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Most questions and concerns regarding the present or future state of the Moers Festival could probably be answered just a few steps inside the staging grounds by looking at the smiling swarms.
At the same time last year, such a scenario was much farther from reality. After a doubtful political environment in 2016 led to funding insecurities and subsequent major personnel changes, there was rampant speculation that the Moers affair would be greatly diminished, if not nearly eliminated.
After this year's event, nothing seemed further from the truth as lot of people obviously found their bliss, whether that Deutschland Dharma was inside the capacity filled festival hall or amidst the surrounding trees and merchandise outside.
The enchanting park around the festival locale was a vibrant reminder that even after internal shakeups and financial issues, Moers is still going strong. Whether that's from a new direction or old inertia there was a very positive vibe that seemed apparent to all, as thousands of ecstatic attendees basked in various stages of glow during varying levels of performance. Moers' basic sound system and lighting was first class, while acoustics were good but not flawless for an eclectic range of acts and locations.
A new operational team headed by Artistic Director Tim Isfort and Business Manager Claus Arndt had to be satisfied with their results, at least those based on attendance, sponsorship and the concerts.
Beside an abundance of homegrown artists there was popular, internationally recognized talent like The Bad Plus, Anthony Braxton's sextet, Swans and Brian Blade's Mama Rosa Project.
"The first days felt like a trip through a worm hole," reflected Isfort. "The festival had been in hibernation basically. We had to work our way back to reality. We want to keep the 'idea behind Moers,' and to set off in search of the unheard and the unexpected, like it used to be. In doing so we're attempting to strike a balance between artistic quality on an international level when it comes to the music, and strengthening the festival's roots in the city at the same time."
read more: https://www.allaboutjazz.com/moers-festival-2017-by-phillip-woolever.php
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