Writing this generated images of Pete Seeger wielding a fire axe, but it is something that has been bothering me for quite some time and I had to let it out. The see was planted by something the late Jack Hardy several years ago said to me walking the grounds of the Falcon Ridge "Folk" Festival - "(this festival is) a bunch of pop singer-songwriters trying to be rock starts, and doing a piss-poor job of it."
Is it appropriate to incorporate the word "folk" into a festival's title when the music presented is not folk? I understand festivals book certain artists outside the core genre for their popular appeal in order to draw day patrons, the revenue from which is gravy, but if over time the music presented shifts from folk to pop, is it appropriate to retain the word "folk", or better to re-brand?
Let's put this into another context. The MG brand has been purchased by a Chinese company who are manufacturing and marketing a sedans as "MG". See
A Chinese MG? Not cricket, say Britons, who stay away in droves
Here is a photo of the classic MG, designed and manufactured at the
1954 MG TF
2013 Chinese MG6 sedan
Just as the Chinese usurped the MG brand name, turning a small sports car into sedans and SUV's, certain so-called "folk" festival promoters have usurped the word "folk" and are booking mass-appeal pop artists, their motivation being the bottom line, to draw day patrons. It may be clever marketing, but as long as there are folk artists not booked and displaced by popsters, it certainly is not cricket.
The precedent for renaming festivals that have dropped or reduced folk presence certainly exists. Before it was
terminated, the "Boston Folk Festival" was re-branded as the "Boston
Music Festival." When its focus moved away from bluegrass to
"Americana", the Ossipee Valley Bluegrass Festival became the "Ossipee
Valley Music Festival."Should one expect a sedan or SUV from the MG company? No!
Should one expect bluegrass at a blues festival? Nae!
Should one expect rock music at a classical concert? Never!
Should one expect pop at a folk concert? Certainly not.
At any festival containing a music genre in its title inevitability there will be some cross-over and some edge-pushing, but pop concerts should be so labeled and marketed. "Folk" is not pop festival marketeers' word to usurp.
1. Non-folk artists appearing at the NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL: "Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer, sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls" -Wikipediato is a featured artist. Is she a folk artist? Apparently the producers of the Newport Folk Festival think she is, as she and several others popsters, including Feist, Jim James, the Lumineers, Milk Carton Kids, Shovels and Rope...you know, Boston's NPR music stations' playlist are on the bill.
 |
| Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer, sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer |
The Newport "Folk" Festival claims this is folk music.
Published on Jul 10, 2012
Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra's official music video for "Want It Back" from the new album 'Theatre Is Evil' coming September 7 (OZ) / 10 (EU) / 11 (US)! Video filmed on and around Brunswick Street in Melbourne, Australia in March 2012. Pre-order the album (on vinyl/CD/digital) at http://bit.ly/AFPshop, and get concert tickets at http://bit.ly/AFPshows.
-VIDEO-
Producer / Editor / Director: Jim Batt
Artist: Curran James
Stylist / Hair & Make-Up: Anthony Cleave
1st AD / Lighting: Joel Loxton
Production Assistant: Lauren Beck
Special Thanks To: Ghita Loebenstein, Claire St Claire, Kim Boekbinder, Rick Mereki and Andrew Suttar
For more on AFP...
Official Site: http://bit.ly/AFPweb
Twitter: http://twitter.com/amandapalmer
Facebook: http://facebook.com/amandapalmer
For More On Jim Batt:
Website: http://jimbatt.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/battsignal
© 2012 8ft. records
-VIDEO-
Producer / Editor / Director: Jim Batt
Artist: Curran James
Stylist / Hair & Make-Up: Anthony Cleave
1st AD / Lighting: Joel Loxton
Production Assistant: Lauren Beck
Special Thanks To: Ghita Loebenstein, Claire St Claire, Kim Boekbinder, Rick Mereki and Andrew Suttar
For more on AFP...
Official Site: http://bit.ly/AFPweb
Twitter: http://twitter.com/amandapalmer
Facebook: http://facebook.com/amandapalmer
For More On Jim Batt:
Website: http://jimbatt.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/battsignal
© 2012 8ft. records
The Newport "Folk" Festival claims this is folk music.
Is Todd Rundgren a folk artist? Apparently the producers of the Philadelphia Folk Festival think so, as he is billed, in capital letters no less, as their Saturday headliner.
http://www.pfs.org/event/saturday-main-stage-concert-mavericks-todd-rundgren-pocket-black-prairie-more-08-17-2013-1600
.jpg) |
| Todd Rundgren |
The Philadelphia "Folk" Festival claims this is folk music.
Live in 1973, with a pre-recorded backing track
Marketeers and branders are clever people, they will do apparently do anything (except consult with and respect ethno-musicologists) to usurp a word and fill the corporate coffers, but don't hold your breath expecting these popsters to be booked into Clifftop or Harry Smith Frolic or Lowell or other folk festivals.
A believer in truth in advertising, I would have more respect for the Philadelphia and Newport festivals to re-brand themselves as "Philadelphia Pop Festival" and "Newport Pop Festival."
Or here's a novel idea, Philadelphia and Newport could return to their roots and let Amanda Plamer and her fellow travelers find bookings at Bonnaroo and similar pop festivals.
Thanks for allowing me to vent, I feel much better now and am heading to the Lowell Folk Festival.
7-6900 
Current and future activities 
