The only strongly negative reactions we heard had to do with the decision to host late night showcases outside the convention center/hotel complex this year. Though many artists did perform in the center’s ballroom during the week, a larger number of showcase acts were featured in a quintet of local bars and restaurants within a few blocks of IBMA central.
Responses to this change were not universally negative, and tended to break down by age with younger folks more in favor and older ones less so. Some talent buyers liked being able to watch an act in front of a “real” bar crowd or concert audience, while others found making the trek difficult with the time required to travel several blocks between shows causing them to miss performers they had hoped to catch.
For those who were in attendance last week, please share your impressions of the new Bluegrass Ramble in our first World of Bluegrass 2013 poll, and in the comments below.
Keep an eye out for our further coverage here at Bluegrass Today.
