by Joe Courter
The CMC will be quite a busy place during the Fest weekend. I hope some of you will come down and share in the fun. The informal kick-off will be Thursday, Oct. 25, with Queer the Fest, featuring touring and local musicians of the LGBTQ persuasion, as well as workshops earlier in the evening starting at 5 p.m.
The regular Fest stuff at the CMC runs Friday through Sunday evenings, Oct. 26-28, with a donation of $10 each night, and with six to eight performers each night.
The CMC is the only acoustic venue in the Fest, so those that think of Fest as only loud punk rock — which may not be their cup of tea — need to come down to 433 S. Main. These are performers from across the nation, and even international, all playing short sets. So you will also meet great people from all over. Each year I am stunned by how few locals I see that take advantage of this great event.
Want samples of the music? Go to the amazing website www.thefestfl for all venue schedules along with a listing of each band or musician. Click on the artist and you will hear a song.
This is not to say the rest of Fest, all the other bands and venues, are not worthy of attention. There are entire worlds of music out there, ignored by the mainstream, but dear to the rock and roll hearts of those who love them. It is beyond cool that our Bo Diddley Plaza is a venue. Just come down and be part of it.