Re: Lowell Folk Festival

["Bill O'Neill" <billo@erols.com>]

> 1.  Been there, done that.  Events like that seem to have a predictable
>     life cycle.  They start small and people work hard, word spreads and
>     they get big.  They enjoy a period of greatness.  They begin to   
> coast.
>     After awhile, people realize there is nothing they haven't already
>     seen and they begin to drift away.

Um, over a hundred thousand people in the hot sun may not seem like much,
but...  I would like to see how previous National Folk Festival plantings
have gone on to continue like this one.  Without an arrest (reported).

> 
> 2. A couple of weeks ago, the Lowell Sun ran a few stories that asked
>    "What's up with the Folk Fest?"  They pointed out that, unlike past
>    years, there had been no info. released about schedules, performers,
>    crafts displays, etc.  The paper questioned whether the (new?) people
>    running things were going to be able to pull it together in time.
>    When the schedule was released, there were no performers I had ever
>    heard of.  It smacked of a last minute panic job.

One thing you learn fast around here:  Don't believe everything the Sun
prints (and that is a compliment to the broadsheet).  An occasional Sun
reader, former subscriber, and 'outsider' to the Festival process, one
thing that may have been referenced is that the Nat. Council for the
Tradit. Arts, Nat. Park Svc., etc. were going against trend, trying *not*
to make the bookings broad or easy appeal within the genres.   There had
been some observations from purists in the folk heritage circuit that the
Festival had leaned more towards mass appeal fare.  Perhaps a reference to
the likes of Allison Krauss and Union Station?  But they did feature more
Irish, stepdancing, etc. (re: Riverdance craze, $19.99 before midnight
tonite!)) whereas last yr., there was alot of Cajun/Canadian influences
appealing to another well established ethnic group in the area.

> 3. It was brutally hot both days of the weekend.  When it is brutally
>    hot in southern NH, you don't want to be walking around downtown   
> Lowell.
>    I have been to the fest in the heat before and don't care to do it   
> again.

More Laotion egg rolls and southern sweet potato pie for others, I guess. 
Pass the Maalox.   ;--)

Bill

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