Should Lakewood Ranch music fans be singing the blues?

You have to love Music on Main and the live music that Schroeder-Manatee Ranch supplies for us at that monthly free event.

On the first Friday of the month, the folding chairs start setting up a couple of hours before the show begins and a line of humanity forms down Lakewood Main Street, until it's difficult from the back row to see the musicians' facial expressions.

The musicians are good, too. Regionally, they have big reputations and they draw nice crowds. In the case of Music on Main, we're talking thousands.

That being said, I don't think most of those musicians would take offense if you said they aren't in the class of the blues artists who performed Dec. 7 at Waterside Place in the inaugural Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival.

Which makes me wonder if this is just another story about affluent people who are willing to stand in an hour-long line to get a free donut, but aren't willing to walk right up to the counter to pay $7.50 for filet mignon.

Music on Main — thousands. First Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival — 750.

I don't get it.

In the 30 years of Lakewood Ranch, I know the SMR braintrust has spent many brainstorming sessions trying to figure out how to enrich the community's cultural offerings. There was thought put into a theater near the Main Street at Lakewood Ranch hub and an attempt to help The Sarasota Players become the Waterside Place Players with prime real estate at that entertainment hub.

I imagine when SMR sold the Premier Sports Campus and acreage to the north of it to Manatee County in 2017 that SMR was imagining some kind of amphitheater or events center on the property. That hasn't happened in the seven years since. It might be noted that in terms of the Premier sales agreement, the county must operate the site as a park for at least 25 years, and I hope that clock hasn't started ticking yet.

Meanwhile, there have been plenty of SMR-backed smaller concerts in parks, and regular minor music offerings at the Waterside Place Pavilion. The lifestyle aspect has been a huge concern for SMR, but I would imagine any of us would go nuts trying to figure out what other people want.

Other than Music on Main, there hasn't been any permanent stage area that can host what you would consider touring musical artists.

Now has come the 8-acre Waterside Place island park, which celebrated its grand opening in April once the restroom facilities, play areas, splash pads, volleyball courts and exercise equipment all were in place.

Even with all the amenities, there's probably a good 6 acres of open land that could be used to host musical events. The setting on Dec. 7 was gorgeous. Blue skies, temperatures in the 70s, a strip of land bordering Kingfisher Lake, plenty of room for vendors, and a short walk to restaurants and shops.

Everyone who attended raved about the setting and about how they were hungry for more. Unfortunately, there weren't a whole lot of them from Lakewood Ranch.

I am sure music producers Paul Benjamin and Morgan Bettes-Angell couldn't have hoped for a better environment to host their first blues festival. It would have been perfect if the crowd had been close to their anticipated target of 1,500.

Bettes-Angell made it clear they were thrilled with the first event, and they were going forward with plans to build an annual event that would get bigger each year.

As Bettes-Angell said, "Everyone loves an event."

But should it be — "Everyone loves a free event."

The ticket price for the Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival was $75 general admission. That's a small amount in today's music world considering the lineup was seven bands that were well known on the national blues scene. Want to see for yourself? Call up Melody Angel, Dylan Triplett, Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88s, Kat Riggins, Monster Mike Welch, Vanessa Collier, and the Danielle Nicole Band online.

I would not consider myself a blues fan, but I am a music fan. While I might not be buying any of their recordings, I have one word for their live concert performances — "Wow."

Of course, maybe the explanation is as simple as residents of Lakewood Ranch simply don't like the blues. Perhaps Bettas-Angell would be better off getting Blue Oyster Cult and Alice Cooper? Would we rather see Shakespeare or ballet or jazz?

Bettes-Angell said the producers were in the black after the proceeds were counted from the first Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival, but I wonder if that had more to do with Bank of America's sponsorship and SMR's backing. For now, the quality of the programming probably is enough to bring the event back in 2025, but if the community doesn't respond, how long will it be before another attempt to bring music events to the area dies a quiet death.

What I would like to hear from you, the readers, is what you would like to see, and what you don't want. If blues is a bad idea, speak up. Did you like the lineup at the blues festival, but something kept you away, let me know. Parking? Bettes-Angell had shuttles ready to go, even though they weren't needed. 

The area's residents are certainly willing to search for parking at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch for the free Music on Main to see regional bands. Why was this different? Was it the $75 ticket? Send me a note at [email protected].

Perhaps music isn't our thing. Would you be willing to line up at this very cool venue if they were offering a free donut?