Andy's comments were especially poignant for me. I lived in New Orleans for 3 years. I worked in the newsroom at the Times-Picayune (the newspaper). I had a good feel for the pulse of the town. And Andy is right. New Orleans isn't ALL that different from Cleveland. In fact, in many important ways, it is smaller than Cleveland. In others, it is much bigger. I could go on and on about the similarities and differences about the two places... including the food (God the food), but what Andy was really lamenting is the fact that Cleveland just doesn't "get it" when it comes to leveraging our resources. Let me give you an example. Up until this year, Cleveland was host to one of the ONLY Beatles music festivals in the country. Abbey Road on the River had been held for several years in the Flats until last year. When apparently the city, for whatever reason, decided that they couldn't have the event there anymore. So they moved it to Mall C. From all accounts, the event really suffered. But this wasn't the only blow to the event. Corporate sponsors weren't willing to step up and make this a CLEVELAND event. People were coming here from all over the country to see some of the best Beatles tribute and cover bands perform. It had the potential to really take off. To be a CLEVELAND thing. The home of Rock 'n' Roll. Right. The fact is... this year, Abbey Road on the River is in Louisville, Kentucky. Yup. The guy who started it... who is FROM Cleveland... can't have the event here and have it be successful. Between the city putting up every roadblock it could find, and the corporate lack of support, we lost what could have been at least a little bit of what Andy saw in New Orleans. I have no delusions that it could have been another Mardi Gras. I saw a MILLION people lining a parade route there for ONE parade. I am not exaggerating. A MILLION PEOPLE. They were 50 deep for 10 miles. I know our little town won't get that. New Orleans has Jazz Fest? too. Every year, thousands of people go to New Orleans for that. Why couldn't Cleveland have an annual Rock 'n' Roll Festival? Why couldn't it be a national event? Why wouldn't thousands of people come here to see a great lineup of national acts with some smaller local and national unsigned bands supporting? Someone suggested to me that those guys at Belkin could make that happen. Ha. Those guys are just the largest minnows in the little pond. As much as everyone TALKS a good game about being a Clevelander, I think the definition of a "Clevelander" is someone that does just enough to get by. And I am as guilty as the rest of you. Cleveland will never be New Orleans. Hell, we can't even be LOUISVILLE for Pete's sake! Check it out: http://www.abbeyroadontheriver.com from Cool Cleveland reader Paul Fresty pfresty@ideastar.com
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