A dilemma named City of Roses

I have a dilemma. Well, it's not just my dilemma -- it's a dilemma for the entire Cape music scene. That dilemma is called the City of Roses Music Festival.

I came in to the weekend thinking I would see the great shining face of Cape's musical present and future. This was to be the showcase weekend. This was to be music's big hour in Cape -- the 10th annual City of Roses Music Festival.

For me, the weekend fell short of its responsibility. Magic was rare on the downtown streets. Overall, a better time would be had by going to see your favorite bands at your favorite venues on any given Friday or Saturday.

When the music was good, it was great; the performances at times inspired wonder. Friday night when Fists of Phoenix took the Themis Street stage, the atmosphere was communal. I felt as if everyone there was part of something great -- the ancient bliss of collective appreciation. The band channeled not just the sound, but the spirit of music.

Saturday night both Bruce Zimmerman and The Melroys drew good crowds at the CVB parking lot. Their performance were great. But to me their music is much more traditional, much less likely to push the creative envelope.

On the outdoor stages, performances like FOP's were rare. Sure, there were many competent bands, but nothing nearly as magical as 10 p.m. Friday -- at least not outside.

Inside at least one bar, as the outdoor action geared down, I got another glimpse of a band that represented the spirit of fearless rock and roll. That band was Rock Solid.

Rock Solid felt the music, and so did their crowd. Amongst the beer towers and the thick, smoky air, there was a party happening, and it was fun.

Outside the big glass window of the Pour House facing Broadway, a mustachioed man made frequent stops to dance along, communicating with band and audience members through eye contact and body language. Sure I was a little intoxicated, but I knew what I was feeling. It was that feeling of seeing something being created that was actually worthwhile, something that made people have a good time.

The organizers wanted to make the City of Roses something everyone could enjoy simply for the sake of music. They tried to make the festival family-friendly. They segregated an area made specifically for families who don't dig the rock fest atmosphere.

This act seemed to give the festival an identity crisis, mainly because it chopped the festival area into sections, taking away the togetherness that is the foundation of any good festival. And to top things off, some of the bands that played the stage were party bands. They would have been much better suited to the Broadway stage.

There were some great performances packed into those two days of festival, but overall, what I saw was lackluster. This City of Roses didn't offer much for me, nor for most of the people I know, and many of the bands (especially on the Themis Street stage) need a lot of work before they should take the festival stage.

When you try to offer something for everyone, you offer little for each person. I think the festival lost its vision. I don't pretend to know how to fix the festival, nor do I mean to insult the many people who worked so hard to keep the festival going.

Here's my dilemma -- I want the local music scene to thrive, and this festival is important for that to happen. But the festival this year did little for the scene, and did little to showcase the best bands we have.

There are some really great bands here that play amazing music. They can make you think, feel, laugh or just move. We're lucky to have them.

And we're lucky to have people who care about the local music scene enough to fight the good fight and make this festival happen.

Thanks to all who worked on the festival. Better luck next year.