Under glass
SnowGlobe
On New Years Eve, 64 miles southwest of Reno, crowds of ravers will brave the cold at the SnowGlobe Music Festival in South Lake Tahoe. However, 2018 will be slightly different than past years, as SnowGlobe has been acquired by MTV.
EDM juggernauts such as Diplo and RL Grime will headline the festival. Since announcing the MTV partnership, SnowGlobe added more crossover artists like Rae Sremmurd, G-Eazy and Tyga.
Spanning three nights, over 20,000 attendees will pump their fists to earth-rattling electronic dance music, wear vintage ski outfits covered in glitter, indulge in all their worst habits before the New Year’s resolution deadline and pay $15 for a slice of pizza.
SnowGlobe brings a lot of revenue to the area. However, not all the locals are thrilled about the festival. Many have complained about noise and trash. In 2017, festival organizers had to pay the city $250,000 for damages.
SnowGlobe, above anything else, is a smart marketing move. Music festivals in the summertime are so oversaturated and expensive, many people can only go to one, if any. Right when everyone’s cabin fever sets in, SnowGlobe rolls around and allows a time for people to experience live music in the frigid boredom of winter. For eight years patrons would attend and earn a badge of honor and a sense of community out in the cold. However, this experience may not remain as singular.
In an act of mutual back-scratching, MTV will pour money into Snowglobe to turn it into an international event with dates all over the world, and Snowglobe will host MTV’s New Year’s Eve coverage. With bright lights, loud music and extreme sports antics, Snowglobe seems perfect for MTV.
“With SnowGlobe, MTV is taking the natural next step in its resurgence by expanding deeper into live events, as we continue to reach our fans and capitalize on our strong brand in new ways,” said MTV president Chris McCarthy in a prepared statement. “In a festival space where many events have become indistinguishable, SnowGlobe stands out with a unique mix of music, sports and art that makes it a favorite among artists and its growing audience.”
Reno resident and EDM enthusiast Jasmine Brown seems to think the merger is a good idea.
“Having MTV there will make Snowglobe be more known and popular,” Brown said. “I believe this could be a great opportunity to showcase the different artists and DJs since SnowGlobe is usually more lowkey. I believe more and more people are starting to know about and attend this festival because [of] all the good things people have been saying about it over the years.”
MTV, a landmark of pop culture, has gone through an identity crisis. Once a 24-hour music video cycle, then a hub for reality television, the channel seems to be losing its relevance. Perhaps this is the last bastion of two dying breeds, the EDM festival and the cable network aimed at teens, extending a hand to help one another out.
What better way to bring in the New Year than listening to some killer DJs with friends, trying to find that lucky someone to kiss at the dawn of 2019, waving on camera behind Carson Daly or T.J. Lavin or whoever reports for MTV these days?