Linda Better Start Promoting
Today is June 23. It’s about 5:30 in the afternoon and a Wednesday. The “Harrisburg Jazz and Multi-Cultural Festival” Hosted By, er, was-Hosted By-But-Now-It-Ain’t-By-Mayor Linda Thompson begins in ten days and there’s nary a calendar, schedule, email blast, Facebook invite or even a TWEET to be found.
Sure, the city is in rough shape and whether or not this poorly-renamed “festival” was even going to happen was up in the air until only about a month ago, but you’ve got an event that you’ve known about since BEFORE you took office and there’s been nothing but BAD INK about it since the renaming- it’s time to HIT THE STREETS.
To make matters worse, the “headliner” of the “Jazz and Multi-Cultural Festival” has been announced…but it ain’t much worth getting excited about. The Duke Ellington Legacy Band – a band formed by the Jazz legend’s, ahem, grandchildren. (which, I guess is better than last year’s American Music Fest headliner – an Asia tribute band)
Look, I might not be qualified to comment on the finances of the city or the wacky situation involving the Harrisburg Authority and the incestuous nature that the appointments are taking, but I DO know a thing or two about booking a show and promoting events and I can say with full confidence that the 2010 American Music Fest Harrisburg Jazz and Multi Cultural Festival is going to be a major disappointment unless the new parks and rec director pulls a gigantic Raven out of his hat and brings back Jerry Garcia, John Lennon and Jim Morrison from the dead to headline a show on a stage borrowed from Pink Floyd and has Bill Graham come down from the skies to promote it.
TEN DAYS AWAY and NO LINEUP!?
Are there any bands booked for this thing? I titled the post the way I did because Linda Thompson is hosting this thing- so, who better to ask than the HOST, right?
Get with it, guys. And if you can’t figure out this part of the administration, HIRE someone to do it.
That’s what she said.