MMF should attempt to bring in bigger names

Commonwealth Journal

June 11, 2009 10:52 am

— The more things change, the more they stay the same: Every generation is going to have different ideas about music than those that come after it.
One thing we can agree on though: The Master Musicians Festival would be well-served to bring in bigger names, even if it means there’s less MMF to enjoy.
This has been a topic of discussion in the Commonwealth Journal newsroom over the years. Just the other day, one of our number expressed the opinion that he thinks a little old-time country would be good medicine for the festival, which is desperately scrambling for the money it needs to put on the show this year. Something along the lines of the late Porter Wagoner — perhaps a Dolly Parton or a well-known gospel quartet — would bring in the kind of people who flock to the Grand Ole Opry in numbers that would make MMF organizers blush.
Or how about a once-upon-a-time chart-topper from the ‘70s or ‘80s? What’s Three Dog Night doing these days, anyway? This strategy isn’t necessarily new to MMF — The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band appeared earlier this decade, for instance — but a scan of recent rosters reveals little in the way of name-brand power.
The youngest would like to see contemporary artists from different genres, such as Ben Folds, who is still producing music at a Top 40 level but is no stranger to playing smaller venues. Even a Bela Fleck carries a recognizable name to go with the kind of music that appeals to the typical MMF crowd, and might draw in bigger-than-normal crowds. That could do wonders for the tourism industry in this town.
Of course, that would mean scaling back — the chunk of change required to acquire one of the above artists would mean a lower volume overall — but would it be worth it? We think so.
The reason you don’t see these types more often is a matter of philosophy and of finance. MMF is rather proud of nailing Old Crow Medicine Show couple of years ago on their way up the ladder; the notion of spotting talent before it blows up and getting it on the cheap is appealing to organizers.
Sure a festival like Bonnaroo gets big names, but they might pay $100,000 for an artist to appear; the two most costly acts this year at MMF only cost $18,000 combined. Organizers consider it a more appealing idea to present a variety of talent that doesn’t ask for much as opposed to blowing the whole budget on one headliner.
But it might be worth it to splurge. With the economy hitting MMF so hard — hard enough that they might have to cancel the year if enough money can’t be raised — the saying, “Desperate times call for desperate measures” applies. Whether it’s the music of yesterday or today, putting most — if not all — of the festival’s eggs in one marquee basket could help organizers break the bank, both in ticket sales and appeal to cash-strapped sponsors.
Master Musicians Festival has done very well over the last decade-and-a-half, growing and thriving and overcoming controversies to become all the stronger. But to make sure the music doesn’t stop, another change in tempo might be in order. Think big, MMF.