Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Photo by Jason Sandford
Bele Chere’s gone. All we’ve got left is the remnants of a hangover and some nasty sunburn. Maybe a little confusion over that dude with the cardboard sign that advertised something about un-vegetarian cookies or something.
Now that it’s in our rear view mirror, how do we rate the 31st edition of Asheville’s big street party? Overall, I have to say it wasn’t bad. The smaller footprint didn’t feel all that much smaller. I thought the stage positions on Battery Park and Haywood were odd. I missed having a stage on Lexington. I rarely made it down to the Biltmore Avenue stage.
The big company branding of Bele Chere has gotten out of hand. Do we really need some resort company setting up Nintendo Wii game stations on the streets? Did all of Biltmore Avenue need to be bannered and basted with cellular phone company logos? I don’t think so.
Yet I’m always impressed by the quality of music I see at Bele Chere. It rarely looks good just on paper, but once you get out and see the live music with the great unwashed, it’s downright fun. The Old 97s were a little too polished for me. Orleans rocked it old school. Balsam Range can just flat out pick. Jonathan Scales is a real local treasure. Brother Joscephus brought more fun to one Sunday set than all the music Saturday. The Booty Band frackin’ kicks ass. Mac Arnold gave me the blues, in a good way. Drew Holcombe & the Neighbors sweetly impressed. Now You See Them has taken flight. All amazing.
Yeah, there are some drunken rednecks that bump into you and your gyro. There are too many blow-up aliens. And the street preachers can get on your last nerve. Still, there’s no better people-watching in all the mountains.
Even a recession Bele Chere, a shrunken Bele Chere, dare I say a sober Bele Chere, is a Bele Chere to remember. Let’s keep it going.
Thank God its over for another year! Nothing worse than the throngs of redneck drunks and obese people eating bad food and spending money they clearly don’t have to spend.
I was disappointed in the Old 97’s- they just seemed to be going through the motions- like they’ve done the gig a million times and had lost that loving feeling.
This festival is such a waste and burden, maybe next year it will shrink out of the city into nothingness. Glad our tax money is being wasted on this nonsense.
I live within a mile of downtown. Bele what?! I didn’t even notice, or go.
I find I enjoy Bele Chere most when I skip it for a few years. Having attended since the early 80’s, I guess I’ve been there, done that.
greenasheville makes a very good point. Having booths down the center would allow for more accessibility to stores. Also, it didn’t seem to make much sense to me that stores have their own booths directly in front of their stores. Seems like it would be more profitable to spread them out to cover other territory. I also thought the corporate presence was excessive. I know of a few community based non-profits that were unable to get booth space because of the smaller set up. Perhaps if things like US Cellular didn’t take up the space of four booths there could be more community representation.
I just noticed this weekend that most of the art/craft/junk tents at Bele Chere are on the side of the street – blocking sidewalks and storefronts – and downtown merchants complain about not doing any business during Bele Chere. I was in Waynesville Saturday for Folkmoot and all of the art/craft tents there were in the middle of the street – not blocking the sidewalks and storefronts. I tried to go in the Mast General Store in W’ville several times and it was packed. I bet there sales are up for a summer Saturday on that particular day each year!