No, it’s not Coachella. Or South by Southwest. Or even Bumbershoot. And thank goodness, it’s not Burning Man.
Everett’s Fisherman’s Village Music Festival will likely never rival those music festivals in terms of size or stature of musical guests, and that’s its charm and its draw for local music fans and a few from farther afield who know something good when they see it.
The Fisherman’s Village Music Festival, which wrapped up its third year Sunday night in downtown Everett, featured some 80 bands from Snohomish County and from Portland to Bellingham at five venues this weekend.
Organizer Ryan Crowther, who launched the Everett Music Initiative five years ago to promote regional musical acts, continues to adjust and strengthen a music festival that is providing exposure for local and regional bands and performers but also is showcasing Everett and the downtown’s entertainment and dining attractions.
That Crowther, 31, wants to promote his community is clear.
“Beautiful downtown Everett has great potential,” he told The Herald’s Gale Fiege recently, as he made preparations for the festival. “Ultimately, events such as Fisherman’s Village Music Festival will lead to more investment in Everett.”
Attendance Friday night and even into a drizzly Saturday and Sunday would seem to justify that faith in the festival’s potential.
Crowther has worked to expand the appeal of the festival this year from its niche acts in its first two years, to include a broader selection of music for all ages. To draw in more families with children, the festival turned to local children’s favorite Tim Noah and Pig Snout!!, a grungy rock trio of a father and his 8-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son from Tacoma on Saturday afternoon at the Historic Everett Theatre.
Among Friday nights favorites were Tango Alpha Tango, a three-piece guitar blues band from Portland and the horn-laden soul of Grace Love and the True Loves from Seattle. Both filled the seats and had fans standing in front.
Saturday night, boosters of local music were able to enjoy Everett’s Fauna Shade, a trio, whose latest EP, “Floral Hall,” celebrates the historic community hall at Everett’s Forest Park.
As Crowther works to introduce the festival to a larger audience, he also is relying on some marketing skill; this year admission was on a “pay what you can” basis. He may take a hit on his bottom line this year, but he’s banking on word of mouth to build a following for his festival in coming years.
Fisherman’s Village need feel no inferiority complex when it comes to Seattle’s music scene. If it’s about the music then why fight the crowds and the traffic to get to Seattle, only to pay the increasing costs involved in admission, parking and more. Seattle’s Bumbershoot, scheduled for Labor Day weekend, remains a popular musical and cultural showcase, but even early-bird three-day passes are now selling for $210 each and are beyond what many are willing or able to pay for entertainment.
Crowther and others offering music at venues throughout Snohomish County know the potential that exists here and are eager to encourage others to enjoy it and support it.
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