What About A Real Music Festival?

Posted: May 29th, 2007 | Filed under: Community, Music, Ruminations | 1 Comment »

Richard Thompson has a new album out.

But here’s my question about this generally under appreciated rock & roll superstar. How come he’s not playing the Belvedere at a real Louisville music festival? Instead the city gets a bunch of wannabes who think that dressing up and singing like John Lennon is craft?

That Abbey Road On The River thingie has come and gone for another year. Thank heavens.

I went one night because it was really nice outside. And, after all, music is music. And it always sounds better around here on the banks of the Ohio. But I have to tell you — and I will at the risk of offending those who think faux Beatles groups are all that — this is a sad event.

More so when you consider that it is Louisville’s major summer music festival. Indy has a real festival. Cincy too. Not to mention, oh, Nashville, Birmingham, St. Louis, Chitown. Uh, just about every city of consequence, except . . . you know who. We get a bunch of fake JohnPaulGeorge&Ringos. What a shuck.

There are the monthly Waterfront Wednesdays on the bucolic Harbor Lawn. Plenty nifty, those events. And the Nevilles Brothers are coming for the Fourth on the soon to be covered by an expressway Great Lawn. So we got that going for us.

And that’s all, folks.

Maybe it’s the lack of corporate money. Maybe it’s the lack of foresight by the city administration. It’s a known fact that HizzonerForLife’s musical development stunted right around the release of the Monarchs “Look Homeward Angel.” Maybe it’s that Louisville isn’t much of a music town. (Even though there’s a lot of really good original tuneage coming out of here, that’s a theory I’ve espoused for a long while.)

Whatever, our burg hasn’t had a musical festival of any longevity since the Bluegrass Festival folded its tent. Oh for the nights of Emmylou and John Hartford and tens of thousands of folks in folding chairs on the Belvedere.

There was a festival that filled Main Street stages for a couple of summers. Marcia Ball rocked. And homie David Grissom shredded those iron facades when playing lead guitar for Joe Ely’s band.

Since then. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Nuttin’, honey.

And, what I fear is true is that it just wouldn’t work. Like I said, Richard Thompson is a perfect example. For those in the know, an upcoming appearance by him might be the cause of apoplexy. Thompson’s is a commanding presence. I’ve never seen another solo artist quite like him, who, playing an acoustic guitar, can command an outside venue in front of thousands of people. He’s strong.

If he ever came and played the Great Lawn, it would be veni vidi vici. Of course, they might send out the invites and nobody would come. Oh, Darryl, I dunno, it’s such a long walk from Fourth Street Live. Others would rather hang out on Bardstown Road, and not venture to deepest, darkest, dangerous downtown.

There are lots of singers, bands, performers like Thompson, who would dazzle. Playing original songs. Here and now.

Sigh. What Louisville gets is yesterday’s papers — rehashed Beatles.

It really bums me up.

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