So for today, let us assume that this push and pull of blues music is never going to stop for me. I am going to lament this forever, the craptastic bands that spring up locally, and the national pap that poses for blues. All the while these amazing sort of voices pop up and knock me back keeping my faith intact.
This year I went to Blues Cafe hosted by the GNBS. It was such a disappointment. To be fair, I am not going to compare it to any other time, or anything. I conceed that I was once the president of this organization, and I left angry and resentful.
First off, the seating. Dear lord was this a wake. I felt like I was in a funeral home at a showing of one of my friends uncles. Seats were crammed in, and these seats limited everything. Then there were what appeared to be jammed in after the fact tables that were for sponsors or friends of the officers I suppose. It felt like a bad wake or wedding reception at this point.
Then there is the room itself. Clearly this room is smaller than the East Gate Hall that the City of Wausau had partnered with the GNBS to make avaialble for so many years. Why would a valid partnership like that be turned away in favor of this wedding hall is beyond me. With the current carpet floors and the like people are hamstrung by activities, no smoking, cant set your beer down, its all so funeral like.
The blues is by its nature a rough and tumble event. It should be. Buddy Guy and Junior Wells were as likely to kick your ass as to sing you a song, SRV was high as a kite most of the time and his playing and manner of dress reflected it. But this blues cafe is a far more buttoned up activity. It is not like a rock show at all, it is not a concert at all. It feels like a trade show, with bands playing in the back ground. With raffles and sponsors showing off their wares, in a far more porminent position than the bands. For god sake there was a camper that was larger than the stage next to the stage, and a giant lienie lawn chair that there was a line of people taking photos in while bands were playing.
Lets say that Wausau is a blues town. Lets say that because we have two events that feel like sort of big banner events, Big Bull Falls Blues Fest, and Blues Cafe. Both run by separate organizations. Let us assume this because for 30 years Wausau had one of the best blues bars in America.
So, should the blues not expand and connect to young people and show them that it is a valid and cool thing? Or should it feel like your aunt ethels wake? Led Zepplin played concerts, and you came away changed. Should we not go for that sort of thing in our Blues events, instead of this passive trade show vibe? I think we should.
Mohawk Matt
4:11 pm on April 14th
Lucky Stiffs!
Dino Corvino
10:34 pm on April 14th
Best musical night ever at the Pub in my opinion
Mike T.
12:13 pm on April 16th
Dino:
I don’t know what you’ve been “smokin’”, but your review of the show was the ONLY Negative one that we have seen!
As a board member of the GNBS, I can tell you that:
A. This event was the MOST SUCCESSFUL event that we have ever had.
B. There was Nobody asking to put a box-full-of-cash in the trunk of their car.
C. George Bush is no longer President, and Neither are you!
D. You only stayed for 1/2 the show, so how does that make you qualified to review the ENTIRE show?
Was the Room Perfect? Absolutely not, however it was the most economical & Best option available, and it worked out quite nicely. We will alway choose to explore other options, and make the best choice available.
Would the Rothschild Pavillion be better? Maybe, but is it worth triple the cost?
Your review appears to be “Sour-Grapes” in my opinion.
Dino Corvino
12:17 pm on April 16th
Mike,
All of your points are fair. I am pretty sure I cop to being the former president. I do not have any sour grapes.
I am entitled to my opinion. I think I have earned it.
I did not mention the show, I discussed the room. This event does not feel like a concert, it feels like a trade show. And in my opinion, Buddy Guy does not play trade shows.
Led Zeppelin did not play trade shows.
You guys overcame a ton, my departure, the issues with Kerry. No one is disputing that.
But that room, well, its no fun.
Mohawk Matt
1:23 pm on April 16th
Dino, I’m glad you put up that pic of the stiffs. It made me dig out the 7 inch they gave me, which in turn made me really remember the show. Everything from how it got booked to carrying the singer on my shoulder while he was singing to invading Erberts and gerberts after the show. It really was a great time. Do you have any more pics of that night?
Dino Corvino
1:57 pm on April 16th
I do. Go check out my flickr site. I will post some here.
I think seeing Brady is awesome too.
devilsadvocate
10:50 pm on April 16th
So as someone who played there that day I would like to chime in…
I think I see what youre getting at here Dino and I understand what you’re saying. I do think though that the GNBS may have been going for that type of feel.
I am with you on the issue of it not feeling like a typical show in how the venue is laid out.
I think one of the biggest issues, more important than the layout was the sound. Everyone I talked to said the sound was bad all around, I personally dont care what the room looks like…fill it with people, give me a good sound guy and I’ll tear the place down.
I think if the GNBS continues to have Blues cafe in that room or a bigger one they need to up the anty with a better sound guy and system. The crew were nice and treated us well and I believe they did the best with what they had. bad sound can destroy a show or venue faster than anything else…it is the one thing you NEVER skimp on. People will forgive you if the floor is dirty or the chairs arent so nice…they wont forgive you
and might leave if they cant hear the band or it just sounds like shit.
I think the GNBS has definitely made some improvements from last year and I feel like they have more of a presence than they did again.
This is a very different GNBS from when Dino was prez.
I think Dino did some amazing things with blues cafe, some of the best lineups ever came out of his presidency
,but that was also a different board and a whole different mess off problems.
I hope that the GNBS doesnt lose this momentum they created with this show and brings it next year even harder than they did this year.
Great Northern Blues Society Board Members
7:48 pm on April 22nd
Well Dino, we the board of the Great Northern Blues Society are truly sorry that the 2009 Blues Café was such a disappointment to you. When the new regime took over the GNBS, (shortly after you walked out) we found that the funds in the bank account were a little on the low side. We know many times you have referred to how much money was made during your tenure as president. That money no longer existed. In going back through the finances we found that some of the past Café’s were lucky to break even. In the meantime money was going out the door at a rather fast pace. This was financial support given to help bring B.B. King and Robert Cray to Wausau, a nice dinner out for the board, and other things. So we were placed in a position to put on the 2007 Café with a rather small bank roll. The East Gate Hall had always worked, but the price to rent it kept going up and we were forced in 2008 for financial reasons, to look for a new venue. Stoney Creek Inn has been very good to us and made renting a venue very affordable. Also the location makes it convenient for the Café attendees to rent a motel room so they don’t have to drive after the show. We know it is not the greatest room for doing what we do. However neither was East Gate Hall, both rooms have major acoustic issues. We may have out grown Stoney Creek, and we are looking in to other venues. As far as your complaining about the set up in the room, you have to work with the hand that you’re dealt. We had to maximize the seating because we knew we were in for a record show. We were right, it was a record show. The past Café’s have always had tables, some for the sponsors, others were for the public, and this Café was no different. You of all people should know that the sponsors need to be taken care of. They are the life-blood of the Café. This also includes Central Beer setting up the Leiny’s chair, if they want to set it up, so be it. People love getting their photo taken in that chair, and why that would bother you is beyond us. You had also made mention of the camper, which is completely necessary to provide the artists with a dressing room that gives them a little privacy and comfort. We don’t have the luxury of the back room/dressing room that we had at East Gate Hall. Another one of your complaints was about the raffles. We had one auction. We seem to remember numerous raffles in the past that were much more time consuming than our auction. The sound at the 2009 Café was much improved over the previous year and if we use the Stoney room next year we are looking at using Delay Towers for speakers in the back of the room. We are also considering moving the food vendors out in to the entry way to free up more room inside. As was stated before, we all do the best we can with the hand we are dealt. The GNBS board is very proud of what we have accomplished with the 2009 Blues Café. We are always looking for new members who would like to be hands on and willing to get involved in the decision making process. Membership in the Great Northern Blues Society is open to everyone who loves the music and any member or persons interested in joining are welcomed to attend our general meetings held on the second Tuesday of every month at Loppnow’s Bar starting at 7 PM. The GNBS Board is open to suggestions from general membership at those meetings and has even been known to listen and act on advice from outside the Society. If you have positive ideas or suggestions about improving anything the Society does both the door and our minds are open. We are always trying to improve the way we do things. That being said, we the board members of the GNBS agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but we think that an informed opinion is always more palatable.
Sincerely, the Members of the GNBS Board
Dino Corvino
8:35 pm on April 22nd
Gentleman and ladies,
While I appreciate the passive intimidation, if you want information. I left the Blues Society roughly 1 month after Alvin Youngblood Hart. So I was not a part of the GNBS giving any money to BB King at the PAF, or Robert Cray.
Some facts.
When I was president, I recieved those infamous financials from you know who, so we all know what that was. I never had access to any financials, and that was in fact the reason I left, because only one person had access to the bank account. She is why I left. And I think most of you know that.
I also copped to being a former president. So, it goes.
In regard to the claim of expensive dinners, the board ate out one time. And I am pretty sure that our spouses and dates paid for themselves.
I do know that sponsors need to be taken care of. But I also know that you are in the catbirds seat. You provide them with far more exposure than they provide you will funds.
You have a hugely popular local attraction that brings in national attention, sells out, garners much publicity (oh, I think I even write some of that publicity). You are happy and proud of your event. Act like it.
I am a former member that you think is filled with sour grapes. Why does my opinion matter? And if it does matter so much, is this sort of intimidation by calling my record into question the best way of doing it? is this the best business practice for your non profit?
Are you actively seeking out people who did not have a good time, and confronting them like this? I saw a few things on facebook, and myspace. I do not see you making comments on those posts.
An informed opinion? My post was a description about what I did not like about the room. Was I not in the room? I think I was in the room, you mention I was in the room, so you saw me in the room, so maybe I was in fact in the place that I wrote about.
Do I know about sponsors? You said in your response that I know about sponsors. So when I make a comment about sponsors it is you yourself that said I might know a thing or two. So again, that seems like an informed opinion.
You had a great event. You are proud of your event. I am not a member of your society, so what one of what must have been several hundred attendees should not be a problem for you. Some people do not like snickers, and you do not see them getting emails from the company.
I find this to be very distasteful, and unprofessional to come to my blog and do this sort of personal attack. I do not see you doing it elsewhere, so maybe those grapes, maybe they are yours. Why does my opinion matter so much that you as an organization would officially respond?
You could have chosen to instead offer me something like this…”Sorry you did not have a good time Dino. We did the best wwe could. Do you have any suggestions?”
But, that is not what you did. Instead you chose to attempt to bring up old laundry that has no intent other than to shame me, or intimidate me. Do you do that with all you customers?
I am one man. I do not even have a girlfriend. So, the most you lose is ten bucks if I do not show.
To choose to come here, and cast personal and professional aspersions is very untoward.
You should be proud. It was a record. You had fun. Your sponsors were served. I am one dude. Who cares what I think?
I wish you nothing but the best. You should listen to Tom Jordan, he knows some stuff.
devilsadvocate
10:23 pm on April 22nd
I know some stuff?
News to me…..
Seriously all BS aside, I think this Blues Cafe was good.
The lay out while not ideal, sort of ends up being the way it is with the type of show it is…
I think the most important things are the show. Make the show great and nothing else matters.
I firmly believe that if the GNBS ups their game next year with an even better headliner and hires a top notch sound guy like Marty Cheyka they will do even better than this year.
Like I stated before sound is such a crucial element of a show….
I have certainly had my issues with the old GNBS board…I think alot of people may have gotten the blame for a couple bad eggs….I think we all know who they were lol.
jessica
5:30 am on April 23rd
At first when I saw Dino was writing about this i was nervous, oh no, typical Dino rant and he only stayed for less than half the show, what could he possibly say with validity? Now on reading it I agree with him completely. The room was awful, it felt like a convention rather than a “show” and in defense of Dino he said nothing negative about the acts. They were great. Not only do I feel the venue was awful I heard it echoed in the crowd over and over again. I am impartial, I’m a “patron” of the blues society, never on the board nor have I attended meetings. I have however attended most of the shows in the area for the last ten years. This set up by far was the worst. The chair set up was awful, god forbid you got up. It was full of “excuse me, pardon me” tripping over people, spilling beer. I found most people made sure if they had to eat, use the bathroom, or get beer it was done in between acts. Even adding a few round tables on the edge of the isle would have helped. It just felt like a convention hiring in acts to appease their shoppers. All in all, good music terrible venue.
Mohawk Matt
11:20 am on April 23rd
I did not attend the show. Just want to make sure that is out there.
I do, however, agree with Dino that this is his opinion of the show. On his blog. There is no need to bring up anything from the past. It seems like the GNBS has some sour grapes in their pants.
Letting it Blurt! • Why I love The Blues
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