Postage Stamp Bluegrass - A Prescription Bluegrass Editorial

Have you ever seen one of those new housing developments where the design restrictions were so tight that all the houses basically look like clones of each other … same paint schemes, same roof designs, same elevation … etc.?

Every time I pass by or have occasion to visit one of those places, I can't help but wonder how many times someone came home and literally walked through the door of the wrong house.

Quite a few bluegrass festivals I've attended in the last ten years seem to be getting their blueprints from the same architects who designed those housing subdivisions. That is to say, there is more sameness from one band to the next than there are differences.

The common thread, as far as I can tell, among these festivals is that they are all run by single promoters as opposed to those run by associations and committees. These solo promoters tend to book their favorites year after year. On the occasion that they bring in new talent, those bands still tend to be of the same bloodlines as the favorites.

I hear it, too, from many of the bands who say they're either too bluegrass for this festival or not enough bluegrass for another festival.

On the other hand the festivals that tend to be more successful, more fun, and continue to draw new crowds every year are those that thrive on diversity.

The chief-cook-and-bottle-washer promoters who solely handle every decision versus the festivals run by committees is what it seems to come down to.

As much as we hear about the down side of things run by committees, this is one case where more than one head can prevail. Often when one committee member is against a particular group for any reason, other members will out vote them bringing a natural diversity to the stage. Whereas the sole decision maker never out-votes himself.

This may be why so many performers with good, traditional, bluegrass roots are branching out – trying to find the sun instead of being hidden and over-shadowed by the other branches.

This is why I refer to these as “postage stamp” festivals – because, really, the amount of diversity among the different bands would occupy the same amount of space as a postage stamp.

So if you're a promoter, think about how your festival lines out. What impression are you giving the world? The important thing to remember is that no matter what we may like in the way of entertainment, there will always be others who like something a little different. If we could only please all of the people all of the time, wouldn't that be a sure-fire money-maker? But I guarantee that it won't be done with sameness in the band lineup.

If you're a committee, remember that you can always put too much seasoning in the stew … and don't forget to balance the side dishes with the main course.

If you're a band, hold your course. Be true to your beliefs. Don't change your style for this festival and then back again for the next, then something from left field for the one after that. You'll never be able to keep a fan base that will follow you from festival to festival.

If you're a festival spectator, fill out those survey cards or drop the promoter or sponsoring association a note about what you liked and what didn't satisfy you. If no one told the pilot where they wanted to go, we'd all end up some place far off the map.