Rockin' with the kids at the River City Music Festival

You crazy Cape Girardeans. Now I get it. You just want to dance.

From what I saw -- when I was paying attention -- the crowds at the River City Music Festival gathered at bands who had a beat you could find and words you could sing. Fat Pocket on Friday was the biggest hit, in my opinion. The crowd really got into that show. The 10-piece funk band even came out for an encore performance.

While fun, that extra few minutes on stage forced the Level, a local reggae-rock, 311-esque band, into a tighter time slot. Their set got cut off rather abruptly just as it was heating up.

The inside stages were allowed to play until the bars closed.

That snafu was one of the only reported problems with the festival. What did you think? We've got a poll online with a few questions for you to fill out so I invite you to visit semissourian.com, and find this column.

All problems aside, the River City Music Festival had a little of everything a festival should have: the beer, the bands, the babies.

Yeah, the babies. Well, by babies, I mean small children. There's been an abundance of those at festivals lately. Over the weekend, I saw probably 50 kids (12 or younger) mingling with the older crowd downtown.

At the Rage Against the Machine set at Lollapalooza this year, I stopped my mini-mosh to let some guy with a 6-year-old on his shoulders walk through.

"It's his first concert!" the guy yelled above the sound. I looked up at the child to be greeted with a straightened pointer and pinky surrounding bent middle and ring fingers forming the rock sign.

I think it's great. Family-bonding time is important and sharing your musical interests and experiences with Junior allows him to form his own. Basic parenting employed -- sunblock, water for the child and you're not getting sloshed -- a music festival is fun.

Just remember, Mom, it's a festival, not television. You can't parental block the crowd. Along with lyrics, the child will hear cursing. He might see partial nudity, sexual humor and drug references. Don't get mad or offended. Life is rated R.

Unofficial River City Music Festival Poll

<form method="post" action="http://www.semissourian.com/scripts/poll/vote.php">Which day did you go? Friday

Saturday

Both days

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<form method="post" action="http://www.semissourian.com/scripts/poll/vote.php">Which act was your Friday favorite? Drivin Rain

Fists of Phoenix

Tipping Holly

The False Affair

Dazy Kutter

The Gloaming

Fashionable Elate

Canadian Customs

Small Town Boyz

Tiffany Christopher

Almost Always

Fat Pocket

The Level

The Ungrounded

Westward Sons

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<form method="post" action="http://www.semissourian.com/scripts/poll/vote.php">Which act was your favorite Saturday? Rockface Barband

Drew Mantia

Groove Conspiracy

Fill

On Tap

Emaciation

The Melroys

Bruce Zimmerman

Mike Renick Band

Ninth Life

Improv of 7 Dying Men

Oh Four Audio

Catatonic

The Thundertones

Lost Possum

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<form method="post" action="http://www.semissourian.com/scripts/poll/vote.php">Do you think the 2008 festival was better or worse than previous years? Better

Worse

No difference

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<form method="post" action="http://www.semissourian.com/scripts/poll/vote.php">What did you think of SE Live's coverage of the bands and festival? You guys suck

You guys rock

What's SE Live?

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