Rosfest has officially ended

I have really mixed emotions on these things ... and my biggest concern is how so many of them have not been able, or refused, to update their concert with streaming possibilities and other ideas of reaching fans ... they, instead, continued to the concert ways, and expecting fans, and sure enough, something happened that killed all that ... and now ... the bands and musicians are the ones that suffer from it ... because many fans, even in progressive areas, will say that the bands were not great and were minor since their favorite is better and was not at the show! (... something like that!...)

Sadly, this is not the first time I have seen this and the first one was Sean Ahearn in 1999, that probably put on one of the greatest of shows (SF Progressive Music Festival)  ... only to probably lose over 50K on the whole thing. Saddest thing I have ever seen.

It's still a total mystery to me why these processes are not getting more attention and delivering ... I don't know how well Rachel Flowers does with it, but I don't see her stopping, and not showing the music! My own dentist of 35 years is a reasonably well known bass player around the Portland area, and he has the acumen to modernize his office (computers everywhere with all the pictures of the teeth and such!), and then he has been talking about all the stuff he has been doing with other musicians LIVE on the internet ... and he states that he is totally surprised that the "lag" is so minimal as to not be a factor in the piece of music, not to mention that all the musicians involved are listening to the "result" and they can adjust a little if they need to by extending something, or shorting something else. He has stated that in all his adventures, none of these moments have taken place ... 

And yet .. .here we are going into another funeral, without the desire, ability or strength to carry on ... by doing something to the music and help it get bigger and better.

IN THE END, WE ARE GOING TO SUFFER even more!

WHY?

Easy ... by the time a rich band, gets around to this, you will have a Rolling Stones concert on stream, and a reunion of Jack and the Beanstalks and then Paul revere and the Raiders, and then ... who ever else, and AGAIN ... this Progressive Music gets an incredible hit and painful moment ... as we sit here and pray hard ... how religious of us to do the same thing as 5 to 10 thousand years ... oh, well, maybe we can get Neal Morse to help us with some lyrics.

One harsh criticism ... the greed and money of some bigger bands and their lack of help for these things ... not that one of them will demand top billing or the like, but that they do not want their material to be spread around ... well, all I can tell you that the one band that was not afraid of that, is probably, STILL, one of the richest bands in the world, and they share everything from concerts in 1966 to the last concert by Jerry ... and you can even download many of these yourself and hear one song 27 different times!

There is nothing to fear, but fear itself ... and the laziness with which we go about it, is scary ... it's like saying that the wrong people are at the "controls" of this thing ... and while their reasons are honorable, the sad fact remains ... it's the same thing over and over! And not many bands get interested because it is out of time and sync with today. And an old band is not going to be an attraction as much as it was 20 or 30 years ago!

I refuse to go into MOURNING on these things ... I will raise a glass and toast the spirit of it all and the owner's desire and attempts, and hope, ONCE AGAIN, that we start creating a future instead of a hole in the ground 6 feet deep complete with box and service!

The art/arts do not die ... EVER ... they are one of the few things that last forever and are remembered and appreciated. And I like to ask, knowing that I sound like a jerk saying it ... where do you stand?

Which one did you go to?