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VENETIAN FESTIVAL 2005 |
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ROCKING ON THE WATER FOR 27 YEARS…VENETIAN FESTIVAL 2005 by Tom Lounges
Looking for something a little different to do this summer? Tired of the same old, same old when it comes to the community festival scene? Well why not get your water wings out of dry dock and enjoy the 27th Annual Venetian Festival taking place from July 14 through July 17. Save your frequent flyer miles bucko, we are not talking about the festival in Venice, Italy. We are talking about the annual music fest that is held each July on Silver Beach in St. Joseph, Michigan. If you and the family are up for a little road trip, that is just a couple of hours drive from “da region”. Over the course of four days and nights, an estimated 150,000 people will be enjoying national rock ‘n’ roll bands under the stars and (literally!) on the Lake Michigan shore line. Boat enthusiasts will not want to miss the lighted boat parade (at 10:00pm) that precedes the Fireworks Sky Concert, that is said to be one of the grandest fireworks displays in the entire Midwest. There is also a huge carnival (ranging from kiddie favorites to white knuckle rides), a two day wine tasting event, ongoing volleyball tournaments, marathon swimming, Big Band ballroom dancing, tons of crafters and enough food vendors to make it look like a mini-“Taste Of Chicago.” Along with the music, the kids will dig the hell out of the latest addition to the entertainment on the grounds. “We’ve added ‘Game Riot’, which is the world’s largest traveling video game show,” said Mike Minestra, the Vice-President of the Venetian Festival Committee. “It’s like a 100 foot by 150 foot tent sponsored by X-Box, NesQuick and SBC,” he continued. “They have like 170 gaming stations, a half dozen plasma screens and they have brand new games in there that are not even on the market yet.” National video gaming competitions will be held during the festival in the “Game Riot” tent, which will be plugged into the world via DS-1 lines. There is even a celebrity gamer named Zyos, who is the national “Halo” champion. He will play against challengers and prizes can be won in the process. But enough of that stuff. Let’s get back to the music! In past years, the Venetian Festival has played host to the likes of Pat Benatar, Kansas, The Beach Boys, The Doobie Brothers, The Edgar Winter Group, .38 Special, Grand Funk, Blue Oyster Cult, Better Than Ezra and Foreigner. This summer the roster of talent being offered at this year’s festival is some of the best ever presented on their twin concert stages that sit at the water’s edge at the junction of the lake and the adjoining river (hence the Venice reference in the festival’s name). The Detroit Wheel himself, Mitch Ryder, headlines the “River Stage” on Saturday, July 15 while “American Idol” heart-throbs Josh Gracin and Carmen Rasmussen have the ladies swooning at the 3,500-seat“Shadowland Stage”.
In and around
those headliners are a bevy of local, regional and less known national
touring artists of all styles and genres. Hotter Than Hell, a national
KISS tribute is among the groups performing before REO hits the stage on
Friday. “REO are doing a return date, because they did very, very well for us when we had them here in 1998,” said Mike Minestra, the Vice-President of the Venetian Festival Committee. “I expect they will do very well again this year.” Gracin is an artist Minestra is excited about having, because of all the hoopla over the “American Idol” television show in the last few years. “I’m thinking that Josh will find quite an audience here,” he said. Minestra looks forward to July each year, because he gets a chance to let his hair down and play rock star as guitar-slinger of The Venetian Festival All-Star Board Band. “We get to take off our ties and play classic rock covers,” he laughed. The Venetian Festival is not a city-sponsored event like the many events presented in Grant Park during the warm weather months by Mayor Daley’s office. This annual event is produced by a private organization of local boating enthusiasts and headed up by a 33-member board. “This whole thing started back in 1979, because of bunch of crazy boaters wanted to have a party,” laughed Minestra. “They got together and decided to have a little festival with a couple of local bands, a swim and a sail boat regatta. It was started by the St. Joseph River Yacht Club.” Venetian Fest grew from a one day party to a two day throw down in the mid-’80s, before swelling in the early 1990s to its current four day event status. “Thursday is sort of the kick off day with some jazz music, a car show and the boats,” note Minestra. The Boardwalk/Carnival opens at 1:00pm on Thursday and the official Opening Ceremonies begin at 6:00pm. “Things really get going on Friday at noon.” he added. “We live in a town of about 10,000 people and we bring in about 40-50,000 people a day during the festival. So that alone tells you that we must be doing something right here. People keep coming back and generally each year the attendance numbers get bigger than that last.” There is no admission charge to the festival grounds itself nor the secondary River Stage attractions like Hotter Than Hell, Mitch Ryder and others. “There’s not gate admission,” concluded Minestra. “There is only a charge for the main stage shows and even those are next to nothing. REO is only $17.50 and the others are just $10 bucks. Where can you see a concert with this kind of talent for prices like that today?” For a full entertainment/event schedule, along with travel directions (trust me it’s easy to get there!), just log on at: www.venetian.org Whadda you say? Isn’t it about time for a road trip?
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Chicago South
Side rock legends, REO Speedwagon and Collective Soul are likewise
headlining the Shadowland Stage on Friday and Sunday, respectively. 