or lack thereof.
The tricky part about having an outdoor festival is having to worry about the weather. It is pretty much an event planner’s worst nightmare, because of the fact that is completely out of their control. In recent years, The 5 Points Association hasn’t exactly had the best luck with weather. The St. Patrick’s Day Festival for the last two years has been plagued with cold weather, rain, potential tornadoes and thunderstorms. And as most South Carolinians know, you can pretty much count on a late afternoon thunderstorm in June in July. While it would be extremely hard to have a backup plan for the thousands of people that go to the St. Patrick’s Day festival, having a backup plan for the 5 After 5 concert series almost seems like common sense.
On average, the Five Points Association boasts more than 100 members each year. Merchants in the area stay involved in the annual events and charity functions as well as contribute to an overall sense of unification and comradery.
It is this guy’s job to predict the weather. On Thursday morning if he is calling for rain, call into effect 5 After 5 Plan B and move the bands to different businesses. It seems like the 5 Points Associations duty to help bring business to the bars and shops of 5 Points, so why not let a band play in Delaney’s, CJ’s, Jake’s, Elbow Room or Saloon. I even saw Baumer upstairs at Red Hot Tomatoes once! Some of these bars are dead until between 9-11 at night and would surely love to have a couple hundred people in their establishment.
I’m not saying it is going to be easy to do this, but it definitely isn’t impossible and does need to be done.
As it stands now, if it is rainy people just cancel their plans to go to 5 Points, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Give someone the business. And we’re still paying the bands, don’t let them off that easy. I’m sure they are disappointed they don’t get to play too.
Merritt McHaffie has been doing a good job the last couple of years bringing in quality music to 5 Points through a handful of different events. 5 Points in general has made a lot of improvements since I moved here in 2002, so keep up the good work.
Oh yeah, Scene SC would be happy to sponsor a “Rock the Walgreens” event. I personally rather have that empty lot be a parking lot than a Walgreens.
I would like to point out that the bands DO NOT get paid if it rains. At least not ones I’ve played in.
You really don’t get paid if it rains? You should get paid something for taking the time out of your day to show up.
I am pretty sure Sequoyah Prep School got paid, they are signed right?
It is silly that there is no back up plan, at least for the bigger shows.