By Cody Braun
Courtesy of the Carrboro Commons
The night before the Carrboro Music Festival ten years ago, Gerry Williams was scared.
“Lots of professionals said we couldn’t do it,†the music festival’s creator and organizer says. Despite this advice, Williams went forward with the project, which he says has been a great success.
“The next day, I was so happy,†he says. “I was taking down banners, and people were driving by and honking, saying ‘I had a great time yesterday.’â€
The festival, which will celebrate its tenth anniversary September 30, has changed significantly since that first year.
Williams says the event originally took place as close to June 21 as possible each year to celebrate the summer solstice. “The first couple of years, the crowd was just a couple hundred people around Carrboro,†he says. “The last couple of years, the police estimate it was between 8,000 and 10,000.â€
This year, to celebrate the festival’s anniversary, organizers arranged a special kickoff night of music at the Cat’s Cradle on Sep. 29, which will include performances by local groups Two Dollar Pistols, Tres Chicas and Great Big Gone.
A special anniversary t-shirt and poster will also be for sale throughout the festival. Kim Andrews, recreation supervisor at the Carrboro Recreation & Parks Department, works closely with the festival. “Every five years, we’ll have limited-edition posters and shirts to celebrate those anniversaries,†she says.
This year, about 160 musical groups, solo artists, dance troupes and more will play at 22 venues around Carrboro. Williams says that selecting the groups is one of the hardest parts of his job. “We had to send out so many emails saying ‘We liked your music, but…’ It was terrible,†he says.
Williams says the festival is a good opportunity for local musicians to play in front of new crowds. “They’re used to playing in bars. One guy sold a CD to a grandmother and one to her granddaughter, who was, like, 16, and said that was a really great experience.â€
Williams says that achieving variety in the lineup can be difficult. “I try to get as much diversity, style and even different age groups as I can. I don’t want people to see the schedule and say ‘That’s the same festival’ every year.â€
Williams says that this year Fitch Lumber, a very early supporter of the festival, will host a teen stage, where six bands made up of local teens will help dispel the belief that the bands are “all old people.â€
The festival lineup clearly illustrates the diversity of the area. Jazz, roots, Americana, belly dancing and hip-hop acts will all be within walking distance of one another the day of the festival.
Williams says that nearly all of the groups are from the immediate area. “There’s a guy from Baltimore this year,†he says. “That’s the farthest away.â€
Some musicians, says Williams, have turned down the chance to play, simply because they don’t want to miss the rest of the festival.
Williams and Andrews say the Town of Carrboro has always been very cooperative in organizing the festival, and they urge festival attendees to utilize the park-and-ride services provided to help keep traffic manageable.
“Carrboro has a reputation as a town that supports the arts and music,†Williams says, “so maybe the festival makes sense; 160 performing acts, nobody gets close to that.â€
“And for free,†adds Andrews, laughing.
For more information on the Carrboro Music Festival, including schedules, maps, bus information and volunteer forms, go to www.carrboromusicfestival.com.