Music Fest Update
Because of lack of funding, this year’s Seattle Music Fest has been cancelled. Northwest Programs for the Arts is looking into alternatives, however, and they sent out this press release regarding a possible They Might Be Giants (who were scheduled to appear at the Music Fest) show at the Moore.
Seattle Music Fest Not Held at Alki Beach this Year;
Alternate They Might Be Giants Show Considered
Seattle, WA 20 July, 2005 The three-day Seattle Music Fest will not be held at Alki Beach this year, but music fans have one last chance to show their support. If Northwest Programs for the Arts (NPA) hears that there is enough interest from fans, SMF 2005 headliner They Might Be Giants may play a show in Seattle on August 12. NPA Executive Director Adam Sheridan says "We encourage anyone who is interested in the show to contact us. We were lucky that a band like They Might Be Giants was kind enough to show their support for NPA and Seattle music and we would still love to be able to bring them to their fans in Seattle.”
Due to financial shortfalls, the 10th annual Seattle Music Fest at Alki Beach will not go on as originally planned. Despite the generosity of sponsors such as Toyota Scion, Doc Martens, and Vitamin Water, organizers could not meet festival costs. "Sponsor dollars were scarce this year,” Sheridan says. "We hired outside help and then worked on sponsorship ourselves at the end. There were a lot of really close calls but not enough large partners this year.” Despite setbacks this year, potential sponsors have expressed a great deal of interest in the future and seeing the Seattle Music Fest continue.
Part of what makes Seattle Music Fest unique and worth saving is its ability to bring together diverse groups around a common goal. "Keeping music accessible in Seattle to both artists and the community is the cornerstone of keeping culture vibrant and evolving,” says NPA volunteer Malen Maher. Sheridan stands behind the large number of bands and volunteers who committed themselves to the festival. "We had some wonderful Northwest bands scheduled to play and we hope fans will continue to support these artists. Dozens of volunteers have devoted many months to planning this for the community; we hope everyone will join NPA in thanking these volunteers who have worked so hard.”
Northwest Programs for the Arts (NPA), a Seattle-based nonprofit, has produced the Seattle Music Fest at Alki Beach since 1999. NPA also operates other arts programs, including the Northwest Music Fund and Save Public Art. NPA supports artists and musicians by providing the resources necessary to succeed with groundbreaking programs like the NW Music Fund Feedback Project.
To volunteer or to learn more about the festival or NPA's other arts activities, please visit www.northwestarts.org.