Advertisement

Same Time, Same Place--and, Yes, Same Festivals : Pop music: The Troubadours of Music and Crafts Festival is again scheduled opposite the Southern California Cajun & Zydeco Festival June 4-5.

Share
TIMES STAFF WRITER

In a repeat of what was described last year as a scheduling gaffe, two major folk-oriented music festivals will again take place in the Southland on the same weekend in June just 30 miles apart.

More than 50 performers of folk, country, blues and roots-based styles will participate in the Troubadours of Music and Crafts Festival slated for June 4-5 at UCLA’s Drake Stadium. Last year the event was called “Troubadours of Folk,” but promoter Jim Rissmiller of Concert Associates renamed it to reflect the wider scope he’s aiming for this year.

On the same two days in Long Beach, the eighth annual Southern California Cajun & Zydeco Festival will be held at Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach. On the card are D.L. Menard & the Louisiana Aces, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas, Walter Mouton & the Scott Playboys, the Poullard Brothers and Joe Simien & Lisa Haley.

Advertisement

Last year, organizers of the folk festival said that they had been misinformed about the dates of the Cajun-zydeco event and that they had no intention of conflicting with that festival.

But this year, Rissmiller said that he decided to book the Troubadours Festival on the same weekend to maintain continuity. “I don’t know if in a city this size you could do any event on a weekend and not have some competition,” he said.

Among the performers on the Troubadours schedule are the Chieftains, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, John Hammond, Solomon Burke, Arlo Guthrie, Riders in the Sky, Eric Andersen, Loudon Wainwright III, Dave Van Ronk, David Grisman and Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Rissmiller said.

In addition to the competition factor last year, both festivals were hurt by a major rainstorm on the first day.

In fact, because of the disappointing turnout, Rhino Records has withdrawn as a co-presenter of this year’s Troubadours event.

*

“As with some of our other experiments, this one taught us something, and that is we are not in the concert-promotion business,” said Ted Myers, A&R; coordinator for the West Los Angeles-based record label. “The festival itself lost a significant amount of money. If it had been a big money maker, it might have been a different story for us.”

Advertisement

Said Rissmiller, “Critically, it was a major success. Financially, it was a tremendous loss. But there were even radio station reports that our show had been canceled. . . . I think we probably would have walked off with our tail between our legs if it wasn’t for the critical and fan reaction. . . .

“Is it make or break time?” Rissmiller said. “If I think we’ve done everything we can do and it still isn’t a success, then yes, we’ll have to re-evaluate.”

Cajun-zydeco festival organizer Franklin Zawacki said the rain and the scheduling conflict added up to a $40,000 loss last year, and that he is trying to line up additional underwriting this year. But he’s less concerned about the head-to-head scheduling this time.

“My feeling is that now that Rhino has pulled out, and because of the name change, we won’t have that same tug of war with our audience. Rhino included a lot of our bands and it was an unfortunate pull for patrons last year. I don’t feel that will be true at all this year.”

Advertisement