October 2023

grounds on the way in and, sure, they were soggy. It had been raining, after all. But, you know, that’s what happens when it rains outside, and this was an outside festival, and so on. Anyway, I stood there for a while, and then left. No music at all on Saturday. I watched the socials and waited for more announcements. I heard about the acoustic pop-up performances but by then I was back at my hotel and now they were not letting anyone back on the grounds, so I missed those. If I had stayed on site, I might have been able to walk over and see them, but they weren’t announced ahead of time because they were last-minute things, and the other music had all been cancelled. There you go: another missed opportunity. Eventually, an announcement was made after five o’clock that Sunday was cancelled, too. Altogether, there was a day and a half of music out of the planned four days. The official reason for the cancellation given by the festival officials was bad weather. Even as late as Tuesday the following week, that was the festival’s position. Given all the reporting that has come out since then, though, including the famous video from TankTheTech (links below), the bad weather story doesn’t hold much water on its own (sorry, I couldn’t help myself). Nothing truly bad happened to me, apart from disappointment and spending an undisclosed and rather large amount of money on travel and lodging to cover very few bands. For many other people, though, the fans and the staff at the festival, it was hard times. The media operation at the festival was excellent, and they have my appreciation and thanks – they did a great job. The bands that played put on exceptional shows. The music that we did get to hear was great. As far as what actually happened at the festival, well, I have told you what I saw and what I know. If you are interested in what happened behind the scenes, how decisions got made, and whatnot, there is no shortage of facts, information, and opinions careening around on the internet. It is too early to know whether Blue Ridge Rock Festival will return next year for sure, but I can tell you they are selling advance tickets for 2024 now. I put that link below, too. Make of it what you will. View all the photos here at Ryze-Up 17