If you didn’t go to the Voodoo Experience this past weekend, you really missed something. I think they’re really on the right track.
Of course, the absolutely beautiful weather didn’t hurt. The stages on the left side of the site in City Park were lined up just right—they almost created a “street” of different kinds of music—virtually all of it local. The dance/DJ stage was active all day and night, too.
Janelle Monae performs at Voodoo. Photo by Kim Welsh.
The karaoke stage was an interesting touch, and the two big stages were packed every evening. I appreciated the fact that the festival is very handicap-friendly.
There was even a lift in the Loa area for people who needed it. I loved all the local art and innovative green artwork. The costumes. The good energy. The musicians I spoke to enjoyed the festival and liked being able to hang out with their peers backstage (which you can’t do at Jazz Fest, apparently, because the stages are so separated). It was just really fun for everyone.
The food vendors clicked and were well-placed. The music was great, with a very eclectic mix of local performers, but with enough national, big-name acts to bring in a crowd that didn’t mind paying the $60 day rate to see their favorite bands. A friend of mine, who’s in my age bracket, told me today that she went to Voodoo for a glimpse of Ozzy Osbourne, not because she’s a particular fan of the music, but because she couldn’t not see him while he was in New Orleans. For some reason I think she was expecting the Ozzy of Old (i.e., wasted) and was amazed to see him on stage, with his band on the spot at 9 p.m., ready to rock.
She loved it!
What they still need: some soft drinks for folks who don’t necessarily want to drink beer, water, SoCo or Red Bull; better signage for parking; a lot more trash cans on site; maybe some roving food vendors with peanuts or something to soak up the alcohol, or a few more food booths closer to the other stages; more local vendors with cool stuff (there sure weren’t enough of those); better coordination and information on schedule changes; the program was pretty lame, but then I’m biased on that score—the OffBeat pullout was 100 times handier and easier to use.
Although I’m sure the attendee numbers were up, the big thing that was missing was more people. This is an event that is the cornerstone fall festival. Maybe it was because of the Saints game, or Halloween. Or maybe the ticket prices. But Voodoo Fest deserves to have even better attendance. No information from the Rehage organization yet, but I suspect their numbers are way up this year from previous years, which says a lot for the event being able to attract people in this economy. But more people need to just go.
It’s a great thing that Voodoo has inked a deal with City Park for a long-term presence there. As City Park continues its improvements, and especially the planned permanent festival grounds, it’s going to be an even better event.
Congratulations to all involved…looking forward to another 14 years! The Voodoo Experience is scheduled for October 28, 29 and 30, 2011.
