Jazz Fest Moving to Shipyards, One Step Closer to Return to MetPark

[peestandingup]

Well, Jazz Fest is happening now, lol (I know, easy to miss these days & not a lot of word around). I rode my bike by the shipyards earlier today & seeing that setup made me cringe. Nothing around (besides an abandoned park next door & an unfinished high-rise skeleton sticking out like a sore thumb), seats strewn out in a field with the sun blaring down, zero shade, zero life.

I predict this will be the worst Jazz Fest ever. I'm not even bothering with it this year.

[fsquid]

the zero shade just seems silly to anyone in these parts.

[fsujax]

The whole Main St street stage was just awesome to me. I will miss that this year.

[Jumpinjack]

I loved it too. Seems like it was very popular with lots of ordinary jazz lovers.

[Bridges]

Well, Jazz Fest is happening now, lol (I know, easy to miss these days & not a lot of word around). I rode my bike by the shipyards earlier today & seeing that setup made me cringe. Nothing around (besides an abandoned park next door & an unfinished high-rise skeleton sticking out like a sore thumb), seats strewn out in a field with the sun blaring down, zero shade, zero life.

I predict this will be the worst Jazz Fest ever. I'm not even bothering with it this year.

They'll just use that as the narrative for why it needs to move to Metropolitan Park.  Just like last year when they ran off the team that had been running Jazz Fest, then had a disaster of a VIP area, and used that as a reason to move Jazz Fest this year.

The lineup was a dud this year, the venue location is a dud this year, and downtown seems dead right now when it should be one of our showcase weekends.

[thelakelander]

I've decided to go to the movies tonight. I'll try to make it down there tomorrow for a few hours.

[Bridges]

Just drove by, pretty crowded dow by the main stage. Parking is packed all over. But we're in the Volstead now. Dead in here, maybe it will get kickin once the music starts here.

[Coolyfett]

damn sounds like they are ruining the event, guess there will be no coverage this year from Metro Jax??  They should let Khan present it, he seems to do things right.

[fieldafm]

If you are on facebook today, post pictures of how dead most of downtown is using #bringjazzfestbacktothecore
Even after starting this thread months ago because I thought this new setup did not serve downtown's interests... I was shocked to see how dead it actually was. In fact, all of the retailers were closed. The businesses normally open had a worse than usual Friday night and the businesses that did keep the hope alive and opened up when they normally wouldn't- lost money. I went into a restaurant at 9pm who was in the process of closing down for the night because I was their first customer in two hours.
Jazz Fest deserves better.
Downtown deserves better.
Jacksonville deserves better.

[Charles Hunter]

The late news (WJXT) talked to the owner of Volstead, who was very unhappy with the lack of crowds.  He was hoping for business after the music stopped.  Then they talked to Jerry Moran of Le Cena who was over the moon happy that "those people" that clog up the sidewalks weren't in the way of his "upscale coat and tie" customers.
http://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/businesses-feeling-effects-of-jazz-festival-venue-change/26150654

[fieldafm]

Jerry Moran also thinks One Spark should be 'moved to the Fairgrounds' and refuses to even open for big events (really? You can't sell chicken parm sandwiches to-go for $12 a pop right outside your door??).

Volstead was mostly dead at midnight when I strolled in.
There were far less people in Zodiac or Pho than on a normal Friday night. Same for Burrito Gallery. I ordered a drink at Midtown Deli (who at least tried to do well by hosting some street performers outside their door to try and lure people in), but they eventually gave up and closed.

Is that good for downtown?

[IrvAdams]

This event should be kept in the core. It was one of the things people seemed to enjoy most. It's hard to discover things downtown if you don't walk by.

I think they're missing the point. Revitalization and growth should be from the inside out. The coolest part of downtown is the heart of it.

[thelakelander]

^Try to take some pics. I've decided to visit my parents in Central Florida for the holiday weekend.

[Coolyfett]

^Try to take some pics. I've decided to visit my parents in Central Florida for the holiday weekend.

Ha HA HA HA I love it!!! its like watching the balloon deflate, What are these people thinking??

[AuditoreEnterprise]

First off i was in the volstead until about 130 am. There were a pretty fair amount of people in there up until I left. Did it have the typical event crowd number? No. Was it classified as dead? Absolutely not.

I hadconversation with the owners and here are some numbers he gave me. Burritos gallery was down a few thousand and chamblins took a bit of loss as well though I am not sure the number. The guy also told me alvin brown wants to have it at metro park next year. I do think however that the event needs to stay where it was last year as it is very good for business. I didn't know that about la cena though. Rather poor way to think honestly.

Oh and one of the guys I know from dos gatos posted "I want to personally thank the coj for giving our city`s felons a weekend of high quality music and vibes to get them through this hot and bitter summer. They really earned it. We already gave them riverfront  real estate ..... f it give em a festival. Unreal...... the best a really only good view of the main stage is had by our brothers and sisters in the county...." -Chris