8 Comments Add your own

• 1. hokumboy  |  August 23rd, 2008 at 11:42 am

  OPTWF was, for many years, almost a religious rite for me. I’d even schedule my vacation around it so I wouldn’t miss anything. There were som many great acts each evening that family fights would errupt over who’d we see next. I absolutely loved the weekend.
  Then things seemed to change. Two years ago I went for 2 hours on Saturday and later for two hours on that evening, driving and parking timea included. One group for me. One group for my wife. Last year there was only one act (Jane Monheit) to interest me, and my wife’s not a jazz fan. That wasn’t enough to get us down there. This year? Again, it’s down to one act (Dred Zeppelin) of interest to us. So, once again, we won’t be making it at all. We’re going to another festival, somewhere else.
  Attendance will probably be up this year, and the powers that be will revel in their success. But, I believe the increase will be due to the poor economy and gas prices, not to their expertise at booking talent. Those two factors will be keeping many folks home and leave them with OTWF (or, as I like to call it, OWTF) as their perceived only option.

• 2. hokumboy  |  August 23rd, 2008 at 11:43 am

  OPTWF was a typing error.
  OWTF was not.

• 3. the dude abides  |  August 23rd, 2008 at 12:18 pm

  Glad to hear that Dred Zep is back this year, but even they’re not worth $18. I can pay about the same price, drive up to Summerfest and see 5 bands I like, instead of one at OTW.

  The planners need to stop blowing their entire budget on headliners, especially “has-been” headliners. Styx is a safe draw for the Rockford area, but when was the last time Styx released a new single? You’re not going to draw people (especially young, concert-going people) from Madison, Milwaukee, or Chicago with Styx.

  Where’s the heavy metal stage? Even though it’s one of the biggest radio markets, there’s no rock stage? Same for hip-hop — it’s on 24 hours a day on WZOK, but are there any scheduled? In fact,…. I just looked at the lineup. WHERE’S THE LOCAL BANDS?

  Every year there’s less and less music during the daytime. So of course, people don’t come out early and spend money on vendors; they stay home, BBQ, drink, and THEN maybe head down to see the headlining act. If the OTW committee would spread the money around a bit and get some better daytime acts, it would encourage more people to visit during off-prime hours.

• 4. KKRIDER  |  August 30th, 2008 at 6:19 pm

  This is the first year I will not be going to Waterfront. I think it is truly great that Rockford has a large music festival that allows people to enjoy how wonderful our downtown is. However, I think something that is desperately lacking is a diversity (and sometimes quality) in the entertainment choices. $18 is a steep asking price to see all the same local bar acts you can see every other weekend in Rockford– for free? We shouldn’t keep bringing washed up headliners from the county fair circuit back again and again. Fans won’t even appreciate that they are missing half of the original members. I remember once upon a time I was able to see Wilco, Material Issue, and Matthew Sweet. If there were acts like these I would most certainly shell out $18.

• 5. TomNook  |  August 30th, 2008 at 6:44 pm

  I’m not going to go this year. There are many great things about OTWF, but I can’t even find one worthwhile act to see. This year is the worst lineup yet. Why do we always seem to get these washed up bands–often minus their original lead singers, among other members– as headliners? Even Beloit Riverfest and Winnebago County Fair had better has-beens this year. It’s too bad. I would love to see some great bands in downtown Rockford.

• 6. JM0211  |  August 31st, 2008 at 5:59 am

  Why is it so expensive to attend the OTWF? all the NW burbs have their events for free throughout the summer. There is a big festival this weekend at September Fest in Schaumburg-and the cost to see the music on stage? zippo. There is tons of food, bands to listen to I’d Rather put my money into the huge craft fare and bring something home with me. Several years back I saw the Mashall Tucker band there, for nothing. This year Marshal Tucker is at OTWF, at a cost, yep.

• 7. Blathers  |  August 31st, 2008 at 1:26 pm

  I agree with several of the other posters. I have gone to OTW for most of my life, but between the increase in price and lack of good acts over the last several years, I have decided to not attend this year. While I will miss eating several of the food items, paying $18 to do only that and see local acts and several older acts, which are no longer in their original form, just isn’t enough to draw me in.

  I don’t know how they choose which acts to pursue for OTW, but I think having some sort of voting or some way of making suggestions that will be heard would be a great idea.

• 8. Georgette Braun  |  September 5th, 2008 at 8:43 am

  Thanks for all your comments. I’ll pass along to the On the Waterfront staff.

Leave a Comment

Name Required

Email Required, hidden

Url

Comment

Security Code:

Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>

Trackback this post  |  Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed