fulltime, I am the main one on here doing the fussing, but it isn't because they were charging admission. It is because there were almost no people in the audience for whom the bands to play, and that was due to Seaside charging admission. As another person pointed out today, there are typically more people on that grass in Seaside, when there is nothing going on, even though the last three days were silently free. If the place was packed, you wouldn't hear me moaning. I am embarrassed for the lack of the audience, and since many people were in town, I think it is solely due to a lack of promotion and ticket prices. It is fine to put on your blinders and enjoy the almost private show, but for me, there is something about live audiences. I am reminded of the idea of going into a supposedly great restaurant on a Friday night, only to see no one else there. To me, that is how this week's shows felt. Rebirth Brass Band played a wedding a couple of weeks ago with more people than the Seaside Jazz Festival opening day. Perhaps if I said that the Seaside Jazz Festival was a successful event, then, you could ask me to share what I was smoking.
Today was a repeat audience of the last two days. Pictures above, from Friday, were the same scene for Saturday and Sunday. As I was standing on the sidewalk after today's show ended, I had people stop their cars and ask me if something was going on. I kid you not. There is not one banner posted, nor names of bands listed, no welcome to the Seaside Jazz Fest posters, for people to see when driving through Seaside. From inside the venue, all you would really know is that it was a Heineken Festival with Jazz, but no one was drinking.
