How will SITP organizers top last year?
By Travis Coleman Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, April 13, 2008
B.B. King performs during Saturday in the Park at Grandview Park last June. (Staff photo by Jim Lee)
SIOUX CITY -- Before a record Saturday in the Park crowd last year, B.B. King gave what one of the festival's co-founders called one of the event's best performances.
So how do organizers follow that? They can't.
Co-founder Dave Bernstein just hopes that this Fourth of July weekend, he'll luck out as he did last year. Those who attend the festival, however, have plenty of ideas for Bernstein and others.
And this is the time of year that speculation about the SITP lineup reaches a fever pitch.
"You can't run it with the method that you're going to top yourself," said Bernstein, SITP co-founder.
We don't know who the headliner will be or what this year's lineup will look like, but Bernstein has a pretty good idea by now. And he shared a few of his booking methods ahead of the 18th edition of Siouxland's premier free music festival:
-- The lineup is mostly determined by routing.
-- SITP doesn't feature many of repeat performers.
-- Organizers usually book the headliners first.
-- Previous concert cancellations can lead to SITP as a replacement gig, as it did for B.B. King last year.
Bernstein was mostly tight-lipped on this year's lineup but did offer one hint.
"We're probably going to appeal to possibly a different crowd," Bernstein said.
It's hard to pigeonhole the festival in terms of musical genre. Previous editions of the daylong concert founded in 1990 by Bernstein and Adam Feiges have been headlined by artists as diverse as the Neville Brothers, Santana, Buddy Guy, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Ziggy Marley, Michelle Branch, the Black Crowes and, well, you get the picture.
While organizers certainly feel the pressure to put on a good show, Bernstein does enjoy getting lineup referrals from SITP fans, like those suggesting some obscure blues rocker they saw in Chicago.
"We always try to make (SITP) accessible to as many people as possible," Bernstein said.
You pick the lineup
Sure, speculation is unfair. After all, most of the lineup is probably already in place. But what fun is it to simply sit by and wait?
So log on to www.siouxcityjournal.com and tell us who you think would be a worthy addition to the Saturday in the Park lineup by commenting on this story. You can check out Travis Coleman's dream lineup by going to www.siouxcityjournal.com/blogs/heardmentality.
Let the speculation begin.
-- Chuck Berry
-- B.B. King
-- The Allman Brothers Band
-- Santana
-- Buddy Guy
Who do you want to play this year's show? Join in the discussion with your thoughts by adding a comment to this story online at siouxcityjournal.com.
So how do organizers follow that? They can't.
Co-founder Dave Bernstein just hopes that this Fourth of July weekend, he'll luck out as he did last year. Those who attend the festival, however, have plenty of ideas for Bernstein and others.
And this is the time of year that speculation about the SITP lineup reaches a fever pitch.
"You can't run it with the method that you're going to top yourself," said Bernstein, SITP co-founder.
We don't know who the headliner will be or what this year's lineup will look like, but Bernstein has a pretty good idea by now. And he shared a few of his booking methods ahead of the 18th edition of Siouxland's premier free music festival:
-- The lineup is mostly determined by routing.
-- SITP doesn't feature many of repeat performers.
-- Organizers usually book the headliners first.
-- Previous concert cancellations can lead to SITP as a replacement gig, as it did for B.B. King last year.
Bernstein was mostly tight-lipped on this year's lineup but did offer one hint.
"We're probably going to appeal to possibly a different crowd," Bernstein said.
It's hard to pigeonhole the festival in terms of musical genre. Previous editions of the daylong concert founded in 1990 by Bernstein and Adam Feiges have been headlined by artists as diverse as the Neville Brothers, Santana, Buddy Guy, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Ziggy Marley, Michelle Branch, the Black Crowes and, well, you get the picture.
While organizers certainly feel the pressure to put on a good show, Bernstein does enjoy getting lineup referrals from SITP fans, like those suggesting some obscure blues rocker they saw in Chicago.
"We always try to make (SITP) accessible to as many people as possible," Bernstein said.
You pick the lineup
Sure, speculation is unfair. After all, most of the lineup is probably already in place. But what fun is it to simply sit by and wait?
So log on to www.siouxcityjournal.com and tell us who you think would be a worthy addition to the Saturday in the Park lineup by commenting on this story. You can check out Travis Coleman's dream lineup by going to www.siouxcityjournal.com/blogs/heardmentality.
Let the speculation begin.
-- Chuck Berry
-- B.B. King
-- The Allman Brothers Band
-- Santana
-- Buddy Guy
Who do you want to play this year's show? Join in the discussion with your thoughts by adding a comment to this story online at siouxcityjournal.com.
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Jeff wrote on Apr 16, 2008 3:05 PM:
Adam wrote on Apr 15, 2008 8:58 AM:
fan wrote on Apr 14, 2008 5:05 PM:
Dave Bernstein wrote on Apr 13, 2008 9:13 PM:
ladybug wrote on Apr 13, 2008 9:12 PM: