Houston Summer Fest a hot, sweaty success

By Magdalena Wistuba     9/3/09 7:00pm

Houston has a lot going for it: late-night dining options, world-class museums and, of course, Rice University. But let's face it - Houston ain't exactly hip. So when over 20,000 Houstonians came out of the air conditioning to dance under the blazing sun in a weekend jam-packed with both big-name and local bands, the city had a reason or two to celebrate.

While the Free Press Houston Summer Fest might have endured the squelching Texas heat and weathered a few rainclouds, the two-day festival, which ran Aug. 8-9, was the first of its kind for our typically uncool city. If you weren't there, my friend, you missed out on some hot Houston fun.

The fourth-largest city in the U.S. is known for Big Oil and cutting-edge medical research, not indie heavyweights, but Summer Fest headliners Explosions in the Sky and of Montreal drew a turnout that surprised those from audience members to upper-level producers.

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Over 50 other acts - some with national acclaim and others with loyal local followings - performed at the two-stage festival in Eleanor Tinsley Park, just a mile from downtown Houston. Fest-goers laid their blankets and perched their beach umbrellas on a grassy incline that provided everyone a clear view of the main stage.

The lineup boasted an incredible range at an unbelievably affordable price. On Saturday, the first day of the festival, local hip-hop talent Fat Tony, who performed at Willy's Pub last semester, brought a sweat-drenched crowd to its sticky feet with his wraparound rhymes. Over the next few hours, metalheads thrashed to Austin's The Sword and skinny-jeaned indie kids shuffled and swayed to the beeps and boops of The Octopus Project. With enough performance diversity to satiate any musical palate, most Summer Fest attendees left elated - and perhaps more than a little dehydrated - for only $7 a day, a great deal no matter how you cut it.

Still, Summer Fest has a couple of kinks to work out before Free Press can even begin thinking about expansion: The long lines on opening day - imagine hundreds of people waiting up to three hours for will-call tickets - exposed some organizational problems in the event's structure. The free water promised on the event's Web site was nowhere to be found, though ample complimentary Vitamin Waters were provided.

Within the larger context of the unexpectedly enormous festival turnout, event planners probably didn't foresee these logistical mishaps. Taking into account the size of the endeavor, it would have made more sense to mail tickets in advance or set up an online system instead of a sign-in line at the gates. But Summer Fest is new, and mistakes make a learning lesson for next time. In all, Fest-goers seemed to understand, and for the most part, eager attendees remained patient and stayed positive.

If you're like me, and you don't know a whole lot about the Houston music scene, the Summer Fest was an eye-opener, offering a series of revelations: First, Houston has a music scene. Second, it has an eclectic music scene. Third, it has a badass eclectic music scene.

After this summer's successes, the nice folks over at the Free Press Houston intend to put together at least one more festival next year. But don't wait until next August to get your dose of local music; there's always plenty to discover and explore in H-Town. Most, if not all, of the local talents found at Summer Fest perform regularly at local venues not far from campus (for cheap, too). Whether you like hip-hop, dubstep, gypsy jazz or bluegrass, Houston has something for you. For starters, check the Free Press Houston Web site and publication for upcoming events.

Go explore beyond the hedges - no skinny jeans required. You just might discover something you never expected, and that Houston is a bit hipper than you could have ever imagined.

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