Too Many Festivals?
The following letters are in response to Jan Ramsey’s blog post, “Spread Too Thin?” questioning if we have enough population capacity to make every single festival successful.
Festivals are an industry unto itself now. The barriers to entry are pretty low in New Orleans compared to other places, and the human and material machinery for making them happen is here and ready every week. But I sense we’re in the midst of a festival bubble. It will take ever more visitors to keep it from bursting (and more short-term rentals to keep them all housed).
—Peris Brodsky, Riverwoods, Illinois
I think you [Jan Ramsey] bring up some valid points, but it may not be so much that we have too many festivals as much as the festivals we have are growing too large. Look at Jazz Fest. As you mentioned, they reached their peak attendance a few years ago. I, for one, don’t attend because the crowds are too large. Instead, I go to all the ancillary events around the city. French Quarter Fest is another one bursting at the seams. Remember when that used to be our little secret? Now it’s a destination event for tourists. Even Bayou Boogaloo is getting a little too big for the venue. That being said, I think we can, and do, support as many festivals as people can think up. With the amount of talent we have in this city, even the mediocre events are worth going to. We almost need more festivals just to help thin the crowds at the already established events that we love so much! Keep up the good work—I always enjoy your articles since the early days delivering your magazines from the back of the Firehouse!
—Paul Gunther, New Orleans, Louisiana
Luke Winslow-King
Best music-related article that I have read in a while, thank you for sharing and writing it! I have deep respect for a musician that allows themselves to be honest with their listeners, it allows for a much deeper understanding of their songwriting and emotions. Music is pretty great that way and so is this artist, Luke Winslow-King, for telling his tale.
—Michelle Morales, Chicago, Illinois
As women, musicians, artists, and community members in New Orleans, we are writing to express our opinion that it was inappropriate and unprofessional for OffBeat to publish defamatory details about Luke Winslow-King’s ex-wife in the article “No More Crying Today.”
The article perpetuates a sexist tradition of publicly shaming women for their sexual behavior. King has every right to malign his ex-wife in his art. However, in publishing these personal attacks without her knowledge or permission, OffBeat has become complicit in King’s attempt to damage his ex-wife’s reputation and career.
In addition to a primer on what sexism is, perhaps you need a reminder that your magazine serves a small community of musicians, which includes King’s ex-wife. There’s no anonymity here—we know each other, work with each other, trade bands and trade songs. The information that gets broadcast has an impact on this community, and we are disturbed that you would forget or choose to ignore this. This article does not serve to “improve and expand local music culture and business,” and instead sows divisiveness, detracting from the culture of music that ties us together.
Sincerely,
— Ashlae Blume. Zoe Boekbinder, Sylvia Caitlin Burn, Ellery Burton, Kia Cavallaro, Jenavieve Cook, Glori Cosio, Alabama Cosio-Kelley, Tasche De La Rocha,Emma Eisenhauer, Albanie Falletta, Gina Forsyth, Pandora Gastelum, Sabra Guzmán, Tsarina Hellfire, Ashley Hooper, Defne Incirlioglu, Norway Isla, Ali Kafka, Haruka Kikuchi, Michelle Nicolette Kowalski, Dayna Kurtz, Lady Sea, Maedea LadyLaRose, LadyBabyMiss (Marie Oliver), Julia Lala, Meschiya Lake, Erika Lewis, Annie Lou, Annabelle Lulu Lune, Jessica Maggio, Sadie Maie, Elyse Manning, Sabine McCalla, Miriam McCracken, Pilar McCracken, Kiyoko McCrae, Corey McGillivary, Rachel Meirs, Callie Millington, Caitlin Morgenstern, Aurora Nealand, Vanessa Niemann, Julie Odell, Joy Patterson, Eve Polich, Alyssa Potter, Casey Jane Reese-Kaigler, Emilie Rhys, Erica Rae Robinet, Julia Sanders, Alynda Lee Segarra, Tessa Shippy, Kim Maestre Smallwood, Allison Soeder, Lydia Stein, Amy Stone, Joanna Tomassoni, Alicia Vance, Camille Wind Weatherford, Rachel Wolf, Martha Wood, Christiane Wurmstedt, Xena Zeit-Geist
We take exception to the accusation that the interview with Luke Winslow-King was sexist in any way.
We published a story about Luke Winslow-King and the recording of his new album (I’m Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always). Our writer was tasked with examining the inspiration for the album, and he did just that. Any accusations of infidelity came from Winslow-King and him alone. We understand that there often are double-standards for women in the music industry—as in life as a whole—and we try our best to be sensitive to those issues. However, Winslow-King’s new album and his marital issues are inextricably linked, so there was no way to tell this story without mentioning them.
Our opinion is that Winslow-King perhaps should not have gone as deep as he did publicly, but it’s certainly not sexist for us to publish this information. Artists tend to use negative experiences to create great art.
There’s probably more to this story, as it’s not usually all one partner’s fault that the marriage dissolves. But it was also not up to OffBeat writer Milano to interview Winslow-King’s partner to get her side of the story. The article was about Winslow-King and his music, and to delve into what created such a wrenching musical statement.
We apologize to anyone who was offended by the details of the piece, but we see no need to retract or apologize for a story that did its job of diving into an artist’s inspiration, and did it well.
—Ed.
Never a Hippie
Dick [Deluxe] has several shows planned for California and has been getting really positive comments on the new album.
OffBeat reviewer [Robert] Fontenot had a different opinion. I absolutely support everyone’s right to their opinion and believe your reviewer was speaking his mind. What I take exception with is his obvious disdain for Dick being from California (not originally by the way) and his assertion of Dick being a “former hippie.” He was actually never a hippie and started playing music in Texas City, Texas as teenager along with roommate Stevie Ray Vaughan. Then went to California and was one of the original punk rockers. As an original member of Club Foot Orchestra his musical chops are without question.
It’s amazing to me that true musicians like Dickie Landry (Lil’ Band O’ Gold), Rod Hodges (Iguanas), David Brouillette (Gal Holiday), were so impressed with the material that they asked to be on the record and worked for free to put the music out there. The recording studio and producer Mark Bingham (REM fame) also took on the project because of the stellar original arrangements and musical talents involved.
I, and other New Orleanians, are shocked by the broad strokes of hate coming from the pen of this reviewer. Labeling some musicians as not black enough, not playing where they started from, not being from Louisiana. Lots of hate speech going around for everyone. I wonder from where all that is bubbling up.
—Patricia Dragovan Foster, New Orleans, Louisiana
Being from California was background information in order to tell Deluxe’s story. Calling him a “hippie” is not meant as a bad thing but rather a terminology based on being from the Bay Area scene during the ’60s. The statement “not being black enough” was neither written nor insinuated in the review and the evaluation of the music contains no “hate speech” whatsoever.
Every reviewer has a different opinion, that’s true. Please reference the July 27, 2015 story on Dick Deluxe on OffBeat.com.
—Ed.
OffBeat welcomes letters from its readers—both comments and criticisms. To be considered for publication, all letters must be signed and contain the current address and phone number of the writer. Letters to the editor are subject to editing for length or content deemed objectionable to OffBeat readers. Please send letters to Editor, OffBeat Publications, 421 Frenchmen St., Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116.
