If you do plan to attend, drop by to visit the student producer/hosts, who will be set up just as you see below, from the top of Boarding House Park (main stage).
http://notlobmusic.blogspot.com reports and reflects on news that affects the traditional / revival / labor / social justice folk, old-time, bluegrass and Celtic music communities in the greater Boston area.
"In this era of pop-driven acoustic music, notloB is keeping the folk tradition alive."
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Showing posts with label Lowell Folk Festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lowell Folk Festival. Show all posts
Friday, July 25, 2014
WUML to live broadcast (again) from Lowell Folk Festival
If you cannot attend this year's Lowell Folk Festival, tune in to WUML.
If you do plan to attend, drop by to visit the student producer/hosts, who will be set up just as you see below, from the top of Boarding House Park (main stage).
If you do plan to attend, drop by to visit the student producer/hosts, who will be set up just as you see below, from the top of Boarding House Park (main stage).
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
The Lowell Folk Festival is no Place for a Song Making Light of Domestic Violence
Billing itself as "The largest free folk festival in the nation, with continuous music on five outdoor stages in historic downtown Lowell" and claiming to be "a family friendly event", the Lowell Folk Festival "...has presented an international array of folk music, ethnic foods, craftspeople and artisans, as well as kid’s activities, to enthusiastic New England audiences every summer for over 26 years..." The festival, in booking the Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice bluegrass band from Virginia and North Carolina let its family audiences and the Festival itself down this year.
On the festival's Market Street stage the band performed "I'll Whip You With an Old Bicycle Chain." Watch a video of the song the band performed at 10th Annual Big Lick Bluegrass Festival in Oakboro, North Carolina this past April.
In the intro, and on the Market Street stage, Junior attempted to sell the audience on the idea that the song is not about striking one's partner with a bicycle chain, "I haven't worked out exactly what to say about this song, it's meant to be humorous and humorous only, we're not supporting any kind of abuse. And if you listen closely it never happens, it's only a threat."
"Only a threat?" That in itself is a form of domestic violence. Domestic violence is real and no joking matter. It has no place in a city park performed to an audience including children by a band hired with federal funds.
The band owes the public attending the Festival an apology, and perhaps should donate 100% of the proceeds from the song to Lowell's Alternative House or other appropriate organization, or, if it ever returns to the area, perform a benefit concert.
Update 11/25/13
In an article titled Censoring in a World of Political Correctness! - A Prescription Bluegrass Editorial Prescription Bluegrass has penned an opinion piece about this violent song
Read the full article here.
On the festival's Market Street stage the band performed "I'll Whip You With an Old Bicycle Chain." Watch a video of the song the band performed at 10th Annual Big Lick Bluegrass Festival in Oakboro, North Carolina this past April.
In the intro, and on the Market Street stage, Junior attempted to sell the audience on the idea that the song is not about striking one's partner with a bicycle chain, "I haven't worked out exactly what to say about this song, it's meant to be humorous and humorous only, we're not supporting any kind of abuse. And if you listen closely it never happens, it's only a threat."
"Only a threat?" That in itself is a form of domestic violence. Domestic violence is real and no joking matter. It has no place in a city park performed to an audience including children by a band hired with federal funds.
The band owes the public attending the Festival an apology, and perhaps should donate 100% of the proceeds from the song to Lowell's Alternative House or other appropriate organization, or, if it ever returns to the area, perform a benefit concert.
The mission of Alternative House is to facilitate the creation of a society in which violence against women will no longer exist. As a means to this end, we offer shelter, support, options, counseling and legal advocacy for all battered women (and their children) who seek our help. We are committed to the empowerment of women toward self sufficiency. We do not discriminate against any race, class, culture, age group or sexual orientation.
Update 11/25/13
In an article titled Censoring in a World of Political Correctness! - A Prescription Bluegrass Editorial Prescription Bluegrass has penned an opinion piece about this violent song
Read the full article here.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Independent College Radio WUML at the Lowell Folk Festival
This is what independent college radio is all about, being a part of and serving the community! WUML (UMass Lowell) set up a remote broadcast facility in Boardinghouse Park at the recent Lowell Folk Festival, from which it broadcast live each and every act who performed on the main stage, and interviewed the artists after their sets. Bravo WUML!
Read WUML's history here.
Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popular and relevant to a local, specific audience but is often overlooked by commercial or mass-media broadcasters. Community radio stations are operated, owned, and influenced by the communities they serve. They are generally nonprofit and provide a mechanism for enabling individuals, groups, and communities to tell their own stories, to share experiences and, in a media-rich world, to become creators and contributors of media.
Source: wiki
Community and independent college are types of radio service that offer a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial and public. Community and independent college stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popular to a local/specific audience but which may often be overlooked by commercial/mass-media and so-called "public" broadcasters.
If you are curios and wish to learn more, check out these following resources:
Community and Independent College Radio
an open group run by and for community and independent college radio producer/hosts and supporters. Our mission is to promote independent, non-commercial radio, share with our peers and the public news of our own and our stations' programming and network with one another. Sister page: https://www.facebook.com/CommunityandIndependentCollegeRadio
Community and independent college radio stations
A growing list of stations located in the USA.
Photo courtesy of the Lowell Folk Festival, who posted on their Facebook page....
Thanks to all the support from the gang from #WUML, live from Boarding House Park! #LowellFolk FestivalLiked · Sunday
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| City of license | |
|---|---|
| Lowell, Massachusetts |
| Broadcast area | Massachusetts college |
|---|
| Frequency | 91.5 MHz |
|---|
| Format | College Radio |
|---|
| ERP | 1,400 watts |
|---|
| HAAT | 63 meters |
|---|
| Class | A |
|---|
| Facility ID | 69410 |
|---|
| Transmitter coordinates | 42°39′7.73″N 71°19′13.44″W |
|---|
| Callsign meaning | University of Masssachusetts Lowell |
|---|
| Former callsigns | WLTI (1967-1975) WJUL (1975-2003) |
|---|
| Owner | University of Massachusetts Lowell |
|---|
| Webcast | Listen Live |
|---|
| Website | wuml.org |
|---|
Read WUML's history here.
Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popular and relevant to a local, specific audience but is often overlooked by commercial or mass-media broadcasters. Community radio stations are operated, owned, and influenced by the communities they serve. They are generally nonprofit and provide a mechanism for enabling individuals, groups, and communities to tell their own stories, to share experiences and, in a media-rich world, to become creators and contributors of media.
Source: wiki
Community and independent college are types of radio service that offer a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial and public. Community and independent college stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popular to a local/specific audience but which may often be overlooked by commercial/mass-media and so-called "public" broadcasters.
If you are curios and wish to learn more, check out these following resources:
Community and Independent College Radio
an open group run by and for community and independent college radio producer/hosts and supporters. Our mission is to promote independent, non-commercial radio, share with our peers and the public news of our own and our stations' programming and network with one another. Sister page: https://www.facebook.com/CommunityandIndependentCollegeRadio
Not-for-profit
association dedicated to the democratization of the airwaves through
the proliferation of non-commercial, community based, micropower
stations.Community and independent college radio stations
A growing list of stations located in the USA.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Bon Jovi Added to 40th Anniversary Jazz Fest -truth in advertising, "nojazzfest.com" lives up to its web address
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Caveat: I have nothing against the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (except maybe its korporate funding by the Shell Oil Company) and wish it all the success in the world. Just wish it would change its name.
This blog entry is made as a follow-on to one made here in December (Where's the Jazz - with all due respect to Clara Peller), which was cross-posted to the NorthEastFolknRoots group (Where's the jazz?), when the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival lineup was first announced. The intent then being to stir discussion of non-core music genres being brought into festivals that do not contain the all-encompassing words "pop" or just plain "music" in their names (such as Monterey International Pop Music Festival and Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival).
Do "folk" and "bluegrass" and "jazz" festivals have more of an obligation to stay closer to their music genre than generic "pop" and "music" festivals?
"On a similar note, in the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival announcement I see only one bonified jazz artist and a few New Orleans roots artists. The rest come from pop / soul / alt country / rock....all over the spectrum. One would think several stellar jazz artists would be featured at a jazz festival.
If a festival wants to be all things to all patrons, be my guest, just change the name to encompass what you are - like "New Orleans Jazz, Pop and Heritage Festival". But if the festival contains just the word "folk" or "bluegrass" or "jazz" or whatever, stay true to the genre."
New Orleans is expanding its tent again. Announced yesterday, "Bon Jovi has been added to the has added New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival." What's next, will Gathering of the Vibes be adding the Lawrence Welk Band ? Does the booking of a non-jazz, non-blues, non-Cajun, non-zydeco not consume budget resouces that would otherwise be spent on jazz and "heritage" musicians?
(an aside, I just noticed that the New Orleans website is "nojazzfest.com" - looks like they are fulfilling that billing).
I'm sure (and hope, as the line-ups have yet to be announced) the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival , New Bedford Summerfest (an international folk music and arts festival), the Bread and Roses Festival , the Lowell Folk Festival, the Clearwater Festival and all the other northeast folk festivals would have better taste and sense than to present artists that far away from the core genre as Bon Jovi is to jazz, Cajun, zydeco and the blues. The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival line-up announced so far, does that, kudos to Chuck and crew.
My answer to "Do these festivals have more of an obligation to stay closer to their music genre than generic "pop" and "music" festivals?" is an emphatic "yes"! At least the ones that launch ticket sales before artist lineups are announced. As an example, Falcon Ridge tickets go on sale February 8, but the announced artist line-up are just two bands that will be playing in the dance tent, and the four "most wanted" artists (winners of the 2008 "emerging" artist competition). Full artist announcement usually comes in May or June, 3/4 of the way between ticket sale start and the festival itself. To some degree it's a matter of dollars and sense and blind faith. But I trust Anne Saunders (Falcon Ridge Artistic Director and "queen of folk"), encourage folk fans to make their purchases now and take advantage of discounted ticket prices.
I have nothing against Bon Jovi, or Madonna, or Justin Timberlake, and I am amused when one of their ilk has a wardrobe malfunction on national TV or paparatzi records their driving with an infant in their arms or display of public intoxication, but I just choose not to patronize their "art" (and secretly wish the "sheeple" who follow such childish behavior would themselves display better judgment, but I digress). Some say the folk "tent" is so big it covers all music forms. To that I say "balderdash", in their hearts the "big tenters" really don't believe that, they must draw the line somewhere.
Adding young and "edge" acts attracts new and younger patrons, which makes sense from the business side, and supports folk evolution, and festivals have every right to do so, as long as patrons have the opportunity to see "core" performers at other venue sites at the same time.
Brining in "edge" acts also needs to be balanced by other factors, such as the type of crowd and any associated negatives a specific artist draws, as was discussed in the Falcon Ridge discussion forum some weeks ago.
Assuming you are a regular Falcon Ridge or New Bedford or Grey Fox-type festival patron, how would you react if one of these festivals were to add an artist as far away from the core genre as Bon Jovi is away from jazz and Cajun/ zydeco / blues? In other words, where do you draw the line? Which of the following best describes your position?
I am a/an....
A. LEMMING - Artistic directors can add any artists they wish, I will attend anyway, watch and keep my mouth shut.
B. BIG TENTER - I would tolerate it, but find something else to do while the aritst in question performed on the main stage.
C. MIDDLE OF THE ROADER - I'd probably go anyway, but grumble privately to friends.
D. LIBERAL - I'd alert my friends, start a petition to the artistic director, then go anyway and politely applaude the artist in question.
E. ANARCHIST - Demonstrate and aggitate during the performance.
F. OTHER?
hmmmmmm?????
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