The Fall Line Fest kicks off its second year 9/5 & 6 featuring 56 local, regional and national bands in 6 venues over 2 days in downtown RVA. This year, they’re adding a few things:
– A companion art show, (“Rhythm” at Gallery 5 through 9/25) jurored by Lisa Freiman, director of VCU’s new Institute for Contemporary Art.
– A mural will be painted on the side of Quirk Gallery.
– A brunch featuring 6 area chefs (Toast, Blue Goat, Mint Room, The Camel, Society and Social 52) will be held at the Broadberry, free to anyone with a Fest wrist band (Saturday, 11-2)
– Wrist band holders will get taxi discounts by way of Uber (details to be finalized this week).
The coolest part for me is the grass-roots nature of the collective that puts the Fest together – an indie voice of sorts. Not at all corporate (although there are corporate sponsors), it’s more of an experienced brain trust of 10 friends and volunteers dedicated to making people more aware of downtown Richmond as a safe, fun destination. “The hippest place to be that weekend,” hopes the organizers. All proceeds go to the bands and the venues. The organizers all have day jobs and do it on their own time.
The nature of the Fest – multiple bands in multiple venues – encourages people to explore parts of the city they might normally not frequent. The opening date is by design, too. It coincides with the September First Friday art walk, as well as the return of students to area universities – notably VCU. In effect it’s a cultural melding, where crowds might cross-pollinate the events to everyone’s benefit.
On the down side, it is NASCAR weekend and the Lockn’ Music Festival is less than two hours away. Stephen Lecky, one of the Fest organizers, acknowledges that but feels the Fall Line Fest “taps into a different audience”.
Of late, RVA has many festival-type events to choose from – the Richmond Folk Festival, Music at Maymont, 2nd Street Festival and Friday Cheers…not to mention ongoing concerts at local breweries, one-off charity events and similar events in nearby cities. Is there such a thing as a saturation point? It’s a concern Stephen and his friends have thought seriously about.
The ultimate vision is for the Fest to look nothing like it is now. Beyond the music, there may be panels dealing with the music business, food, art…anything really. It could become very TED-like. Acknowledging the volunteer nature of the organization, Stephen says, “We have huge, huge ideas…executing them, well…. We’re just trying to take baby steps right now.” Stephan promises if the Fest does take hold, in 5 years it will look nothing like it does now. I’m willing to bet they will learn to run just fine.
PHOTOS OF THE 2013 FEST BY DAVE PARISH PHOTOGRAPHY.