9/9/99: BG News, Guest Column 9/9/99
BG News
Guest Column

Festival's lineup looks promising

Jena Lohrbach


You know, there are a select few of you who allow yourselves to become excited about anything. I would think that everyone would want to find something to get excited about. I mean, let's face it­there's not usually much going on around here on the weekends. But you're in luck this weekend. You know what this weekend is, right? It's the Black Swamp Arts Festival!

Why do I get the impression that you aren't as excited about this as I am?

Now, I know you may not be into all that art stuff. My mom's an art person; my sister's an art major ­ I don't see how I can have a whole lot of choice. But I've always wished I could do what they can, so second best ­ buy stuff that art people make. Or at least take a day to walk around and appreciate their talents since I'm just a poor college kid that can't even afford to go have a drink with friends on the weekend.

I love art festivals. Besides having some really cool and creative stuff on display, you get to meet the people who made it and maybe even buy it. This year, as always, I'm on the lookout for some great jewelry, a cool picture or two, and a new mug. (Art fairs are the best places to get huge clay mugs with big comfortable handles ... the kind you can curl up with while you're reading or cramming for midterms).

But I'm looking forward to one thing in particular this weekend. The music. Have you seen the line-up? They've got it all. Swing, rock, bluegrass, jazz, folk, blues, etc. But what I've been looking forward to since I found out in July is the Moxy Fruvous show.

Moxy Fruvous is a Canadian group of four incredibly wonderful-looking and delightfully talented men. My best friend Kim addicted me to this group last year; their songs are upbeat and quirky and their ballads have broken my heart. And their version of the Bee Gees' "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" is infinitely better than the original.

They played at Case Western in Cleveland a few days before Kim's birthday last year. So we decided that if it was possible, we'd go. Then we started classes, and money started getting tight (like it always does).

Before we knew it, the concert was a week and a half away and we were right in the grips of midterms. My linguistics midterm was scheduled for the day after the concert, and I had a morning class the morning after that I didn't particularly think I should skip (much as I wanted to).

Still, on the night of the concert, Kim and her boyfriend and I headed to Cleveland and when we got there, it was standing room only. We stood in the back of the inadequately-sized room for three hours, jostled and hot and completely captivated. It's one of my favorite memories.

I'm just wondering if the people in charge of the Black Swamp Festival have planned for all the groupies (Fruheads) that are going to be following the group here.

I was reading some of the stuff on fruhead.com and there are a lot of Fruheads planning on making a trip to BG this weekend. Which will be great for BG ­ but are they going to have room at the show?

So, it's Saturday night, which means I've got three days to anticipate another great memory with even more of my friends (since most of them are planning on being there). And after this weekend, what will I be looking forward to? Well, I can't think of anything that's coming up before October, so I guess that after this, I'll just have to look forward to the hockey season.

Jena Lohrbach looks forward to e-mail as much as she's looking forward to this weekend, so let her know what you're thinking at jlohrb@bgnet. bgsu.edu.



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