[Dixielandjazz] Fan Disinterest - Was Sacramento Music Festival

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Aug 24, 2011, at 3:00 PM, dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com  
wrote:

> "Jim O'Briant" <jobriant at garlic.com>
>
> G Barbone wrote:
>
>> I can only chide those few one eyed fans who will not show
>> up because there isn't enough of the music they want to hear.
>
> Thus, you think I should attend festivals that offer music I DON'T  
> want to
> hear?

No I don't think that at all. I should have made myself more clear AND  
you should have printed the entire paragraph instead of taking me out  
of context. The rest of that paragraph which is the real issue was:

"The reason there aren't 100 Dixieland Bands at Sacto anymore, is  
simply that not enough fans showed up to begin with."

Point being, for those who live fairly close to Sacto, it has been a  
bargain. Cheap events badges, and lots of bands including a lot of  
trad. BUT not enough trad fans showed up over the past few years to  
pay for the way for the trad bands and make a reasonable profit.

By all means spend your festival budget as you see fit. But don't  
classify yourself as a Dixieland, or OMOM fan if you only like a very  
small portion of it. I'm not sure of the exact Dixieland Band count at  
Sacto in 2011 but I think it probably was among the top counts, if not  
THE top count of all the Dixieland festivals in the USA as far as the  
number of Dixieland bands performing goes.

Yet I hear folks bitch and moan  because "their" favorite band was not  
there. As the late Bill Gunter used to opine on the DJML, "tough  
noogies". Lots of great OKOM bands were there. And lots of not so  
great bands who didn't draw so well were not.

> I choose to spend my "festival attendance" budget, such as it is, at
> festivals that offer more trad jazz, not less. Travel & lodging  
> costs are a
> factor also, and the elimination of RV parking at Sacramento plays  
> into this
> decision as well. Last year we also attended one festival for one  
> day rather
> than three due to a steep increase in the admission fees.

By all means spend your festival budget as you see fit. But don't  
classify yourself as a Dixieland, or OMOM fan if you only like a very  
small portion of it. I'm not sure of the exact Dixieland Band count at  
Sacto in 2011 but I think it probably was among the top presenters, if  
not THE top presenter of all the Dixieland festivals in the USA as far  
as the number of Dixieland bands performing goes.

> After I win the Lottery I'm gonna attend them all ...

Good luck.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband