Published: July 06, 2009 08:43 pm      

SomerBlast bands a hit; fireworks fizzle

Somerset — The crowd was great, the music was plenty, and the fireworks ... fizzled?

SomerBlast enjoyed what Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce President Jack Keeney called an “excellent” crowd, but many headed home after Friday’s festivities with questions about a fireworks display that clocked in at much shorter than expected.

“At this time, we’re in contact with Freedom Fireworks (the company hired for the display) and a reply will come soon,” Keeney said Monday to the Commonwealth Journal.

Thousands of onlookers crowded SomerSport Park and the surrounding roads to take in what was expected to be at least a 30-minute show, but those people were confused when the display only lasted about 15 minutes or so.

Mark Baker, the owner of Freedom Fireworks, based in Eubank, said the discrepancy happened due to some technical difficulties.

“We did have some problems with timers that were defective,” Baker said.

Baker said the shells were expected to go off at least eight seconds apart, but ended up going off around four seconds apart, which resulted in the show lasting approximately 17 minutes.

Baker emphasized that the people he spoke to liked the display, which was free to visitors.

“Everybody I talked to really enjoyed it,” Baker said.

The festivities began Friday afternoon when local band Reverend John and the Backsliders took the stage. Jupiter Jones, It, Upstruck, Kelly Caldwell and the Mountain Connection and Live Fish followed, providing entertainment for those in attendance nearly until the fireworks display was shown.

“This was an opportunity to feature some local bands and give them a venue,” Keeney said.

The local entertainers were pulled into the event by Somerset Parks and Recreation and R.O.C.K (Reaching Our Community’s Kids) Somerset when organizers said a flailing economy would force the event to be scaled back.

Keeney expressed his appreciation for those organizations, stating that SomerBlast came together because it became a community event and not just a chamber event.

“This is a community event,” Keeney said. “It was never supposed to be a chamber of commerce event.

“It takes the whole community to put this on,” Keeney later said.

Still, Keeney noted that while the crowd was a good one, it was down a bit from the number of people who turned out for the event last year — despite a midday thunderstorm that sent vendors, entertainers and onlookers running for cover. Last year brought in around 20,000 people, but Keeney said he didn’t have any numbers on those in attendance this year.

Keeney emphasized that SomerBlast still has plenty of room to grow.

“The Fourth of July is an important holiday to celebrate freedom ... our community is starting to get the feeling that this is a celebration,” Keeney said, adding that through the community’s support the event can “get bigger and better in the future.”