Dave's Top Eight

1. Jerry Reed...Revisited by Darrell Toney (reviewed 6/07) (5 Stars)
2. Sounds Like Sunday by Janet Paschal (reviewed 5/07) (5 Stars)
3. True To The Call by Kingdom Heirs (reviewed 3/07) (4 1/2 Stars)
4. Revival by Gold City (reviewed 10/06) (4 1/2 Stars)
5. Get Away Jordan by Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (reviewed 2/07) (4 1/2 Stars)
6. Breakin' Chains by Three Bridges (reviewed 5/07) (4 1/2 Stars)
7. Big Sky by The Isaacs (reviewed 4/07)
8. Skywriting by Mercy's Well (reviewed 7/07)

Click title to purchase at CBD.com...click artist name to read Dave's Review. A CD will automatically fall out of the Top Eight after twelve months if no CD surpasses it before then.

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November 14, 2004

SGM Fan Fair

The website linked above is one that all Southern Gospel fans should be watching as they make plans for next summer. I encourage you to take a look at the site for yourself.

At first glance, the SGM Fan Fair appears poised to offer fans a six day event similar to the National Quartet Convention in August 2005 with some distinctions . . . smaller scale being one, obviously. (Anyone thinking this event will rival NQC in scope the first year should look at the limitations of the Chattanooga Convention Center. You can't put 50 pounds of mud in a 10 pound sack. Granted, they could always move to a bigger place if the response overwhelms them.)

As it stands at the moment, here are the pros and cons of this event as I see them . . .

Cons:
1. Lineup. This event getting off the ground hinges on the lineup. They need more names on the schedule, particularly marquee names. They're off to a good start with groups like the Hoppers, the Dove Brothers, Mercy's Mark, and Michael Combs. At this point, though, there's only 30 artists listed, including a few that couldn't entice most fans to drive 20 miles, much less across a couple of states. (For comparison, NQC's exhibit hall has 30 booths on one side of one aisle.)
2. Fan Awards Show. We really don't need another fan awards event in Southern Gospel.

Pros:
1. Price. $20 for a full day's events (including two concerts) is a steal.
2. Locale. Chattanooga is a handy location for fans living in TN, GA, and the Carolinas. Is it overly congested? I don't know about that, but I know it's not a huge town in terms of population.
3. Time of year. Since this event happens August 15-20, many parents with school aged children will be able to bring their families. Many school districts start up in mid-August, though. It would have been better if it had been one week earlier. Still, it's more convenient for family vacationers overall than mid-September.

Maybe Con/Maybe Pro:
1. Chattanooga Convention Center. I know nothing about the facility other than what I've read and seen here. It appears to be a modern building, and the specs indicate it will seat up to 8000 when all four exhibit halls are arranged for theater purposes . . . but they'll be using part of the space for exhibits . . . or maybe the ballrooms will be used for exhibits . . . hmm . . . in either case, it sounds like it's a flat room without any elevated seating, which would be a con . . . if anyone has ever attended a concert event at the CCC, I'd welcome the info.
2. Broader scope of performances. The website promises that soloists and lesser known artists will be a big part of this event. This can possibly be a plus or a minus. Too much variety will cause large segments of the audience to get up and leave at times, but a more varied program may be viewed by some fans as being more open to promoting deserving new talent.
posted by David Bruce Murray @ 1:43:00 PM


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