Chinga Talk
Marion enjoyed its 11th Chingawassa Days in June 2007. This annual festival has become one of the highlights of the year, and a great selling point for those promoting the quality of life in our town. Even though everyone has some idea what the festival offers, you can't really know what goes into staging the event unless you have been on the Chinga committee. To answer questions and clear up areas of confusion, Pete the Chingawassa Rhino has agreed to respond to a number of questions. The issues and Pete's responses will be presented in a series of columns the next few weeks.
Dear Pete: How does the committee select the bands for the Saturday night concert (continued)?
Pete's answer: Last week we talked about the procedure the committee uses and some of the factors that go into band choices. Let's explore some of the other things that are considered.
Chingawassa committee members frequently are given the names and/or contact information for regional bands that local people have seen and enjoyed. Oftentimes the person giving the information suggests that the band would be a great act for Chingawassa because they put on such a good show. The committee does investigate such bands, and on a couple of occasions have booked them to perform on Friday night, or as the opening act on Saturday.
The problem with this is, although the acts often are substantially less expensive than the national recording artists Chingawassa normally books, they also are largely unknown. The public tends to attend concerts of bands they recognize. Having a band put on a great concert with no one there to watch them doesn't really accomplish much.
One of the primary factors the Chingawassa committee considers in picking its bands is name recognition. Unless the band suggested by others has enough name recognition or area following to sell enough extra tickets to pay their fee, it is not economically feasible for the committee to book them.
There are a number of good local bands that can be obtained for very reasonable fees, so it doesn't make sense to pay $2,000 or $3,000 for an out-of-area band that won't increase attendance, even if they do put on a good show.
The committee looks first at name recognition. If a majority of the public says "who?" when they hear the band name, it is not going to be a well-attended concert. The band has to have had a number of hits and be a name that at least a majority of people recognize instantly.
The bands needs to put on a good show. There are obviously no guarantees and a lot of things can impact how a performer feels on the night of the concert. But generally, the committee looks for bands with a reputation for being professional and giving the public their money's worth.
As with everything in life, the ultimate deciding factor is cost. There are a couple of bands that the committee has pursued year after year, but have been unable to book because of scheduling conflicts or cost.
Everyone can come up with great bands we would all like to hear, but the committee has to find great bands whose price can be negotiated down to a level that won't bankrupt the festival.
In nine years of concerts, the committee is very proud of the product that has been presented. Some concerts have been better than others, without a doubt. But, Chingawassa Days has presented a variety of bands to satisfy a great number of musical tastes.
The intent is to continue to seek out the best bands available for the money. Oftentimes they will be rock, occasionally country, but the bottom line is they will be nationally known acts that will provide great entertainment in beautiful Central Park.
