Let's Pretend We Are Talking in a Bar About the Great John Fogerty - Colin Gawel

John Fogerty is playing The Jack Casino in Cincinnati Friday August 27th. I'm going.

The movie Green Room made me go back and listen to Green River.

I was going to use that as the title of this story but figured nobody would know what the hell I was talking about. Anyway, it's funny how things work out. This summer my wife and I had a brief window of free time and decided on a whim to go check out a matinee screening of the movie Green Room. We had heard good things about it. The clerk at the Gateway said, "It's a lot of fun."

It was a fun movie if fun means punk kids getting stabbed in the head and young musicians getting their throats ripped out by Nazi pit bulls.  Nothing against the movie, it's pretty damn good, it's just not what we normally have in mind for our typical "date" entertainment. My wife had her hands over her face the entire time. 

As the final credits rolled and one of the pit bulls walked peacefully past what could be his final victim I turned to my wife - who was still covering her face - and said, "What is this song? It's amazing. It sounds like Creedence?" The song was "Sinister Purpose" from the record Green River.  Huh. How I did I miss this nugget? I thought I knew all the good CCR stuff. (Listen Here)

Apparently not. I decided it was time to go back with fresh ears and give it all another listen. AND I finally got around to reading John's autobiography which I had been meaning to do since reading this review by James A. Baumann.

OK, I don't have the time/energy/talent/beer to organize all my thoughts into pleasing prose at this time. I just have to get these thoughts off my mind before going to see Fogerty this Friday in Cincinnati. Let's just pretend we are standing at Colin's Coffee or Four String Brew and I just start rambling off thoughts. You can pretend you are there and start yelling back why I am wrong.

- In 1969 Creedence had the greatest year of any rock band in history. They released THREE classic albums in ONE Year. They outsold The Beatles and did it by completely flying into the face of what was popular at the time (tight, great 3-minute SONGS as opposed to endless jams or, God help us, concept records). They headlined a little festival called Woodstock, but because they refused to let their music or images be used in the film or soundtrack, not many people know they even played that weekend. 

- For these reasons, overall rocking-ness and the bands' continuing relevance, one could make the case that CCR are the greatest American rock band ever. They have hits like the Beach Boys, lyrics as strong as Bruce or Bob and the punk/grunge influence on a generation similar to the Ramones. Once again it's worth mentioning that in a two year period they had TEN top five singles, (OK, "Fortunate Son" was #6) and they outsold The Beatles in 1969 and 1970. I know The Beatles were breaking up and coming to an end, but it still counts to be the man who beat the man. Just ask Buster Douglas. 

- Taken in context of the Vietnam war, the draft, and the campus riots nationwide, the song "Fortunate Son" is the greatest protest song in American history. Or as James Baumann puts it, "the first punk rock song." 

"Some folks are born made to wave the flag
Ooh, they're red, white and blue
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief"
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no"

Holy Shit! (John, by the way, served two years in the reserves, active duty.)

- Two hundred years from now, songs like "Proud Mary," "Lookin' Out My Back Door" and "Centerfield" will be held in the same esteem as the works of Mark Twain and Walt Whitman. It could be possible that only Bruce Springsteen's songs will have left a bigger mark on America than John Fogerty. Yes, John could eventually be considered more important than Dylan.

"Left a good job in the city
Workin' for the man ev'ry night and day
And I never lost one minute of sleepin'
Worryin' 'bout the way things might have been"

"Just got home from Illinois,
Lock the front door, oh, boy!
Got to sit down,
Take a rest on the porch.
Imagination sets in,
Pretty soon I'm singin'.
Doo, doo, doo,
Lookin' out my back door."

"Well, a-beat the drum and hold the phone
The sun came out today
We're born again, there's new grass on the field
A-roundin' third and headed for home
It's a brown-eyed handsome man
Anyone can understand the way I feel

Oh, put me in coach, I'm ready to play today
Put me in coach, I'm ready to play today
Look at me, I can be centerfield"

- John Fogerty is now my favorite guitar player. I love the way John finds a guitar hook and before rushing off to the next lick, he lets you hear it a couple of times. It's why CCR "jams" like "Ramble Tamble" hold up and jam bands never do. 

Uploaded by lovalver on 2010-11-28.

 

Off the top of my head, my new personal guitar hero rankings 1) John Fogerty 2) Willie Phoenix 3) Bruce Springsteen 4) Chuck Berry 5) Pete Anderson 6) Angus Young 7) Willie Nelson 8) Ace Frehley 9) John Speck 10) Andy Harrison

- John got screwed worse than any white musician in pop history. He lost all his songs. He got sued for sounding like himself. It went all the way to the Supreme Court. He lost all his money in an off-shore account set up by his label. Fantasy record owner Saul Zaentz is truly an evil bastard who is hopefully rotting in hell as I write this.

- I'm sure working with John was no walk in the park but many of the greats are a huge pain in the ass. But the fact that his Creedence band mates sold their "votes" to Saul for $30,000 so he could outvote John on band issues 3-1 is beyond contemptible. John was justified in his refusal to play with Doug, Stu and his brother Tom after that knife in his back. John may have been a load to handle, but without his talent and work ethic nobody in that group gets rich or famous. 

- Still, John likes to bash his former band mates lack of musicality but I have to defend the original CCR on this one. No matter how many crack musicians John stacks in his solo band, there is a magic to the original line-up that cannot be recaptured live. The most talented band isn't always the best band. See: Neil Young and Crazy Horse in which Neil obviously was trying to follow the path CCR had laid down. Watch below. 

Live In Royal Albert Hall 1970

OK, that's it for now. Let's continue this discussion over a beer at the Cleveland Browns kick-off party at Four String Brew Sunday, September 11th. League Bowlers playing a FREE set at noon, sure to include some CCR. 

Colin Gawel is going to see John Fogerty in Cincinnati Friday August 26th. 

 

 

Loving a Band That's Easy to Hate: My Life with KISS - David Martin

This is Day 2 of Kiss Kountdown. Click here for Day 3

Loving a Band That's Easy to Hate: My Life with KISS - David Martin

I was eight years old when Kiss' popularity peaked. I owned a copy of Alive! and a Destroyer jigsaw puzzle. I was not a dues-paying member of the Kiss Army. But I was at least in the Kiss Reserves.

Then, Kiss became like a toy that no longer interested me.

I don’t remember being upset when Peter Criss and Ace Frehley left. My friend Steve, who lived across the street and had cable TV at his house, called me when the video for “Thriller” aired on MTV. There had been no phone call when, a few months earlier, the members of Kiss appeared on the network without makeup.

I became a Kiss fan again in high school. Colin and other friends argued on behalf of the band’s legitimacy in the lunchroom. Also, we were driving by this point. Waiting out the tense period after puberty but before girls found us appealing, we did not have many places to go besides record stores and concerts.

My first Kiss show was in the spring of 1986. Kiss visited Columbus at the tail end of the Asylum tour. Hair metal was going through its neon colors-and-rouge phase. Gene Simmons — the demon! — was not a man for these sequined times. He looks ridiculous on stage in pictures from that era. But I don't recall thinking the show was ridiculous. I remember having a great time.

I continued to attend Kiss shows past the point where I could blame a not fully developed brain. Sometimes I have paid for shows, and sometimes I have had press credentials. I have seen the band with and without makeup and the original four members. Shows have ended with me feeling cheated and shows have ended with me feeling elated.

The last time I saw the band, in 2009, I accompanied the music critic at the newspaper where I worked. Our seats were in the second row, right in front of Gene’s microphone stand. It was the first and only time I have had great seats at an arena show. During one break between songs, I spied Gene using a water bottle to wash the blood off the ends of his hair. 

I am not a stupid man, and I like to think I have pretty good taste. Bands I really dislike — Poison, Def Leppard — are not too dissimilar from Kiss. On paper, at least, I should have grown out of Kiss a second time. But I did not. In fact, not too long ago, I took the time to burn a CD of my favorite Gene songs. 

Therein, I think, lies the simple answer to the riddle of why I still like Kiss: The band has a lot of good songs.

This, for instance is Gene's B-material:

Kiss performed "Almost Human" in concert for the first time on a recent, nerds-only Kiss cruise. Yep, even on the night when Paul Stanley went to the hospital and the band performed without him, this gem stayed in the bag. That's how many good songs Kiss has.

​Think Kiss is all mediocre head-banging bullshit? Cuddle up to this fire. It will keep you warm:

 

Gene, of course, is not the only songwriter in the band. In his review of Rock and Roll Over, the respected critic Robert Christgau praised the band for its "tough, catchy songs." I like think that Christgau was thinking of Paul Stanley's contributions when he wrote that passage. Take a look at what Paul brought to RARO:

"I Want You"
"Take Me" (co-written with Sean Delaney)
"Mr. Speed" (co-written with Delaney)
"Hard Luck Woman"
"Makin' Love" (Delaney again)

Eight moths later, the band released Love Gun. "I Stole Your Love" and "Love Gun" (Paul songs) opened each side. The solo albums came next, and Colin's right that Paul's is the best of the bunch. Starchild was on fire. 

The band's Lennon/McCartney dynamic is a big reason why the band has endured. No, I am not arguing Kiss was as good as and important as the Beatles. But bands with two principals have a lot of advantages: more songs, a less fertile environment for self-indulgence. When one crew chief hits in a dry spell or becomes disinterested (see: Gene, 1982–1991), the other one can put the band on his back. (Paul wore bike reflectors on his.) 

Having two male leads has obviously meant a lot to Kiss' live shows. When you begin to tire of Paul's ass-shaking, finger-linking and chest-hair caressing, you can watch a seven-foot bat clomp around, breathe fire and leer at your date. 

Sure, sure, there's a lot not to like about Kiss. The relentless and crass merchandising. How obnoxious Gene is. The lyrics. (Not content to write a song called "Love Gun," Paul would later reference said gun in song called "Bang, Bang You.") Hipsters collect and swap Paul's ridiculous stage banter in the same way that hipsters of yore used to swap videotapes of Jerry Lewis being maudlin on his telethon. 

I cannot defend Kiss Kaskets or Gene's interview with Terry Gross. But if I knew something about your tastes, I could probably burn a CD of Kiss songs that you would like (or at least not hate). If I took you to a show, you would think it is dumb in a pro wrestling kind of way. But your head would bob when the band played "Love Gun" and you might think Gene's boots are also kind of cool, too.

"A million so-and-so's can't be wrong" is usually a bad argument. But if the Grateful Dead gets to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, so does Kiss. The fist pumps and hippie dances have spoken. 

So here's a toast (or as Paul might say, a little al-ka-HOL!!!) to the band famous enough to appear on jigsaw puzzles, greedy enough to remain a going concern several years after a "farewell" tour, and tough and catchy enough to keep us interested. 

David Martin

I'm Opening for Miles Nielsen this Friday at Natalie's - by Colin Gawel

If you haven't already got tickets for the Two Cow Garage / Tommy Stinson show this Friday August 19th, I've got another suggestion for your social calendar. Yours truly will be opening the show for the fabulous Miles Nielsen and The Rusted Hearts at the equally fabulous Natalie's Coal Fired Pizza in Worthington. I'll be on at 10 pm with Miles and crew following around 10:45.

Click here to reserve a table or purchase tickets.    

Sure, Miles happens to be the son of Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, but he and his band the Rusted Hearts have cut out their own swath of pop-infused cosmic American music. I'm a huge fan. In fact, you may have read the story I posted a while back. (click here to read "Miles Nielsen is the opposite of Sammy Hagar's Kid")  

His latest record is Heavy Metal. You can check out the video below and click here to visit his website.  Hope you can make it out to the show. It's going to be a good one. 

Directed by Melissa Revels Edited by Robert J. Williams

4.29.16

Above: Heavy Metal teaser.  Below: Me

Official music video for Colin Gawel's "Superior". The single was released on the EP-CD "Superior" by Mike Landolt's Curry House Records label. More at www.colingawel.com. Video produced by Palestra Creative (www.palestracreative.com).

Behind The Scenes: Colin's Music Video - by Wal Ozello

I met Colin when I was in film school in the early '90's. Even back then I wanted to film a music video for him, as I was always impressed with the way he told a story through his lyrics. 

So when our paths crossed again decades later, I knew I'd have a chance.  The right song never came around until Colin pressed his latest CD, The Best of Colin Gawel: Superior. He shared with me an early mix of track four, called "Dad Can't Help You Now" and I said, "That one's mine." It's a good thing I claimed it early because others jumped at the chance as well, but Colin set it aside for me and I'm grateful he did.

For the past couple Sundays, we've been busy shooting footage for it.  A friend of mine and local filmmaker, Alex Williams, offered to be the Director of Photography and another local filmmaker, Maria Clark of Brainstorm Media, offered to be the Producer. Filmmaker Tim Baldwin plays the role of Dad and I cast my son, Sam, as the Son.  Colin got two Upper Arlington baseball teams to help out, the Rough Riders and UA Bears, and parents from the teams came out to support. We also got some extra production help from Claire George, Jonathan Rolston, Lucas Lewinter, Sarah Martin, and Ryan Newell. 

The film is now in the editor's hands, Eric Ringquist, and we're all impatiently waiting the results of his magic. I should see a rough cut in a couple of weeks. But in the meantime, I'd like to share some behind the scenes pictures.  Enjoy!

Colin in the studio

TIme for Colin's Close-Up

Guitar Close-Up

Last game of the season

Colin's son at bat.

Sam getting ready for the big pitch.

Sam getting ready for the big pitch.

Crowd cheering on the team

Bench is cheering on the team

Wal Ozello is a local filmmaker and the lead singer of the Columbus hairband Armada. He's the author of the science fiction time travel books Assignment 1989, Revolution 1990 and Sacrifice 2086 and a frequent customer at Colin's Coffee.

ALICE COOPER RUINED MY BIRTHDAY - by Scott Carr

OK, that may sound a little harsh but it is 100% true. On my birthday in 1989 Alice released an album that I think is the worst thing he ever put down on tape. The aptly titled Trash was released twenty seven years ago today but my disappointment in this record and Alice are still as vivid as yesterday.

It's exciting when you learn that one of your favorite bands or artists are gonna release a record on "your" day. I remember in 1980 AC/DC released their career defining Back In Black album on my birthday. While it took me awhile to get used to singer Brian Johnson as the new voice of AC/DC, there was no denying that they had made a great record.  Also in 1980 Kiss made their debut performance at The Palladium in NYC with drummer Eric Carr, who had replaced the recently departed Peter Criss. Out of all the days in the year two of my favorite bands picked my birthday for these events. I felt like the coolest kid on the block.

Fast forward nine years and I am still at an age when birthdays are still exciting and seem really important. I had heard that Alice Cooper was gonna be releasing his new album on July 25th, so I knew my birthday would include a trip to the local mall to pick up his new record. I woke up bright and early on that birthday morning and could only think of one thing, I gotta get to the mall and get the new Alice Cooper record. Everything else could wait but I had to get this record. So I headed to the mall and was waiting patiently for National Record Mart to open. Once the store open I dashed in and grabbed the new Cooper record. I might add that I was the only one waiting in line but my enthusiasm for this record was like I was racing to get the last copy.

Alice had semi-retired after the release of his 1983 album DaDa. Alice was in bad shape during that time, struggling with alcohol & drug addiction and he decided to step away for a few years and get clean. Alice resurfaced in 1986 with the album Constrictor and quickly followed it up with 1987's Raise Your Fist and Yell. Both records were supported with very successful tours. Alice was healthy again and his shows during this time are considered some of his best. Alice had something to prove and you could tell he was ready to reclaim his title "the king of shock rock." I saw Alice in 1986 on the "Nightmare Returns" tour and I still consider it one of the best concerts I've ever seen. Constrictor and Raise Your Fist and Yell were both solid records but they didn't burn up the charts. Alice's concerts were sell-outs but that had not translated to record sales.

I liked the direction had gone with Raise Your Fist and Yell, it was a little more heavy metal than Alice had ever been but it worked. I had planned on getting more of the same with Trash but that was not the case. I became a little concerned when I saw the album was produced by Desmond Child. Desmond was credited with turning Kiss into a disco band. Desmond had co-wrote "I Was Made For Loving You" on Kiss' 1979 album Dynasty. Of course Desmond would go on to work with many other artists including Aerosmith, Joan Jett and Bon Jovi. Desmond had become known for his slick production work, so I was a little nervous at what his collaboration with Alice would bring.

When I got the record home and put it on the turntable I knew instantly that this was a different Alice than the one that had made Raise Your Fist and Yell. The production was very slick and big. The opening track "Poison" was pretty good but had a more commercial sound than anything in Alice's catalog. The album is loaded with special guests including Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Jon Bon Jovi, and Steve Luckather among others. It felt like Desmond had called in a bunch of favors on this record. Desmond co-wrote almost every song on Trash and every song felt like it was trying to be a hit. The weirdest thing that struck me about Trash was the New Jersey twang that Alice had developed in his vocal delivery. I was like what the hell is wrong with Alice's voice. I was underwhelmed with the entire record and my birthday was ruined. How could Alice let me down on my birthday.......I was crushed.

The irony of all this is, Trash went on to be one of Alice's biggest records and  a worldwide success. It was his first platinum record in many years and the videos from the record were staples on MTV. So the direction Alice chose with Trash connected with a lot of people but not with this birthday boy.

All these years later I have still not warmed up to this record. I usually pull it out on my birthday to give it a spin but it still falls flat for me. Alice redeemed himself in my eyes with his next record, Hey Stoopid, a much better record all around. Alice has released some great records since Trash but none have been on my birthday. The only way I can see Alice making all things right with me is making a new album with all original surviving Alice Cooper Group members and releasing it on my birthday.

If that doesn't happen......I still have Back In Black!

I posted some videos below so you can decide for yourself.

Also for some further Alice Cooper reading you can check out my review of Muscle of Love here

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH  bands Radio Tramps andReturning April.  Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

Alice Cooper's official music video for 'Poison'. Click to listen to Alice Cooper on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/ACooperSpot?IQid=ACooperP As featured on Classicks.

Alice Cooper's official music video for 'House Of Fire'. Click to listen to Alice Cooper on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/ACooperSpot?IQid=ACooperHOF As featured on Classicks.

Alice Cooper with his hit from the late 80's "Bed Of Nails".

Music video by Alice Cooper performing Only My Heart Talkin'. (C) 1990 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

Grading the First PromoWest Fest - by Colin G.

There has been much buzz both online and in the coffee shop about the initial PromoWest Fest held last weekend in McFerson Commons. Since I have no dog in the fight, I figured it couldn't hurt to weigh in with my two cents as an impartial observer. Keep in mind that I only attended the opening day of the festival and I'm really no expert on anything except Cheap Trick. And......begin.

The Concept: There seem to be festivals popping up all over and if a local company with the clout of PromoWest wants to throw one in our hometown I say, "Why the hell not?" I'm a music fan and I'm all for anything that brings more music to Columbus. It was also a way to feature many of the bands the CD1025 has championed through the years. Grade: A

The Branding: Seems like most festivals have a snappy name like Bonnaroo or Lollapalooza or something to get the kids excited while distracting them from their parent's credit cards they are loading up. PromoWest Fest is fine I suppose but they may have left some easy merchandise money on the table. Grade: B

The Line-Up: No matter how you feel about the actual company that is PromoWest, even the biggest cynic would be hard pressed to find fault with this year's music line-up. This is the upside that PromoWest brings to the table. Ryan Adams, Snoop Dog, Modest Mouse and The Flaming Lips along with some local acts like Red Wanting Blue and Nick D, just to name a few. Great line-up. Grade A+

Ticket Prices: Not sure I could plunk down the 3-day pass cash but overall it was a reasonable value. Grade B

VIP Experience: While I wasn't a VIP, the sections they had access to were better than most VIP sections I have experienced. On the downside, some performers were bummed about a big empty swash of green grass right in front of the stage, harshing their groove. Maybe split the difference next year?  Grade: B

The Third Stage Being Cancelled: There seemed to be some hubbub about this online but I couldn't really follow what was happening. I didn't miss the third stage while I was there. I can't even imagine where they would have put it. Grade: Incomplete

Lots of green, excellent stages at both ends on McFerson Commons

Lots of green, excellent stages at both ends on McFerson Commons

The Venue: McFerson Commons was much bigger than I remembered. The grass was lush and green and the buildings provided plenty of shade. Once again, I was only there on Friday, but there was plenty of space if you wanted but it was easy to join a crowd if getting in the mix was/is your thing. Grade A+

Vendors/Bathrooms/Stuff:  After talking to vendors and patrons I have two suggestions to improve the festival next year. 1) The craft beer garden is a nifty idea, but once people discovered it, they had to walk 200 yards the other direction to load up money on the wristbands and then return. Some vendors felt all that effort was hurting sales as people just got tired and surrendered to Miller Lite, which had a choice location right next to the load up station. Next year, put an additional cash spot closer to the craft beer garden. So people could see beer, buy beer, with minimal effort. 2) Some patrons seemed to have trouble finding the water station so maybe set that up closer to the gate so everybody lays eyes on it right from the get go. However, these are minor tweaks, I thought overall there were plenty of good food/drink choices and I never saw a line at the restrooms. Grade: B+

Production: The park had stages set up on each end and both were totally pro. Great sound and lights. I liked the big screen placement so you could watch the band from a distance if you wanted to maintain a little green space. I was there primarily to see Noel Gallagher & the High Flying Birds and the whole show was excellent. The bands started right on time and having zero downtime between the acts was a plus. Grade: A

Set Length: I fancy myself more of a punk than a hippie, so overall, I prefer a one hour set time and a rigid schedule than some rambling jamfest that drags on until dawn. Don't bore us, get to the chorus. Having said that, I talked to a number of Flaming Lips fans that were disappointed that they had spent good money and the band only played 40 minutes and ended rather abruptly while headlining Friday night. In the future, PromoWest may want to budget in a little flex time at the end of the night so the headliners don't get squeezed. Grade on Overall Schedule B+ / Grade on Hard Closing Time 11 pm C-

Those Crazy Wristbands Part 1: Okay, this seems to be the big bone of contention. I got hipped to the whole no-cash/credit/wristband thing a day before attending so I was mentally prepared to bend over and take it in style. Sure, a $2.00 "activation fee" combined with a $3.50 "termination fee" was  a shameless money grab but aren't we all used to that by now? The bottom line about any for-profit music festival is always the bottom line. Even those peace- loving hippies who set up Woodstock would gouge out your eyeballs with a one-hitter for an extra nickel. It's a rock n roll tradition. 

Obviously nobody enjoys having their hard-earned money nicked in the name of convenience, but don't give me the babe in the woods routine, Karen (Goodfellas). We all knew the rules going in, The Man was going to get your $$ one way or another so deal with it, bitch a little about it, and then move on and enjoy the music.  Grade: C

Why I Hate Those Crazy Wristbands: Okay, NOW I've got a problem. I showed up with my 12- year old son at 4:30 on Friday afternoon. We walked up to the venue with our tickets and were told we cannot enter the venue unless we first have our wristbands. I asked, "We aren't planning on buying anything, can't we just enter?" "Nope. Got to have the wristband." He then pointed across the street to the Nationwide box office where a line a quarter mile long was standing in the sun. And not moving.

So now Owen and I are standing in a huge line that isn't moving, directly across from the festival where nobody is entering. Holding our tickets. Meanwhile, Red Wanting Blue has ended and X Ambassadors are starting. Thankfully, I was mostly concerned with seeing Noel Gallagher so I wasn't too stressed (yet) but people around me in line who bought tickets and were fans of X were understandably upset. By 6 pm, we have only moved 20 yards or so and Owen is asking, "Should we just go home?" At that point people just began blowing up social media, myself included, hoping to draw attention to what was happening outside the venue. 

Just before we were ready to bail on the whole thing, people emerged from the box office and began handing out wristbands to anybody who had a ticket. Geez, that wasn't so hard. After waiting with our tickets for about 90 minutes, we got into the festival with 15 minutes to spare. 

So in the future, if my ticket does not gain entry to the show, it needs to say on the ticket (in big letters) - THIS TICKET IS NOT GOOD FOR ENTRY - because normal folks like me just assume I can at least enter the show and then get my wristband. I am assuming this policy was changed for Saturday & Sunday. Once in the venue, the line to load up the wristbands was long but mostly because the entire line of 300 ticket holder flooded in at the same time. I heard the rest of the weekend was smooth.  Grade: F

For the record, I put $20 on a wristband. With activation fee that gave me $18.00. I bought one beer and one Sprite leaving me $5.00 I didn't use. The fee for "unused" money was $3.50 so I should be getting a tidy $1.50 back on my credit card. If just 1,000 people did this each day of the festival that's $16,500 in fees. Like picking free money up off of the ground. Pretty crafty indeed. Well played. 

Social Media: Sure, the interwebs are crawling with haters but here is an idea, next year PromoWest Fest should put somebody in charge of handling the complaints through social media. People who are paying good money to attend a festival have a right to their opinion, both good and bad. In fact, many of these ideas will help you improve the festival in the future. Hell, if not for social media, I'd still be standing in line with my son waiting for a wristband. 

So instead of trying to shut people up, how about, "We appreciate your concerns and are working hard trying to improve the situation in the future. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and have a great PromoWest Fest." See, that's not so hard. You can use it next year. You're Welcome. I would think of all companies, PromoWest would understand that people having feedback about the festival isn't personal, it's just business.   Grade D

But to be clear, my over all impression of the first PromoWest Fest is very positive and I look forward to attending again in 2017. Considering how many things can go wrong when planning an event of this magnitude, they got most everything right. Hats off to PromoWest Fest. It's a welcome addition to the Columbus social calendar and it has real upside to become something special in the future. 

Overall Grade: B+

Colin Gawel plays in the band Watershed. Read all about him in the book Hitless Wonder. He is also a member of the band Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?. And the League Bowlers. and The Lonely Bones. 

Below: Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds showing why the first PromoWest Fest was a success. It's the music stupid.

Uploaded by nicelemon2 on 2016-07-17.