The DC Fest & Purple Door Arts and Music Festival
By Tony LaFianza
This is an unapologetic alternative music fan's review of two weekends
in August filled with music and people, by way of two one day Christian
music festivals tagged the DC Fest and the Purple Door Music and Arts Festival.
States apart, there were comparisons, but contrasts rule.
The DC Fest was held August 15th near Washington, DC in Virginia's
Nissan Pavilion, a semi-out door arena that holds approximately fifteen
thousand people. This festival drew about a half-full house of mostly family
units: Mom, Dad and two and a half kids. The main stage attractions were
Point of Grace, Steven Curtis Chapman, Jars of Clay, Mark Lowery, and The
Newsboys, which accounts for the main stream crowd. From this reporter's
perspective, this fest was also unorganized and overly focused on the main
stage artists.
The first disappointment was a result of bad promotion. The DC Fest
flyers and advertisements pledged a few undelivered promises, including
Plumb on the main stage and Stavesacre on the side stage. Stavesacre was
in Europe and their absence was a disappointment to everyone around the
"7-ball" side stage. One can only blame the fest's management for that
mix up since they ought to have known Stavesacre wasn't going to be there,
yet this mistake was never announced or changed on the advertisements.
Regrettably, this wasn't the only bothersome thing about the side
stage. I arrived at the festival grounds early to find people milling around
wondering who was in charge over there and what was going to happen next.
What happened was Morella's Forest opened the day with the first show,
and one of the best of the day, to a welcoming but sparse crowd. A crowd
that could have been a lot larger, but because no one had a schedule of
events, anyone who saw Morella's Forest do their thing were very fortunate!
Whether the fault lies in the fest office cutting corners due to troubled
finances or some other unknown motive, is unclear, however, not only were
there no programs, but the side stage was about the size of a bedroom.
On this little stage off in a corner of the pavilion, they did manage to
put on Slick Shoes, Value Pac, The Insyderz, Plankeye, Fold Zandura, and
lastly, Ghoti Hook. Despite the fest's obvious
focus on the main stage acts, the majority of ministry came from
the side-stage bands, the very acts the "family crowd" would rather have
ignored. Praise God for the Insyderz set of church songs, Fold Zandura's
overt ministry, and the lyrical challenges of the other alternative and
punk bands.
The DC Fest
was a disappointment to kids, too. Not because the Veggie Tales characters
didn't show up in the kids's tent (after all they're only big furry suits),
but because that tent was also too tiny. Luckily for Veggie Tales fans,
Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber grew legs and walked around the grounds
for all to see, point at, hug, and snap in photo opportunities.
I know of one family that drove into town for this fest and stayed
near by in a hotel. They went to the fest around noon, found nothing to
do, and went back to their room "until the concert started." The truth
is there were concerts all day, but most people were just not informed
or interested. Most of the crowd that stayed during the day were
sitting in their lawn seats in front of an empty main stage waiting for
"the concert" and seemingly oblivious to the best acts of the day tucked
away in a corner on the side stage. Finally, the majority of paying customers
got their time and the main stage came alive with Mark Lowery, Point of
Grace, Jars of Clay, Steven Curtis Chapman, and The Newsboys with Bart
Campolo's pitch for Compassion International ministry thrown in for good
measure. Jars of Clay with their organ-tinged blues rock
sound, was an enjoyably good show. Steven Curtis Chapman was also
entertaining. He was also the only main stage artist to stop during his
show to regularly relate the gospel and stories of God's goodness to the
audience. In contrast, on the practically ignored side stage, all the bands
regularly proclaimed God's love. If the DC Fest is truly concerned about
ministry maybe they should refocus their attention on the alternative and
harder acts next year.
Comparing the prices of the two weekends, the DC Fest had several
different prices according to where you wanted to sit in the pavilion or
on the lawn at the back of the amphitheater. The Purple Door had one price
for the entire day which included admission to all three stages and the
art exhibit. The fact that the Purple Door price was about half that of
a good seat at the DC Fest may account for why there were so many empty
seats at the DC Fest. You also had to be a rich man to eat at the DC Fest.
The Nissan Pavilion, it seems, is accustomed to concert crowds expecting
to pay high prices while they see the Spice Girls, or Garth Brooks, or
whomever, for a few hours. Consequently, the prices were inflated to four
dollars for a drink, three dollars for water, around five dollars for a
cheeseburger.
Not many
of the side stage bands set up tables at DC Fest either. Apparently only
the big acts could afford to put up merchandise tables, because the festival
management wanted around a third of the merchandise sales. That is the
largest percentage I know of any festival wanting to take from a band's
shallow pockets. The Purple Door Festival, on the other hand, was well
organized again this year, and kept the prices reasonable for an all day
affair.
The only area that the DC Fest had Purple Door beat was at
the bathrooms. The Pavilion was built to have enough bathroom space for
thousands more than were
present that day, so there was never a problem. The Purple Door
Fest was on a local high school campus, and management had to bring in
porta-potties. They only rented fifteen potties for 5000 people. If you
do the math, you can see why there were lines and aggravation all day.
Despite some minor problems the Purple Door Arts and Music Festival--held
the following Saturday, August 22nd, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania--was a
thoroughly enjoyable day. The promoters had done their homework and organized
a fine day complete with programs. They also respected the alternative
and harder acts on
the "7-ball" side stage, as well as the lesser known entertainers
of the smaller "Prism" gallery stage. Once again the first act I saw was
Morella's Forest. I am such a fan of this band! I was so much happier to
be with a younger, more "alternative" crowd. Looking in any direction you
could see tattooed, pierced, and tee shirt wearing young people having
a good time rather than a mother and father in a button down shirt shaking
their heads at those young rockers, while they waited for Point of Grace
to smoothly caress them with harmonies. Not that there weren't moms and
dads and families at Purple Door. In fact I am a dad and I brought my kids,
but I also prefer
harmonies sung over buzzing, distorted guitars. Other highlights
of the day were: Starflyer 59, One-21, The Insyderz, and Ghoti Hook who
also finished the day at the Purple Door's side stage. P.O.D. took the
"day's best" prize with their awesome show.
The gallery stage was also successful with Nick Gianconia, Say-So,
Sarah Jahn, and The Crossing, among others. Beside the gallery stage was
the actual gallery where the art competition was on display in the air
conditioned comfort of the school building. The impressive art included
some brass sculpture and multimedia works. (The festival also had a book
store inside this building.)
After
a long hot day of music and art, it was time to settle down on our blankets
in front of the main stage to take in the big acts. Havalina Rail Co. got
things started with their dynamic and rousing show of cowboy jazz mixed
with swing music--very cool. The rest of the evening included Seven Day
Jesus and Sixpence None the Richer, who also played the Lilith Fair this
summer and did an extraordinarily gorgeous set. The Supertones capped the
night with a jumping, rollickingly fun set of their classic third wave
ska music. The crowd danced the night away, and no one left until the congregation's
favorite, The Supertones, said good night.
For the third year in a row, The Purple Door Festival pulled off
another totally enjoyable year of fun, music, and ministry. Long live Purple
Door! By comparison, the first DC Fest was a disorganized disappointment
that one would have to think twice about attending again. Diversity is
a good thing that should work at a one day festival, but the DC Fest did
not put it together this year. Purple Door's narrower focus and format
shines.
