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Music Is Art makes its Midway debut
« on: Aug 14th, 2007, 1:46pm » |
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Music Is Art makes its Midway debut
Outside America’s Fair in Hamburg,fest fans split over family-friendly feel
By Katie Reedy NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Updated: 08/12/07 8:18 AM
Allentown it was not. The setting of this year’s Music Is Art festival — part of a parking lot at America’s Fair in the Town of Hamburg — was a markedly different breed of venue from the bohemian setting downtown that it called home for four years.
But after city officials and the Allentown Village Society tried to pull the plug on the festival and dissociate it from the Allentown Art Festival, with which it had a less than amicable relationship, Goo Goo Doll and festival founder Robby Takac was forced to look elsewhere for space.
“Their perception was that it had no place being there,” said Bob Takac Sr., filling in as event executive while his son was touring in Japan. “It doesn’t mean we won’t do something in the city next year,” he added.
Music Is Art has become a respected showcase of local bands, performers and artists through its grass-roots approach and block party feel.
This year, Takac Sr. said, he hoped to take advantage of the situation — to expand the event’s scope and widen its appeal to families.
“I think we’re creating a whole new audience,” he said.
Other benefits to moving the festival, he said, included the need for much less security and a lower operating cost. Fair-goers Keith Brantley, 21, and Lauren McNicholas, 24, of Amherst, were two of the many attendees who wandered into the festival area from the nearby Midway.
“We just kind of stumbled in,” said Brantley, watching a troupe of hip-hop dancers. “I’d never heard of it actually.”
Some old festival hands, however, were less pleased at the move.
T.J. Zindle of Buffalo, 27, the lead singer and guitarist of wellknown local band and perennial festival favorite Last Conservative said, “I’d rather it be back in Allentown, I think everyone would. . . . I mean, this is cool but it’s more of a family event.”
Brian Schulmeister of Los Angeles, the second member of Robby Takac’s electronic/R&B group Amungus, said he spent the last five years looking forward to coming to Buffalo for Music Is Art.
“It’s a great vibe. Downtown Buffalo is just cool,” he said.
Zindle added that the other fair attractions were somewhat daunting.
“I’m competing with Foghat and a pig with 18 udders,” he said, laughing. “I’m gonna lose,” he added with mock sadness.
Artist Jil St. Ledger-Roty, 58, of Franklinville said her psychedelic prints were not as popular as she’d hoped.
“I don’t know if it’s so much the demographics. . . . It’s just that there are very few people walking by,” she said. “But I love the concept, I really do.”
[email protected]
http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/story/139314.html
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