The Rogue Rush And Advance
Still excited about the Rogue Festival 2007? Rogue on with many others.
by Cheng May Koh
March 5, 2007
March 5, 2007
This weekend, the young and old of Fresno are headed towards Tower District.
It is the 6th annual Rogue Festival happening at downtown Fresno. The festival kicked off on Thursday night with Rogue Samplers and an opening night party at Full Circle Brewing Co. full blast, and has yet to stop.
This year, about 80 performances and 50 to 80 volunteers are participating in the 10-day long festival that celebrates local art talents in Fresno. The Rogue Festival has grown in a number of ways and has left all sorts of experiences for the community.
John Jordan has been with the festival ever since it started. Working his way through the festival, Jordan was an audience member when he first started. He became a volunteer, a volunteer manager, co-producer, and finally person in-charge of application and contracts with performers. He finds it "completely surprising" that there is something as exciting as the Rogue Festival in Fresno for him. Jordan, a professional dancer himself said that the events bring people together.
"It's better than ever. Rich choices. I haven't seen anybody that's bad," Jordan said. There is an increase of a thousand people each year and he is confident that this year 8, 000 and more tickets will be sold.
Brad Polzin, an educator artist who taught at Fresno City College and several other schools said he enjoys working as a venue manager for the second time.
"It's a fabulous, a fantastic, and a terrific festival. We've got acts first-rated this year. It's been growing every year and it's the largest French festival in the West Coast," Polzin said.
"Little kids, families, old hippies, young punkers, and teenagers come to the shows," Polzin said.
His co-worker, Bruce Robinson said the festival has been "growing leaps and bounds" ever since it was adopted from Edinburg, Scotland, the father of Rogue Festival. Being a venue manager as well, Robinson said,
"My responsibility is not curing cancer. Ain't cancer research. I don't take it seriously, it's just fun work."
Rogue Festival's first year consisted only of the performing arts. In the second year of the festival, its organizers incorporated visual arts and Marcos Dorado became the resident artist for Rogue Festival following that.
"You get thousands of people coming in to see the visual arts and performances," Dorado said.
Dorado specializes in portraits and nudity. He met four new clients from this festival apart from exhibiting at other festivals.
"I get new clients to commission for work. It's lucrative for me," Dorado said. Rogue Festival attracted people who have this mindset about Fresno as "nothing ever happens and they have no idea," Dorado said.
Eric Field, a volunteer said, that there are some "well-crafted work" out there. He recommended This Lily Was (Fontana).
"It's very edgy," Field said.
Written and performed by Mia Paschal in San Francisco, this number is very controversial. It attracted the attention of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI).
"It is spectacular to watch many of the performances," Field said.
Jesus Valenzuela, a performer for his first year and three consecutive years after as a volunteer said that "some shows get better, some stay the same, and others get worse."
However, "usually people will be around for two to three shows," Valenzuela said.
Pat Wolk, organizer of Fresno Folklore Society Concerts for Fresno Art Museum (FAM) said that the shows she went to watch were "super good."
"Instead of going to church this morning, I went to see Jesus in Montana. It is hilarious," Wolk said.
Wolk and her friend, Margot Baker has been to the festival for three years and has watched a selection of performances. They recommended Music of the 30s and 40s, Scott Gates & Pacific Ocean Bluegrass, The Naked Blues, Ananka Bellydances 2007, and Steve Mitchell Quartet. The Rogue Map booklet has a full schedule and the venues for the shows accordingly. An on-line version is also available: www.roguefestival.com.
"They don't come any better than that," Baker said.
The festival received an overwhelmingly good feedback from the public but nevertheless; there could be room for improvement. Diah Johnston, aged 22 said that the organizers should improve by introducing day passes for the events.
"The festival is cool and relaxed, but it sucks to have to pay even when you're staying at the same venue," Johnston said.
Despite the increasingly good turnout each year, Johnston said, "I wish more people would get involved. It needs community support and more advertising because there's a lot of great local talents."
But anyhow, "all of it is good," Johnston said.
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Re: Cheng May Koh's article
Just found this nice informative article.
A couple of comments for clarification . . .
- The Rogue is a fringe festival,
rather than a French festival,
- 2007 was my second year volunteering for the Rogue
and my first as a venue manager
and
The quote
"Little kids, families, old hippies, young punkers, and teenagers come to the shows,"
attributed to me, was not mine.
In any case, the Rogue is a wonderful festival and artistic happening and I encourage everyone to participate, and attend the wonderful performances that are offered each year as the Rogue is one of Fresno's cultural gems.
Thank you, Cheng May Koh for the article.
Re: Lilly was (Fontana)
Re: this performance.
-The nature of the performance is one persons struggle and working through problems with self-inflictive behavior.
-Despite the fact that this is a widespread, and life-threatening condition, it is rarely approached in performances, be it film, music or theatre. (And there have been tons of artists, musicians and regular folks who've struggled with this problem
(check out Nine Inch Nails 'Hurt,' -also covered in a spectacular fashion by Johnny Cash, as one example.)
I began to actually run into it as far back as Jr. High, and had many people close to me struggling with this on up through Arts School, and well into working in the Mental Health field.
Mia, who has an extraordinary and well travelled background as a person and performer (which includes an Ivy League education,) quite honestly and bravely carries the audience through her experiences and own path to wellness on this issue. (This includes both spoken word and use of music.)
One of the facts that Mia reflected on that resonated with me, was how 'she, for the longest time felt that she was the only one who did this,' ----whereas all through History, (Including a rather well known figure in the New Testament, 'the Gadarine, (book of Mark)' had the same struggles, and was nearly overcome.
The attention attracted by 'N.A.M.I.' (Nat. Assoc. Mental Illness) actually has been their being quite supportive of the piece when she has performed in San Francisco, (NOTE: the piece is not at all exploitave, despite being very difficult in subject matter and not widely worked with,)
--NAMI and Mia have viewed the piece not just as a personal performance (that is electrifying,)
-but also a potential touchstone for others who have had this concern, (and there are many,) to realize that they are not alone in their struggles,
--and far from alone in finding help, support and strength from both professionals who can help them sort through this, but others in their own communities who care as well.
-The piece is quite intense, there is no getting around that, but so is the subject, so it is faithful to the struggle reflected, -but it is presented with a tremendous degree of dignity, and from a person who is quite well, (thank-you-very-much,) these days.
I personally am trying to reach individuals with NAMI so that they are aware of the piece being done here in Fresno (Rogue is Dark (not showing Monday and Tuesday,----a much needed rest after a tremendous first 'weekend,' ---and hopefully some of the (NAMI) folks will be made aware and attend her performances here at the Rogue. (Calling Information over the weekend didn't even yeild a phone number for the Fresno or surrounding area phone number...!)
Though I have been impressed by nearly everything I've seen at the Rogue, (I float to a lot of different venues during the fest as a volunteer,)
'the Lilly was (Fontana)' for Fresno and the immed vicinity is a rare opportunity for people to see something that is this unique, this personal, and this well done, -as well as actually discuss the material presented not only with each other,
but the artist herself,
-who is an absolute gem, and extremely articulate, and very approachable.
(This is also a beautiful aspect of 'the Rogue.')
PS:
To the author of this (post,) I caught up with Mia about a half hour to an hour from when we talked at Starline and fact checked what (you and I,) were discussing, -Mia would love to speak with the (two) of you if you'd like, she knows that you were very interested in her piece -and was delighted at the opportunity to talk with you in person... (scoop, kid, scoop... hello...)
-contact her via the website...
-The rest of you? catch Mia's shows (AM and PM on Saturday.)
She is based primarily down at Dianna's North (Dianna's main Dance Studio,) ---and, as stated, her performance is an electrifying diamond among other stunning and gorgeous gems.
-(gorgeous day out, looks like we have spring for the next 45 minutes.)
-Eric Field
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