . In 2009 he was named one of the by .
is a Denver photographer and a regular contributor to Reverb.
