Whether admittedly or not, the major changes to the 2007 version of Street Scene are a reflection of public dissatisfaction of the annual music festival: it was initially slated for the Del Mar Fairgrounds, but when Live Nation, the concert promoters, realized the event was falling way short of filling the giant fairgrounds, they switched the venue in the 11th hour to Coors (now Cricket) Amphitheatre. The change in venues still did little to prove that the once-mighty music fest was losing its significance, amid the shadow of better run fests like Coachella.
The failure of the 2007 bust was after two mediocre years at the hot and blistering Qualcomm Stadium parking lot. Decidedly, Street Scene was one the verge of dying - Live Nation returned the promotion rights back to founder Rob Hagey, who several years ago made the calculated move away from Street Scene's original eclectic musical lineups that became a favorite of music lovers of all types, and towards the 20-something alternative rock crowd, which he deemed more lucrative. Whoops. Big mistake.
Hagey's grab for the filthy lucre alienated so many of the boomer Scene fans, and the change in venues from the streets of the Gaslamp to Qualcomm's parking lot, that Street Scene became just a ho-hum event.
So, Hagey ate crow, teamed up with local music scene meister Tim Mays, and decided earlier this year to "return to Street Scene's roots" and try one more time to find the magic that was once Street Scene. Well, kinda.
The 2008 venue site will include Tailgate Park (adjacent to Petco Park) in the heart of East Village incorporating 14th Street as the main thoroughfare and bordered by Imperial Avenue to J Street. So, it's still centered in a parking lot, but at least some of the four stages have to be reached by traversing actual streets.
And then there's the 2008 lineup. Sure, Beck and Black Crowes have that cool, hip appeal. But the rest of the lineup skews towards the Alternative Rock/College radio format:
- Justice, STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9), Michael Franti & Spearhead, The National, Spoon, TV on The Radio, Atmosphere, Cat Power, Hot Chip, Tegan and Sara, The New Pornographers, X, Vampire Weekend, The Hives, Cold War Kids, Ghostland Observatory, Spiritualized, Antibalas, Man Man, The Mother Hips, Tokyo Police Club, DeVotchKa, The Night Marchers, Nortec Collective presents Bostich + Fussible, Does it Offend You, Yeah?, Del The Funky Homosapien, Eagles of Death Metal, Foals, The Muslims, Dengue Fever, MGMT, Sea Wolf, West Indian Girl and Chester French.
Street Scene may never regain its original appeal and uniqueness: it has become erratic and things have changed too much for it to become a true "street scene." In fact, some observers think this might be Street Scene's last chance if it doesn't prove a success in 2008. Street Scene might regain some lost fans with the return downtown, but with the less-than-compelling lineup, it appears Hagey and Mays want to focus on a younger fan base. And that's a shame.
The Original Scene
Yep, I was in college when this little event began in a desolate parking lot in an even more desolate part of town...the Gaslamp Quarter (actually there were two events in 1984. See, back then, no one ventured much downtown back then. There was no Horton Plaza and nary a bar, nightclub or Italian restaurant that you would take your mother to. Back then, Street Scene was a trailblazer. Among the bands to play at this first event: Los Lobos, The Blasters, X, Robert Cray, and the Neville Brothers.
Over the years, Street Scene has flourished and grown and its reputation for introducing new musical styles to a wide-range of audience tastes was stellar. And the street setting in the Gaslamp Quarter made it even more of a unique event to San Diego.
What began in 1984 with two stages on a small section of San Diego’s 5th avenue had transformed into one of the best-known festivals in the country. But the recent changes in the musical direction (more alternative and hip hop, no more roots rock, blues, zydeco and classic rock), make the past Street Scenes only a memory. With a musical lineup skewing more to the younger, backward baseball cap demographic. It's a move I've questioned ever since Rob Hagey Productions decided to move away from the eclectic music, and frankly, Street Scene has lessened its appeal to me personally. But you chase where the money takes you, I guess. Oh, well.
Street Scene Facts:
Where: Downtown, East Village (near Petco Park
When: Sept. 19 & 2.
Price: Two-day tickets (limited number) are priced at $75 each (plus service charges).
