Meet John Doe: The iPod killed On the Waterfront?
By Paul Gorski
Did the iPod doom Rockford’s long-running On the Waterfront (OTW) festival? Maybe not the iPod itself, but technology has changed how people “consume” music and put pressure on the festival.
There’s no doubt musical tastes change over time. Midwest Ballroom radio host John “Radio” Russell laments the challenge to find good, easy-listening radio on today’s airways (“Investing in entertainment for seniors,” Sept. 12-18, 2012, issue).
The Midwest Ballroom show, heard locally on WTPB-LP 99.3, features ballroom, big-band and easy-listening vocal music, with a focus on regional talent. John also interviews musicians who played the local music venues that have since closed.
I also recently heard Doug McDuff speaking with guest Chuck Sweeny on WNTA about the vanishing music venues for younger residents, caused in part by what they thought was the loss of a thriving “garage band” culture from the ’60s and ’70s that used to fuel these clubs.
By the time OTW started in the early 1980s, music on vinyl was transitioning to CDs. Mixed tapes became mixed CDs, which could be easily duplicated and distributed to friends and family. The trend to listening to your choice of music on demand had started.
Later, as music companies gouged consumers on CD pricing, downloading pirated music as MP3 files on the Internet became popular. A variety of MP3 players were released, but there was no single market leader, many seeing it as a technology subculture.
Apple’s iPod MP3 player changed all that. Apple didn’t have the first MP3 player, but when it released the first iPod in 2001, it offered the first mass-marketed MP3 player linked to a legitimate online music library. The iPod was a hit.
Back in Rockford, OTW seemed to be holding its own in the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s. Through the help of the city, volunteers and others, the festival was popular and affordable.
However, ticket prices and the costs of touring increased across the nation. Regional festivals like ours had to withstand these increased costs, the downturn in the economy, and customers now accustomed to music on demand, rain or shine.
Today in 2013, if you don’t want to be tied to the iTunes store, you can stream music online using Pandora Radio or a similar option on your computer, tablet and smartphone — music on demand, wherever you are. Unless you are really in the mood for live music, it is hard to compete with that.
Not only do regional festivals need to compete against price and technology, so do the brick-and-mortar music venues. Sporting events now dominate facilities like our BMO Harris Bank Center and the Sears Centre and Allstate Arena outside Chicago.
Fewer local music venues and fewer concerts at some big facilities clearly indicate a change in our live music tastes. If technology isn’t a cause, I encourage you to share your ideas online or send a letter to editor. Or simply reminisce about your favorite OTW concert.
If you are in the mood for hearing live music, check out the Vibe Calendars section of this paper for a list of upcoming events. Looking for live music for an event? You’ll find a list of local musicians in the Musician Directory at rockrivertimes.com.
Paul Gorski (www.paulgorski.com) writes the Meet John Doe (social commentary) and Tech-Friendly (technology trends with a local flair) columns. This article is a fusion of both and he flipped a coin to determine which column title to give it this week.
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9 Comments
Its seems to me that Waterfront killed the Waterfront .In the beginning they used to showcase a great deal of local talent .It became more and more difficult for local artist to get a shot at a time slot .Every year it was the same old local bands mixed with whichever nostalgia group happened to be passing through at the time.It became stale and cumbersome for most,not to mention the exuberant cost. People still enjoy live music ,but they grow weary of the same old same old.
Gordy, you may have something there. I remember a “speed polka” band at the festival a few years back. Polka played at break neck speed. Somewhat odd, but interesting, hadn’t quite heard anything like it before.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Paul Gorski
See this article http://rockrivertimes.com/2013/01/30/guest-column-live-blues-music-lives-but-will-it-continue-to/, it seems that even when we’re providing a variety of talent, folks still are coming out to live shows.
OTW has overpaid, a select few (connected people), local bands since the beginning. When OTW declared local bands would only get 300 bucks for playing the event, the OTW heads paid over 1000 to several local rockford groups. Those groups didn’t even have to submit anything to OTW to be showcased at the festival, the festival called them and offered over a grand each to play the event. Yet, other bands, that had to go through the so-called process were only getting 300 bucks. OTW also in the past stated that no local band would play more than one year at a time, they could not be booked year after year after year. This was so other local talent could get a shot at the big stages and the festival, however from the day that statement was made 5 local groups continued to play each and every year, and when questioned the response was, “They are staples in the community”. Well, who gave them the excessive pay and showcase year after year? You did! Many politics involved in local artists picks and even on who did the sound for the stages. That is what killed OTW.
out of time – do you have any proof of the pay difference or difference in booking policy? I did hear pay was negotiable, depending on what leverage you had. (Popularity mostly and how well booked the festival was already.) But that’s the case with many performance venues, right or wrong.
I don’t how favoritism or insider dealings killed OTW though. Residents simply didn’t show up. Did all these folks know about these goings on? I doubt it.
I do have proof. I know the bands, personally, and it is no offense to them, but facts are facts, they (bands) didn’t violate any rules made by OTW in the paper. OTW contradicted their own printed, stated policies with local artists. If you state 300 for local acts and pay several others over a grand that same year then it (the festival) becomes a good ol boys club. This had nothing to do with crowd draw, because some of those groups had minimal crowds. I won’t post their names here, you write for this publication so you can contact me through my unlisted email and I will tell you names.
I personally don’t know about the local “over pay” out of time spoke of ,but the good ole boys club part is dead on .I tried for several years to jump through the hoops to get a spot. I finally gave up realizing It wasn’t going to happen. There has been some chatter on a local facebook page from some area musicians trying to get a “LOCAL” music festival going, but so far it seems to be getting stonewalled because of insurance,security,and permit fee’s as well as location.
When your “headliners” who played in Davis Park to 10 full rows of white plastic seats see another 20 empty rows of of white plastic seats between them and the hundreds of common people behind those rows and then they pronounce during their set that the arrangements are downright stupid and they will never return, perhaps it was time for the decision making knuckleheads to listen. Nine dollars for some carnie truck cheesedog as opposed to local food venders forced out by “regulations” may have hurt as well. And, how many H20front golf carts did the badge wearing VIP’s need to parade around in during that weekend? The organizers had access to the Metro Centre/Harris arena during the fest, perhaps a real live A-list performer scheduled in that forum might have been a good idea as well. Poor management, high prices, bad food and stale performers put the nail in that coffin. The damn thing would have prevailed with some new blood.
This is why I bolted from Rockford when I graduated from high school long, long ago. There’s a reason Rockford is the 3rd most miserable city according to Forbes, and is permanently in the bottom 10 according to Money Mag; and the backbiting, corruption, and all around bad attitude is it.
Rockford sucked decades ago and not a single thing has changed.
Good thing I skipped the HS reunion…..