Artists and directors alike say they are happy with the outcome of 2017's Valley Of The Vapors Independent Music Festival.
The festival, presented by Low Key Arts and known affectionately by its fans as "VOV," concluded its 13th year of bringing up-and-coming musical acts, and a handful of nonmusical acts, to the Spa City last Tuesday evening. Both performers and organizers had only positive things to say about the five-day event.
Bobby Missile, artistic director of Low Key Arts, said that this year's festival fired on all cylinders.
"There were absolutely no setbacks whatsoever," Missile said. "It's hard to express into words how much of a success this year was."
This year's festival featured 39 musical acts and four nonmusical acts, drawing fans of all sorts to downtown Hot Springs to witness a diverse lineup of live performances. The festival's total of 43 acts was scaled down from 2016's lineup of more than 70 acts, and only featured evening shows played only at Maxine's and Low Key Arts -- a conscious decision made by Missile and Low Key Arts Executive Director David Hill.
Missile said that although this year's lineup did not possess the quantity of the year before, each performer in this year's festival was "magical." This magic was not only seen by him, but by the audience, as well.
"Everybody was glowing about every single performance," Missile said. "It's extremely hard to put into words how magical it was."
While the audience enjoyed the performances, the performers greatly enjoyed their crowds' demeanors, as well. Indie soul artist Walker Lukens, of Austin, Texas, headlined at Low Key Arts Tuesday night and said that he and his band were "pleasantly surprised" at the audience's enthusiasm for his weeknight show.
Lukens said that Hot Springs' positive reaction to VOV in general was a nice contrast to his hometown, which he said has grown weary of the numerous music festivals held in his area.
"People were so enthusiastic," Lukens said. "It was cool to see everyone in town have a really positive attitude about a music festival, because in Austin, people really sort of resent all of the music festivals."
Lukens also said that the crowd was specifically excited about seeing his act perform that night. He mentioned running into people before his Tuesday evening performance who had been listening to his songs to prepare themselves for the show.
"We were talking to people who were like, 'Oh yeah, we've been listening to your music. We're excited to come tonight,'" Lukens said.
Along with the spirit surrounding VOV, Missile was also pleased with the festival's attendance. His rough estimate as of Wednesday was 2,500, including a sold-out show at Maxine's Friday night.
Going forward, Missile said that any changes made to the festival will be minimal. He said that while each year is a "learning experience," this year's festival did not present any significant areas for improvement.
"Throughout the entire festival, there was nothing major, and I can't even think of any minor instances of things that were flawed," Missile said. "There might be just some small improvements."
Missile is grateful that his festival has continued to center itself around the enjoyment of both the audience and the bands for another year. He said that this phenomenon is what makes VOV unique.
"There is no other festival in the entire world that is like Valley of the Vapors," Missile said. "It is truly a festival that is catered to appeal to people."
Local on 03/27/2017