thedrifter
11-09-08, 07:48 AM
The Florida Times-Union
November 9, 2008
Politics stay out of 2008's Planetfest
By MATT COLEMAN,
The Times-Union
It's the perfect setup.
A concert with a no re-entry policy creates a captive audience. It's a simple process for vendors to set up shop and wait for people to come to them.
That's why political advocacy groups typically flock to events like Saturday's Planetfest, WPLA's ninth-annual rock festival.
This year was different. No political groups showed up at the festivities in Metropolitan Park.
It could be attributed to the show's close proximity to the recent election. Voters might still be recuperating from an exhausting slew of political advertising and intrigue.
Maybe a general disinterest in the lame-duck presidential administration led to the no-show.
And even though it's been less than a week since Barack Obama's election, concertgoers - many of whom were in the age demographic credited with helping Obama win - weren't in the mood to talk politics.
They wanted music. Others said they wanted beer. None wanted political discourse on a lazy Saturday.
The only noticeable political sentiment came courtesy of a booth hawking shirts and hats. One shirt had a George W. Bush caricature stenciled above a pair of crossbones. But it was outnumbered by rock band T-shirts and Confederate flag apparel.
Army and Marine recruiters attended the show and enticed passersby with the lure of free items and physical challenges. Not content with simply passing out pamphlets, the Army booth stood in the shadow of a 20-foot rock climbing wall.
Marines allowed concertgoers the chance to either impress friends or embarrass themselves on a pull-up bar. Prizes were given out to those who could successfully complete 10 or 20 repetitions. A slight-of-build teen eked out about 10 and walked away with a lanyard even though his bulky pants, which were covered in chains and zippers, kept dragging him back toward the ground.
They also had a customized SUV with a four-screen display and video game system for the less physically inclined.
Sgt. John Lawson with the Jacksonville Marine Corps Recruiting Station said this is the third Planetfest he's attended in uniform, and the crowds are very accepting of him and his fellow soldiers.
They're not out trying to enlist new members. He said they're just trying to raise the branch's profile and have a good time. Each of the Marines working Saturday was there by choice, Lawson said. They wanted to catch the show like all the other music fans.
"We get people from all walks of life and all ages," Lawson said. "They're loving it, and we're having a good time. I'd be here even if I wasn't working."
Some of the most raucous crowd reactions came when a group of about a dozen men took to the stage. Robert Loria and Timothy Harrison were among them. The two former soldiers are part of the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit organization that provides supplies and support to injured troops. They were given VIP access to the show and introduced as a band finished sound check.
Loria, who was injured in Iraq in 2004 while enlisted in the Army, enjoyed the experience - even if the crowd wasn't sure at first who he and the other men were.
"They just started cheering when we walked out there," Loria said. "Some of them probably thought we were with the band, so that's all right."
matt.coleman@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4654
Ellie
November 9, 2008
Politics stay out of 2008's Planetfest
By MATT COLEMAN,
The Times-Union
It's the perfect setup.
A concert with a no re-entry policy creates a captive audience. It's a simple process for vendors to set up shop and wait for people to come to them.
That's why political advocacy groups typically flock to events like Saturday's Planetfest, WPLA's ninth-annual rock festival.
This year was different. No political groups showed up at the festivities in Metropolitan Park.
It could be attributed to the show's close proximity to the recent election. Voters might still be recuperating from an exhausting slew of political advertising and intrigue.
Maybe a general disinterest in the lame-duck presidential administration led to the no-show.
And even though it's been less than a week since Barack Obama's election, concertgoers - many of whom were in the age demographic credited with helping Obama win - weren't in the mood to talk politics.
They wanted music. Others said they wanted beer. None wanted political discourse on a lazy Saturday.
The only noticeable political sentiment came courtesy of a booth hawking shirts and hats. One shirt had a George W. Bush caricature stenciled above a pair of crossbones. But it was outnumbered by rock band T-shirts and Confederate flag apparel.
Army and Marine recruiters attended the show and enticed passersby with the lure of free items and physical challenges. Not content with simply passing out pamphlets, the Army booth stood in the shadow of a 20-foot rock climbing wall.
Marines allowed concertgoers the chance to either impress friends or embarrass themselves on a pull-up bar. Prizes were given out to those who could successfully complete 10 or 20 repetitions. A slight-of-build teen eked out about 10 and walked away with a lanyard even though his bulky pants, which were covered in chains and zippers, kept dragging him back toward the ground.
They also had a customized SUV with a four-screen display and video game system for the less physically inclined.
Sgt. John Lawson with the Jacksonville Marine Corps Recruiting Station said this is the third Planetfest he's attended in uniform, and the crowds are very accepting of him and his fellow soldiers.
They're not out trying to enlist new members. He said they're just trying to raise the branch's profile and have a good time. Each of the Marines working Saturday was there by choice, Lawson said. They wanted to catch the show like all the other music fans.
"We get people from all walks of life and all ages," Lawson said. "They're loving it, and we're having a good time. I'd be here even if I wasn't working."
Some of the most raucous crowd reactions came when a group of about a dozen men took to the stage. Robert Loria and Timothy Harrison were among them. The two former soldiers are part of the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit organization that provides supplies and support to injured troops. They were given VIP access to the show and introduced as a band finished sound check.
Loria, who was injured in Iraq in 2004 while enlisted in the Army, enjoyed the experience - even if the crowd wasn't sure at first who he and the other men were.
"They just started cheering when we walked out there," Loria said. "Some of them probably thought we were with the band, so that's all right."
matt.coleman@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4654
Ellie