Jamestown Savings Bank Arena and Blue Moon Management have teamed up to bring area residents an indoor fall music festival called Rocktoberfest.
According to Matthew Hanson, events manager for Jamestown Savings Bank Arena, the concept of the show came from CEO Kurt Silcott, and with the help of Blue Moon Management's John Streed. The group decided that they wanted to try something that hasn't been done before in the local music scene.
"We are very excited about this event," said Hanson. "It's always great to open up our venue to talented local musicians who work tirelessly to entertain our community."
Article Photos
Pictured is the Americana roots rock band Big Leg Emma. Pictured left to right are: electric guitarist and vocalist Kev Rowe; vocalist, acoustic and electric guitarist Steve Johnson; vocalist, mandolin player and percussionist Charity Nuse; drummer Corey Kertzie; and bass guitarist Bill Burke.
Photo by Torrey Johnson
The event will feature two stages set up in DFT Communications Arena A where bands will begin performing on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 4 p.m., and will play continuously until about 11:30. The bands playing at the festival in order of appearance: Pressure Sensitive, Gina V and The Barn Cats, Smokehouse, Smackdab, and Big Leg Emma.
"This will create a festival atmosphere in the arena for both spectators and the acts themselves," said Hanson. "This will be an all-day party for people in attendance, and it's an event that we would like to build on in the future."
One of the aspects that makes this festival something that hasn't been done before is that beginning at 9:30 p.m. Smackdab and Big Leg Emma will be playing on both stages at the same time, but alternating every two songs.
"I wanted to take some of the great bands from our area and get them together to have a big show," said Streed. "Having Smackdab and Big Leg Emma alternating songs makes a really neat dynamic for the crowd. Big Leg Emma will also have an earlier set at 7 p.m., and this will be their last local performance of 2012."
According to Matt Baxter, guitarist and vocalist for Smackdab, having original and cover bands playing at the same venue will bring together a variety of fans.
"This doesn't happen very often; it's usually all original or all cover," said Baxter. "So, it will be nice to have both crowds. It will also separate itself from the bar scene to get a different crowd out. And it will bring the whole multiple band vibe together under one roof for one last big show."
Baxter is also interested in seeing the response from the crowd while alternating songs with Big Leg Emma.
"That's interesting because it's an experiment, and we'll see how bouncing songs off each other goes," said Baxter. "We also have a lot of new material that we've been saving up for this show as a debut. We'll be focusing on this new batch of songs this fall and winter so that we can get a new album recorded."
Dan Beckley and Advanced Production Group will be providing the sound, light, and stage for the show and has worked with the arena on setting up the logistics for the event.
"It's going to be a professional deal," said Streed. "And, it's 20 bucks for seven hours of continuous music from the cream of the crop in local talent. The vibe is great, the attendance on Facebook has been great, and I really do think that this is going to be a huge success. Especially so for the musicians who get the opportunity to see other musicians, which I think needs to happen more. What it does is fuses the music scene together tighter. We have such a vibrant music scene, and this is a celebration of that."
Guests are encouraged to bring hula hoops for use on the track around the top of the arena.
The show is all ages, and tickets are $20. Jamestown Savings Bank Arena is located at 319 W. Third St. in Jamestown. For more information call 484-2624, visit jamestownsavingsbankicearena.com or search for "Rocktoberfest" on Facebook.