US Festival Rock Concert

The US Festival Rock Concert

The US Festival was a series of rock concerts held in Southern California in the 1980s. The festivals, which were organized by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, were known for their impressive lineup of performers and their innovative use of technology. The US Festival was a major cultural event of the 1980s and helped to shape the music and entertainment landscape of the time.

The first US Festival was held in 1982 in San Bernardino, California, and featured performances by a wide range of artists, including Fleetwood Mac, the Police, the Talking Heads, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The festival was a major success, drawing over 350,000 attendees and establishing itself as a major cultural event of the 1980s. In 1983, the US Festival returned with a second event, this time featuring performances by the likes of David Bowie, the Clash, and Van Halen. The second US Festival was even more successful than the first, attracting over 400,000 attendees.

In addition to the impressive lineup of performers, the US Festival was known for its innovative use of technology. The festivals featured large video screens, state-of-the-art sound systems, and other advanced technological features that helped to create an immersive and memorable concert experience. The US Festival was also notable for its focus on community and social responsibility, with a portion of the proceeds from the event going to charity and a number of educational and cultural events taking place alongside the concerts.

Despite its initial success, the US Festival struggled financially and was unable to continue beyond the 1983 event. Steve Wozniak, who had funded the festivals largely out of his own pocket, lost a significant amount of money on the events and was forced to declare bankruptcy. Despite the financial failure of the US Festival, the concerts left a lasting legacy and remain an important part of music and entertainment history.

The US Festival rock concerts were a major cultural event of the 1980s, attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees and featuring performances by some of the biggest names in music. The festivals were known for their innovative use of technology and their focus on community and social responsibility, and helped to shape the music and entertainment landscape of the time. While the US Festival was ultimately unable to continue beyond the 1983 event, it remains an important part of music and entertainment history and a testament to the enduring power of rock music and live performance.