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E-mailWeather Doesn't Dampen Boston Fest
MOTHER Nature has been very cruel to the Gulf and Caribbean areas this hurricane season, and so very devastating in the short and long term for the people who live there.
Complaining about the damp weather that beset the ICONS Festival in Canton, Massachusetts this past weekend would pale in comparison, even though the itinerant event that has moved from June to August to September this year in an attempt to seek the perfect conditions that would allow the weekend event to properly exploit its many assets.
No doubt, the heavy rain on Friday night and its softer showers on Sunday sandwiched Saturday's day of comfortable reprieve dampened the attendance - and the grounds - for the ambitious festival and the bottom line. But it didn't seem to deter neither the performers, presenters nor those who weathered the conditions on all three days at the action-packed event that carried out its full schedule on the large campus of the Irish Cultural Center of New England.
Like many others who attended the ICONS festival, I was drawn by the solid artist lineup this year which was truly exceptional and varied. Having experienced the thoughtful presentation and layout of the various stages and performances areas in the past, this year they made sure that 90 % was under cover of tents which assured that the schedule could be adhered to under hot or foul weather. The Celts have experienced damp climes before, so wet grass and muddy paths could be handled between the stages.
Along with many solid performances over the three days, two things really stood out for me as both a presenter and organizer and also a music fan that are all too rare at many Irish or Celtic music festivals these days. Amazingly they are the most basic and necessary ingredients that any professional or amateur artist requires to be truly appreciated.
First and foremost, you need good professional sound equipment and engineers manning all your stages with the right gear and complete timely transitions between acts. What made this crew or company stand out beyond just meeting the specifications of the job was their ability to highlight what makes acoustic (not electric) music stand out as musicians play with one another depending on close arrangements to set the right tone for their music.
This added to the enjoyment of listening to duets like Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill and Jerry Holland with John Doyle, as well as the more complex multi-instrumental arrangements of Lunasa, Solas, David Munnelly Band and Liadan where vocals are also critical to weave into the mix (sans Lunasa in this regard). This was the best sound that I have experienced at any large scale festival this year outside of the Catskills Irish Arts Week which has more limited sound requirements.
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