Tribute Fest Weekend Review

Kahla Statema Aug 24, 2015 11 Comments

I’m sure many Duluthians overheard the vibrating sounds that echoed from Bayfront Park this weekend, considering Mayor Don Ness received a handful of tweets regarding how loud the music was. Yes, the music was a little loud, but the bands that played brought a lot of energy, and it was all for a good cause.

Lou Campbell of Campbell Productions hosted the 2015 Tribute Fest, an event that raises money for homeless veterans.

On Friday, Tribute Fest kicked off with Duluth native Todd Eckart, who covered Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Ray Orbison. The night followed with tributes to Stevie Ray Vaughn (Monny Ray and Triple Trouble), Prince (Chase and Ovation), Lynyrd Skynyrd (Freebird), and Metallica (One).

Saturday included tributes to The Who (Who’s Who), Elton John (Captain Fantastic), Bon Jovi (Shot Through The Heart), Journey (The Journey Experience), and Led Zeppelin (Zed Leppelin).

Events, Music Bayfront Festival Park, Cover Bands

11 Comments

tamara

about 9 years ago

Just a thought - the subtle insinuation that because people were upset about the noise and so that clearly makes them anti-veteran is just a Fox News-worthy ploy to allow this festival to get away with the fact that they went beyond the 10 p.m. curfew and went over the allowable decibel levels.

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

I haven't heard much squabbling about the Bayfront curfew lately, but I doubt it's 10 p.m. 

The scheduled starting time for the last band at Tribute Fest was 10 p.m. Bayfront Blues Festival had bands starting at 10:30. I have routinely been at shows well past 10 p.m. at Bayfront. If there is a 10 p.m. curfew, it is clearly not enforced.

Although Perfect Duluth Day is a sponsor of the Tribute Fest, I assure you there is no subtle plot here to label noise complainers as anti-veteran.

We all know how this goes: If you are the one in the middle of a loud party having a good time, everyone complaining is a killjoy. If you are the one trying to get some sleep or at least a little peace and quiet at the end of the day, the partiers are a nuisance to society. Just about everyone ends up on both ends of this at one time or another.

Like Mayor Ness, I was out of town when this concert was happening and didn't hear it for myself, but obviously the number of complaints makes it clear the music was too loud.

It is perhaps silly that law enforcement officials could end up routinely setting up decibel meters and shaking their fingers at sound technicians in the future, but we are talking about basically half of the city's right to go to bed, so perhaps it has to be that way. Hopefully this can be better self-regulated in the future.

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

An excerpt of Mayor Don Ness' remarks about this on Facebook (from Saturday morning):

Throughout the evening, I was getting complaints and people were blaming me personally for their frustration with the show -- even folks who are normally easygoing about this sort of thing, were upset. The complaints grew louder and more desperate as the night went on -- stories of kids being kept awake, windows rattling, etc. ...

I absolutely support having concerts at Bayfront and I think Tribute Fest is a fun event and obviously for an important cause which I fully support. The key is finding the appropriate balance between folks having a good time at Bayfront and respecting the experience of those trying to get a good night sleep. It's certainly possible to do both -- that's what we should strive for. From the reports I received last night, it seems the mix was too loud. That's an easy problem to fix. ...

I am going to try to reach the concert promoter today to have a conversation.

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

Apparently the volume on Friday was so loud it upset nature itself, as this photo from Saturday night by Tim Mlodozyniec‎ suggests.

brian

about 9 years ago

We were in town and about two and a half miles from Bayfront. Even taking in to account atmospheric conditions, the wind, etc., it was quite a bit louder than usual Friday. Saturday and Sunday were fine. 

Whoever got the finger wagged at them Saturday morning took care of the knobs and dials and doohickeys that needed to be taken care of.

I'm old, but I'm wondering if people who were at Bayfront Friday found it uncomfortably loud right in front of the stage.

RubberChicken

about 9 years ago

Nope. We were right in front of the stage Friday and it was the same as last year. Definitely not louder. By the way, Kaylee Matuszak also played on Friday. She did a fifteen minute set of Brandi Carlile songs between Stevie Ray Vaughn and Prince.

Jake

about 9 years ago

I have it on good authority that the music Friday night was around 100db at the front of house. A loud rock show is generally around 105-115db.  Sound and wind can do strange things sometimes.

tamara

about 9 years ago

To be clear, I'm not saying  that PDD was suggesting that folks who complained were anti-veteran, but rather the poster who posted it (as well as just about everybody who posted in favor of the loud music on social media.)

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

The author of this post is an intern at PDD, so ... well ... clarifications all around, I guess.

Lawrence Lee

about 9 years ago

...

Kahla Statema

about 9 years ago

I never got to put in my two cents on this, as the author of this post, but I find it amusing to see that people assume that I am anti-veteran or people who agreed the music was too loud are anti-veteran. 

Let me say this, I go to concerts often and enjoy the front row. Loud music does not bother me. The louder the music, the better. I was in the VIP section during tribute fest sitting front row amidst others, but at one point I asked my dad if we could move back a little because the volume music hurt my ears a little. How in the world does that make me anti-veteran? I obviously can't speak for all the others who thought the music was loud, but what evidence do you have that anyone here is anti-veteran? If anyone complained that the music was too loud during pride fest this past weekend, does that make them a homophobe?  

And to be clear, the last sentence in my first paragraph says, "Yes, the music was a little loud, but the bands that played brought a lot of energy, and it was all for a good cause." Emphasis on IT WAS ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE. 

I apologize if any others are offended by this post, but do not assume such silly thoughts about others. That is all.

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