The Mountain Goats, Black Kids, Tilly and the Wall, more play Harvest of Hope this weekend

Although festivals such as Langerado and Pemberton have been cancelled, the culture of $200 tickets and $8 beers will still be going full-throttle this year. Some are even going so far as to predict that, like the movie industry, festivals will be a welcome diversion to the depressing economic climate this year.

But with unemployment rates as high as 10.6% in some states, you have to wonder. Even if music-festival culture won't be going the way of Rocky Mountain News and the Seattle P-I,

there may need to be some expense cut-backs to motivate the masses of interns and out-of-work college-grads to attend. Some festivals, like Alabama's BamaJam, are using layaway so attendees don't have to pay with credit. While this is a step forward, another festival, Harvest of Hope, is taking a proverbial leap with it's all-weekend admission of only $39.50.

Harvest of Hope takes place this weekend, March 6-8, in St. Augustine, Fla. Although Langerado's cancellation drove a few larger names like Broken Social Scene, Devotchka, The Faint and The Virgins to forego a trip to Florida, Harvest of Hope has gained some great names in the last month: The Mountain Goats, Black Kids, The Gaslight Anthem and Tilly and the Wall, to name a few.

All the festival's proceeds will go to the Harvest of Hope Foundation, which provides emergency relief, social services and educational support to migrant workers and their families.

Related links:
BamaJamMusicFestival.com
News: Langerado 2009 music festival cancelled
Harvest of Hope on Myspace

Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.