New word on Street Scene

When R.E.M. headlined San Diego Street Scene two years ago, it was a seminal moment in the rock ‘n’ roll festival’s history. The event, born in 1984 as a local party with two shows headlined by X, the Blasters and Los Lobos, had become, almost two decades later, a player on the national landscape.

No disrespect to the great R.E.M., but this year’s Street Scene on Friday and Saturday at Qualcomm Stadium carries a greater cachet -- the White Stripes initially chose the festival as the kickoff to its U.S. tour. (The duo has since added a warmup show tonight at Pomona’s Glass House.)

“They are definitely a trendsetting band, and it does elevate the national attention that we’re getting,” Street Scene producer Rob Hagey says.

Even more, Hagey says, the presence of acts such as the White Stripes, the Pixies, the Flaming Lips and the Killers reflects the festival’s metamorphosis into a showcase for the top-selling bands younger fans want to see.

“We needed to make changes after 2003,” Hagey says, “and instead of the wide diversity we’d had in the past, the talent was very focused last year and this year.

“If you were to compare those last two years you’d see a dramatic change in the talent. It’s much more focused on the 18-to-28 demographic, and the headliners are very much about what might be current.”

Hagey cites the success of festivals such as Coachella Valley and Bonnaroo in Tennessee as part of the reason for the change, saying, “We looked at the new festivals that are part of our new culture, and that creates an urgency and a new energy. This is our 22nd year, and we have to continue to reinvent. Ages change, demos change, venues change; it’s all about trying to put your best event forward.”

Tastemakers have noticed. Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the concert trade publication Pollstar, says the presence of the White Stripes as well as other current hot acts such as the Black Eyed Peas, Hot Hot Heat and Kasabian is what’s turned Street Scene into an event that artists look forward to playing.

“You’re not looking at over-the-hill bands -- there are a lot of hot new performers,” he says. “Certainly it’s recognized within the industry and has a good reputation. And the longer it progresses, the more the general public starts to become aware of it.”

Jason HILL, lead singer of San Diego rockers Louis XIV, attended the festival several times while growing up. (His band played last year and returns this year.)

“In the last two years, it’s become Music Midtown [the Atlanta music festival held every summer] or Lollapalooza without the great name,” he says.

The acts, as well as the vibe, are why the Black Eyed Peas’ Will.I.Am calls Street Scene his “favorite place to perform.”

“Playing the European festivals, like Glastonbury and Tea in the Park, you don’t have that in America. Street Scene is probably the closest thing to one of those one-off festivals. And it always has dope bands,” he says.

Says Hill: “San Diego, when I grew up, was always skipped over by the bands I wanted to see, so now to have a marker like this that makes it clear people want to see music in S.D. is only going to be good for the music scene and for bands to come into town. It’s fantastic. It’s become a staple of the coast. People in S.D. look forward to it, and hopefully people in L.A. will look forward to it as well, because it’s an easy trip.”

Bongiovanni notes the event’s widening draw: “There are probably a growing number of people who use that as an excuse to visit S.D. People look forward to who’s playing Street Scene.”

The festival, which last year sold out at 50,000 tickets per day, is growing to accommodate that demand. This year it’s moving from the streets of downtown to the parking lot outside of Qualcomm Stadium, a 2 1/2 -million-square-foot space that organizers hope will alleviate crowding as well as allow the addition of a carnival.

“The festival has grown. It’s morphed into a much larger production,” Hagey says. “And with us selling out, we needed more space.” Though this year’s capacity is 65,000 per night, Hagey says he’s anticipating about 50,000 again each day.

Like Music Midtown, Coachella Valley and many of the country’s other preeminent festivals, though, it is ultimately the music that determines the success of Street Scene.

Hagey is hopeful fans will warm to this year’s mix of old and new acts. “At the end of the day, I hope that fans had a great experience, enjoyed the music that they knew and found new music. It’s all about finding new music.”

Steve Baltin can be reached at weekend@latimes.com.

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San Diego Street Scene

Where: Qualcomm Stadium, 9449 Friars Road, San Diego

When: 4 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday

Who: Friday’s lineup includes the White Stripes, the Killers, Social Distortion, the Black Eyed Peas, Garbage, Hot Hot Heat, and Louis XIV. Saturday features the Pixies, Snoop Dogg, the Flaming Lips, the Used, Death Cab for Cutie, Spoon and others.

Price: $55 to $300

Info: www.street-scene.com or (888) 487-4347