yay Rufus and FourTet!

So what's up with Daniel Lanlios [sic]? I spell Daniel Lanios' name as it was billed on the north-side stage list of musicians. Bad oversight and typo.

A bluesfest article in the Citizen on Sunday points out that "an overly enthusiastic shutterbug" ticked-off Lanois to which he said angrily, "I've got this camera in my face and it's really bugging me. Give it a break buddy." (p.A9, July 10, 2005) Patrick Langston goes on to write that by the time the performance was over, Lanois lost least half his audience. Wow. Only wish I was there to witness that artistic meltdown.

Oh and yeah, the photo you posted looks like people are watching "free entertainment" as it seems they are on the other "non-paying" side of the fence. Quick! Call security!...I say this dripping with sarcasm.

I also heard of one loyal fan on CBC Radio this morning who annually rents a hotel room in the Lord Elgin facing the Plaza for the bluesfest only to be disappointed in that the stage is now turned around, all in the name of "having more room to accommodate paying clients."

Whatever... and with all these huge headliners, attendance is reportedly only up 15% so far since last year's bluesfest.

Next thing you'll know security will be handing out ear muffs so we can't hear the outdoor entertainment.

[Sorry for my rant on your blog.]

I hate to say it ... but there were LOTS of people enjoying the entertainment from the "wrong" side of the fence (myself included)... especially lounging with chairs in the empty (and public!) Confederation Park. Hey, you have a loud music festival in a downtown "concrete corridor".. sound travels.

But it definitely wasn't me ticking off Lanois!

I almost feel fested out.

I was at the Lanois show - and it totally wasn't like that. Lanois asked the guy who was videotaping his show to turn it off for a bit so he could sing to just the audience instead of a camera. The citizen reporter was trying to stir the pot more than it needed stirring, I think. Ah sensationalism. AND....note that the reporter said nothing about Lanois saying to the guy 20 minutes later "ok, thanks for taking a break, you can turn it back on now".

The only people who left were the dreaded lawn-chair sitters (sorry if I like you and you're a lawn-chairite, but lawn chairs at outdoor music events are awful!), which was great, because it finally made room for the ton of people who wanted to see the show standing up (like me). It was still a reasonably crowded show.

(oops - longer than I intended this to be)

Robyn,
I agree with the lawnchair comment. If one feels the need to bring a chair to an event (and/or and umbrella for the sun), you should rethink attending. But was it Lanois' comment that made those people leave or his music, or just a lack of appreciation/bad manners, since Lanois was the last act of the night anyway?

I think it was more the latter than the former. Anyone in the crowd could clearly see (or it was plain to me, anyhow) that it wasn't directed at some snap-happy tourist, but more at someone who was right up in his face, preventing him (or so he felt) from giving his audience something geniune, vs a canned for-the-camera performance. He was also just about to go into a pedal steel solo that I don't think he was too confident about. I wouldn't have wanted it on camera either.