Writing this generated images of Pete Seeger wielding a fire axe, but it is something that has been bothering me for quite some time and I had to let it out.
Is it appropriate to incorporate the word "folk" into a festival's title when the music presented is not folk? I understand festivals book certain artists outside the core genre for their popular appeal in order to draw day patrons, the revenue from which is gravy, but if over time the music presented shifts from folk to pop, is it appropriate to retain the word "folk", or better to re-brand?
The precedent certainly exists. Before it was terminated, the "Boston Folk Festival" was re-branded as the "Boston Music Festival." When its focus moved away from bluegrass to "Americana", the Ossipee Valley Bluegrass Festival became the "Ossipee Valley Music Festival."
Here are two current examples of misuse of the word "folk" in a festival title:
1. NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL: "Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer, sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls" -Wikipediato is a featured artist. Is she a folk artist? Apparently the producers of the Newport Folk Festival think she is, as she and several others popsters, including Feist, Jim James, the Lumineers, Milk Carton Kids, Shovels and Rope...) are on the bill.
Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer, sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer
2. PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL: "Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop star, supported by the certified gold solo double LP" -WikipediaIs Todd Rundgren a folk artist? Apparently the producers of the Philadelphia Folk Festival do, he is billed, in capital letters, as their Saturday headliner.http://www.pfs.org/event/saturday-main-stage-concert-mavericks-todd-rundgren-pocket-black-prairie-more-08-17-2013-1600
Todd Rundgren
Marketeers and branders are clever people, they will do apparently do anything (except consult with ethno-musicologists) to attract patrons, but don't hold your breath expecting these popsters to be booked into Clifftop or Harry Smith Frolic or other folk festivals.
A believer in truth in advertising, I would have more respect for the Philadelphia and Newport festivals to re-brand themselves as "Philadelphia Pop Festival" and "Newport Pop Festival."
Or here's a novel idea, Philadelphia and Newport could return to their roots and let Amanda Plamer and her fellow travelers find bookings at Bonnaroo and similar.
Thanks for allowing me to vent, I feel much better now and heading to the Lowell Folk Festival.
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