Alive @ Five -Ten

Things apparently got a little nasty at the Eve 6 edition of Alive @ Five last week and now police will kick the crowds out of Columbus Park at music's end. Restaurants will have to break down their additional outdoor seating also. The Alive @ Five after hours scene on the street is always a mix of shady characters and the underage searching for a curbside Heineken floater.

BlogStamford and it's loyal posters were all over this eventuality after the Blues Traveller kick off this year. Crowds have swelled as of late and the tight crowd brings an air of tension to the hot summer nights. If you have ever been to the Brickhouse you know there are more than enough assholes in town to eventually have some issues.

So what does this mean for Alive @ Five going forward? This year? Not much. The wheels are in motion and it will play itself out for better or worse over the remaining weeks. Stamford will not be denied its Boys II Men. Next year could be another story.

Some have floated the idea of moving the event. Mill River Park would be ideal, but the great lawn is still years away from being in any kind of shape to handle. The DOWNTOWN Special Service District will have little interest in putting on a show outside of the downtown and I don't think the city has the will to take it over themselves without the support of the DSSD.

I've also heard people say it should move towards lesser known acts (someone just made Eve 6's day!) Yeah that's the answer, just book crappier bands so less people will want to come. The so called troublemakers are most likely there for the "event" aspect and not the music anyways. The guy in the jean jacket who drove from PA to see Blues Traveller isn't there to throw 'bows, he's there to rock. Leave him out of it.

My humble suggestion is to make the event bigger. Close off the area starting at Atlantic on either side of the Old Town Hall. Incorporate more retailer promotion booths and food tents along the entire length of the closed roads. This should encourage people to walk the length of the space and thin the crowd some. Drunks also get the chance to soak up the booze. There are no fast food options at the event. Occasionally there is a booth selling pizzas, otherwise the only option is to sit down at a restaurant. Never underestimate the Gyro's ability to soothe some loudmouth ass.

Think people won't want to leave the stage are? Only half the people there have any interest in the music at all from my estimation. Out of the half that does, maybe 10% is interested in hearing anything other than the band's one radio hit. Last year during Sister Hazel the crowd was very subdued. Then "their song" kicked on. People started jumping out of windows and popping out of manhole covers to rush the stage. After Verse Verse Chorus Verse Chorus of that people were shoving keys in their ears rather than hear the next song. Increase the surface area, give the crowd some reasons to walk around and spread out and the cops can move around and spot trouble.

I think people also need to understand the event will never be 100% perfect. Throw a bunch of people together and a certain % are bound to be jerks. The same rule holds true in Stop & Shop. I could be wrong, but some of the claims also seem to be blown out of proportion. More than a couple black kids together does not constitute a gang. A fight is not a riot. Not every event has to be friendly to your kids and pets.