LAAFF'n in Asheville...
Thank you to everyone who helps support LAAFF and Arts2Peole throughout the year!
We want to thank all the performers that have generously generously donated their time. Everything in 2008 sounded great, the stages stayed basically on track (a big Thank You to our amazing stage managers, technicians and all the guys at Stuart Sound). Everyone sounded great and we have received tons of positive feedback about the lineup for LAAFF 2008. The stages ran excellent; especially due to the fact that we were missing a very important person, Andrew Usher, who set up all the staging for us and sits on the music committee- he was out due to the birth of his new son on his wedding anniversary and on the date of the festival that he spent months helping to plan each year:) A little LAAFF Baby......Thanks to Brad and Elizabeth and the Earthfare Bobo staff for programming and setting up the Bobo Stage which was packed thorough out the day and has a fabulous ambience and great decorations. The DJ area was pumping out energy and great beats all day long in the Old Vincent’s Ear Courtyard- Thanks jOshU and all the DJs involved in setting that up; while across the way Shady Grove stood out as a peaceful retreat to listen to old time and bluegrass pickers (Thanks Deb and Leigh) as well as Miss Jenny Juice hosting the Circle for Song. Thanks to our excellent MCs, the Mountain Xpress staff, Jenny Greer, and Cecil Bothwell. Thanks to Frank Bloom for running sound at the Mountain Xpress Performing Arts stage all day, and for drumming in Trouble at the Emerald Lounge all night after LAAFF. Thanks to Rob G., Jason G, JP, Beardog, and everyone else that helped made sure that the stages ran on time.
We also want to thank all the staff and volunteers who help to put this event on and ensure the success; we would not be able to do it without your help. Thanks to Kitty Love as the Festival Director and co-founder- for keeping it freaky all these years. Thanks to Jim Julien of the Fringe Festival for all his amazing graphic design work, Amy Kemp for keeping our books straight, and Aaron Johnston for keeping us green and clean. Thanks to Torva and Spyce for getting coordinating this- Great Job! Thanks to Bob Robertson, Aslan, and Benton and the rest of the onsite operational crew for keeping us on track, well supplied and safe throughout the whole day! And thanks to MJ for all her help in running Partner Hospitality. And thanks to the cops and fire marshal for keeping us safe. You guys all rocked it!
And, Michael Mooney for his Tall Bike Record attempt as well as being a co-founder of LAAFF. The pre-show was amazing due to great organization of Sara Widenhouse and the talented performers (and the Firecracker Jazz Band Gramophone Float). Thanks to the Tall Bike Safety Crew and for keeping this event safe and secure as well as fun.
The arts vendors were fabulous! Thank you all for being there and showing your wares at LAAFF. A big thanks to Rebecca Hecht from Adorn Salon for organizing the vendors since the inception of LAAFF, each year re-measuring, marking streets and placing booths is definitely a task. . .
Thanks to all the interactive artists, the street performers, Arts2People, the Arts2People Angels and Zombies, the locl food and beer vendors, the art car organizers, Emily Balken and the Honeypot for the sew your own art clothes; The Emerald Lounge, Villasonica, Music Video Asheville and the FoAM for the videos in the Emerald Lounge; Jen Bowen and Susan Sertain for the Get Your Freak on Photo Booth inside of bobo, Static Age Records for selling LAAFF Performer Merchandise, the WNC Magazine canvas dancers, Robert 7, George Pond, Phil Cheney for his great booth and for creating amazing poster art and logo for LAAFF, and Asheville Hoops Melmac Pink and all other interactive artists involved in LAAFF. Thanks to Ilsa for setting up the free water and Phil Huber for running to bring free water to all areas of the festival… Big thanks to Blue Moon for the water, and to Greenlife Grocery (also the main sponsor of the Greenlife Electric Stage) for providing more ozonated water when we ran out of supplies. Hydration is the most important of all things on such a hot day!
We would also like to thank all our Sponsors:
Adorn Salon, Asheville Downtown Association, Blue Moon water, Cheney Graphics, Dave Waterman, Dragon Lady Salon, Dreamspider Publicity and Event Planning, Eathfare, Echo Mountain, Emerald Lounge, French Broad Brewery, Fringe Festival, Greenlife, Green Sage, Henco, Honeypot, Kimmel and Associates, Mountain Roots Management, Mountain Xpress, Old Europe, On A Roll, Orange Peel, Rocket Club, Bobo, Satellite Gallery, Shady Grove, Sound Mind Media, Static Age, Villasonica, WNCW, WPVM/ MAIN.
We want to thank all the media for giving us such great support. Thanks to the James Fisher, Alli Marshal, Rebecca Sulock and everyone else on the Mountain Xpress staff for writing such a great issue that focused on LAAFF, and giving us the cover. Thanks to WNCW for sponsoring us by listing s on their calendar and thanks for the great interview with Josh Phillips Folk Festival, thanks to WPVM and MAIN for sponsoring and posting info on LAAFF, The Citizen times and Take Five for the great articles, WNC Magazine for being a sponsor and for the great article, Bad Ash and the Mountain 105.9 for the great interview about LAAFF, Mountain Freak.net for the great coverage, The Laurel of Asheville for the great article, all the fabulous photographers out at LAAFF including Jen Bowen, Zen Sutherland, JJ Jackson, Frank Meranda, Jonathan Welch, Reggie Tidwell and more. Thanks to all those that wrote blogs about us or posted us on your calendars. Thanks to all the bands for recognizing LAAFF through myspace.
I could go on and on forever with thanking people so . . .thanks everyone else that was involved in some way or another- Thanks you ALL!
This was such a great event and we are thrilled that everyone came out and enjoyed the day!
Here’s to Asheville!
All the best,
Erin Scholze
LAAFF Media and Performance Director
Vice President, Arts2People
Dreamspider Publicity and Event Planning
www.arts2people.org
www.myspace.com/lexfestasheville
www.myspace.com/arts2people
For more information visit www.arts2people.org or www.myspace.com/arts2people
Mountain Xpress Photo Booth at LAAFF 2008
Video of Unifire Theatre at LAAFF 2007 www.unifiredance.com
Sidney Barnes at LAAFF 2006
