2009 Boston Folk Festival Canceled
The Boston Globe cites lack of "corporate sponsors" as a cause, but as one who has been close to the festival for the past seven years, as well as in tune with WUMB's format changes (from roots and folk to AAA), I suspect other factors are at work.
For the last few years the festival has been on the decline, shrinking from two days to one, creating an unfriendly "us and them" vibe by catering to "VIP's" with private concerts and providing high backed chairs down front, eliminating the dance stage two years ago and the workshop and busker stages last year), a scarcity of vendors, running the main stage as a workshop stage, and following the Duncan Donuts Festival's lead by headlining country and pop artists in place of folk artists.
News of the Boston Folk Festival's demise reached me via Google alert at 2:12am that "hit" this Boston Globe gossip column story.
Folk fest nixed
Yet another victim of tough economic times, next year's Boston Folk Festival has been canceled. Pat Monteith, executive director of the event and general manager of sponsoring radio station WUMB, says organizers decided it wouldn't be fiscally responsible to have one in the fall, especially with no corporate sponsors on board. Now in its 11th year, the festival - which has featured such headliners as Emmylou Harris, Richard Thompson, and Suzanne Vega - could be revived, but Monteith is hesitant to say when or how. "To be very honest with you, I can't even think about another festival until I get the radio station [financially] healthy."
Isn't it interesting that the Boston Globe, once a fine newspaper (emphasis on "news") covered this in its "Names" feature, essentially a gossip column? Concert and news coverage, for so many years done by Scott Alarick, has all but ceased. For more information how the Globe has abandoned folk news and concert announcements, read this item/subsequent discussion in NEFolkNRoots.
From WUMB's website, posted later that same day. (Note to WUMB management - before posting to the web, run your article through a spell checker. "Canceled" has but one "l").
The 2009 Boston Folk Festival has been cancelled! (sic)
WUMB Radio, the producer of the Boston Folk Festival has sadly and regrettably announced that the 2009 Festival has been cancelled (sic) because of the current economic climate and the lack of a major sponsor. The Festival's Executive Director, Pat Monteith says that the Festival's "current business model, which has largely been dependent on ticket sales, does not allow us to suffer bad weather conditions as happened last year and on other occasions over the eleven year history of the event." The 2008 Festival, which was nearly rained-out, ended up with a $12,000 deficit.
Over the next few months the staff will be examining the future of the Boston Folk Festival and determine if, how, when and in what format it will continue. The Festival organizers and volunteers want past attendees, supporters, performers and the members of the Boston Area Coffeehouse Association to know how much we've very sincerely appreciated your support over the years.
Check back here on the Boston Folk Festival Web site in mid-summer for further possible updates.
From the Boston Folk Festival website, also posted later that same day.
The 2009 Boston Folk Festival has been cancelled! (sic)
WUMB Radio, the producer of the Boston Folk Festival has sadly and regrettably announced that the 2009 Festival has been cancelled because of the current economic climate and the lack of a major sponsor. The Festival's Executive Director, Pat Monteith says that the Festival's "current business model, which has largely been dependent on ticket sales, does not allow us to suffer bad weather conditions as happened last year and on other occasions over the eleven year history of the event." The 2008 Festival, which was nearly rained-out, ended up with a $12,000 deficit.
Over the next few months the staff will be examining the future of the Boston Folk Festival and determine if, how, when and in what format it will continue. The Festival organizers and volunteers want past attendees, supporters, performers and the members of the Boston Area Coffeehouse Association to know how much we've very sincerely appreciated your support over the years.
Check back here on the Boston Folk Festival Web site in mid-summer for further possible updates.
In Northeast Folk n Roots, one disappointed festival fan quipped
...However, what is REALLY disappointing is that we (maybe I shouldn't speak for others) found this out throught a Boston Globe report. I am on several WUMB email lists, and have been a member, a volunteer, and a subscriber to their e-newsletter (which, by the way, is still called FOLK Ripples, not AAA Ripples, nor even Music Mix Ripples) and which another edition was just published and sent out. Nary a mention of the major decision to cancel the BFF, and you can't convince me that the Globe reporter had talked to Pat only moments before deadline while she was composting a msg to be sent to all on their email ltsts. Why not inform interested parties directly of this development? ...The way WUMB management handled the announcement (was it a planned leak to a gossip column or did the gossip journalist just happen to be surfing the BFF website before deadline, rather than a piece in its newsletter or direct email to the newsletter list) is another indicator they were operating beyond their capabilities. I'm not surprised to see the Boston Folk Festival pass.
But perhaps I am wrong, and WUMB management is savvier than I give them credit for being. Perhaps the demise is part of a larger plan to "miraculously" bring the festival back in 2010. If they do, I predict the name will change from the Boston Folk Festival to "Boston Pop (or AAA or some slick marketing word meaning top 40 crap) Festival", with musicians from the WUMB "music mix" and the WXPN playlist. (WXPN is another a member-supported folk radio station that has drunk the NPR kool-aid and gone to a AAA format).
Time will tell.
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