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The Dean's List would love to give you a review of the 14th Annual Rochester MusicFest - Unfortunately, I can't. I didn't attend this year. This is the first year that I didn't attend. While living in Phoenix for 5 years, I would still travel back to Rochester every July for MusicFest. You ask why I didn't attend this year, even though I had free tickets? The only answer I could give you is, "Why would I attend?"
Not taking anything away from the acts that were there, but each act individually would have fit quite well on one of the smaller stages that were set up for free concert during the Rochester International Jazz Fest or one of the free "concerts in the park" events. Not one act featured at yesterday's MusicFest had earned the right to be featured at a large scale music festival.
Everyone wants to point the finger at who may be at fault for the downward spiral of MusicFest. This year - let's just call it as it is - The acts booked were not good enough!
And speaking of pointing fingers, this is a portion of a review of the Rochester MusicFest by Jeff Spevak - Music Critic for the Democrat and Chronicle:
After two years of death spiral at Frontier Field, with shows plagued by too-high ticket prices, spotty talent and disorganization, MusicFest this year was moved to PAETEC Park. The production was handed off to John Nugent and Marc Iacona, the team that has made the jazz festival such a resounding success.
They responded by booking a very credible show: The Roots, who are one of the most talked-about hip-hop acts of the moment, the party band Kool & the Gang, Grammy-nominated R&B singer Ledesi, Barbieri and what's certainly the best urban act in the city, Black August.
Not bad on a $150,000 budget. To put it in perspective, it cost Nugent $500,000, plus expenses, for one night of Stevie Wonder at one of his European festivals. The city paid $25,000 more for advertising with WDKX-FM, which serves MusicFest's urban target audience. Backstage, looking at a crowd of 300 watching Barbieri on Sunday, neither Nugent or Iacona thought the city had gotten much for its $25,000.
The Dean's List wouldn't expect Mr. Spevak to understand what type of music it takes to attract the masses - I wouldn't expect the Mayor's office to get it either (just because the Mayor is a George Clinton fan doesn't make him an expert of Urban Music). WDKX successfully promoted their 34th Anniversary Concert in April. They targeted the audience they wanted to reach and SOLD OUT THE SHOW!!!!
As far as the $25,000 is concerned, WDKX Radio provided more promotion/advertisement of MusicFest than the same amount would get you at any other station. The problem is - the acts, no matter how much you promoted it, were not good enough!!!!! If I wanted to hear "Celebration" by Kool & The Gang, I would only have to go to a wedding and listen to it right after doing the "Chicken Dance" and "Electric Slide."
One more thing - of the 1800 (yeah, right) people that attended MusicFest, how many of those tickets were free?
You can write the Dean's List at: thedeanslist1@gmail.com
