KEEP IT SIMPLE
The poster for the Santa Fe Jazz and International Music Festival features a painting of four stately leopards, their spots and fur configured into tuxedos, as they stare intensely, with aplomb and class, out from the desert sky. It's really goofy. At first I thought the leopards were all dressed up to go to the festival. I pictured them trying to find parking at the Lensic before the Yellowjackets performance, milling about the lobby during intermission, maybe heading over to Starbucks afterwards. But then after a while I thought they're supposed to be some sort of feline jazz quartet. Only, if that's the case, why don't they have any instruments?
But, poster or not, the SF jazz fest in so many ways is the ultimate manifestation of our fair city's economic development plan. Or, at least the manifestation of some of the plan's proposals put into action in a way that actually works, that's in the spirit of using creative endeavors to make this town some money, dammit! Ironically, the festival (founded and directed by Bruce Dunlap) has grown into this role without any help from city entities at all.
Let's check in: The goal topping the city's list of "goals for future economic development" is, "Santa Fe will be the leading arts, design and cultural industry center of the US." Well, OK, that's ambitious. But, an admirable goal. Now, what have we as a city done to make our way toward this goal? Well, of the five strategies listed under the goal, we have achieved exactly two: "Support the Community Box Office for performing arts groups' joint ticket sales and marketing," and "Support Southwest Design Conference planned for June 2005." (You can read the rest of the strategies at
.)
Now, the Community Box Office is a great idea-a centralized spot to get tickets to pretty much any event in town. It's located, natch, at the Lensic (211 W. San Francisco St., 988-1234), a locale that deserves great credit for figuring out how to service the local community while remaining viable economically. But I'm confused as to why this is a step toward making Santa Fe the leading cultural industry center of the US. Is it convenient? Sure. Is it an essential element of initiating a sea change in Santa Fe's economic focus? Um…
And then there's Design Week, which was a success, I guess, but didn't really change my life all that much. Did it affect yours?
The jazz fest, on the other hand, affects my life. This festival is a very good idea; what's more, it's well executed, which makes it a rare and straight-up badass thing for Santa Fe. The fest started out in 1999 and grew quickly, showcasing local and regional performers as well as Grammy-winners. This year, the sucker is 17 days long and-though it still sprinkles the two-and-a-half-weeks with a liberal peppering of local talents-the 2005 fest has outdone itself with huge names in jazz, rock and international roots music. Just check out this week's schedule (all at the Lensic):
Friday, July 15: The Yellowjackets. 8:30 pm. $20-$40.
Saturday, July 16: Kevin Mahogany/Danilo Perez Trio. 7:30 pm. $20-$40.
Sunday, July 17: Tuck and Patti. 8 pm. $20-$40.
Tuesday, July 19: Ladysmith Black Mambazo. 8 pm. $25-$45.
There's no doubt in my mind the festival should serve as the prototype for the type of things the city needs to encourage if we are to be serious about the economic development action plan. Here's why:
1) The festival's events are centralized.
Shows are at the Lensic. It's that simple. By contrast I keep thinking of the Santa Fe Film Festival, which, poor thing, has movie-goers trucking all around town, chasing down movies like they're connecting flights. That's not fun. Moreover, due to lack of screens, attendants find themselves watching some indie flick at, say, Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral-kinda cool, I guess, but I say, if we don't have the resources to support a festival, downsize the festival. Keep it simple. Don't over-reach. The jazz fest gets that concept. You're in, you're out-the focus stays on the music, not driving and maps.
2) The festival's Web site (www.santafejazzfestival.com) is clear, easy to navigate and actually helpful.
It's shocking how important this is. Nothing turns people off more than desperately pointing and clicking their way through some unhelpful, labyrinthine Web site searching for, say, ticket prices or show times. The Web is supposed to be helpful, and in this case, it is-you're in, you're out, etc.
3) The festival has big names without over-reaching.
There is a simplicity about the jazz fest bookings-the lesser-heralded names aren't overwhelmed by the marquee players, ensuring a more comprehensive interest and participation by the public. At the same time, these are musicians people actually want to go hear.
4) Lay people like jazz more than feng shui seminars.
Events like Design Week are important and the concepts behind them-upping Santa Fe's cultural/arts profile, for one-is crucial. But Design Week is a specifically focused affair; it appeals to a singular group and that's all. And, importantly, it takes place mainly during the day. But people love to get a little dressed up, grab their tickets, wander around downtown, go to a performance, maybe get some dessert afterwards…in other words, to actively participate. Participation leads to vibrancy, and gets people all riled up, and they wanna go out to dinner or grab a drink before the show. They wanna window shop after it. They wanna come to the festival next year. In other words, they wanna spend money.
The sad thing is, Santa Fe, as an entity attempting to change its economic strategy, doesn't have much to do with the jazz festival. If it hopes to change, the city should take a good, intensive look at the jazz fest's organization and approach. A good, hard look at everything, that is, except the leopard poster. That, we can do without.
RETRO REVISITED
Leopard-skin, however, will be welcome this weekend at that other under-rated contributor to the culture of Santa Fe, Warehouse 21, with the arrival of the Sweethearts, an Austin-based band with absolutely no originality but with so much youth, energy and good-heartedness, they pull it off. The quartet sounds pretty much like its influences-Joan Jett, the Eyeliners, Blondie and I'm guessing the Muffs. But lead singer Linette Liendo sings with a growling prowess so infectious, the word "derivative" slips right outta your mind and you end up pogo-ing like it's 1989. Ragged guitars, checkered clothing and bubblegum chord progression round out the aesthetic. Fun show, cheap price-what's not to like (7 pm Saturday, July 16. $5. Warehouse 21, 1614 Paseo de Peralta, 989-4423)?
