City belatedly gets around to releasing concrete information on Boomtown, summer concert series, etc.

Boomtown Ball.
Bicentennial Park Concert Series.
July 3 Fireworks at the Amphitheater.

You should know that for several weeks, questions about these city-sponsored events have been asked of the city by previous local vendors, and answered vaguely or incompletely, if answered at all.

Why is it so frustrating for these businesses not to get timely information? It's because food and drink businesses like those involved in the past with these specially staged events must budget, make schedules, staff and plan ahead. They always have done so -- and they have always come through and delivered for event attendees.

Only this week on Tuesday morning, as City Hall's persistently poor communications skills started being discussed yet again, loudly and publicly on social media following the downtown merchant meeting, did the ice finally begin to thaw.

This morning I reported what (was) known about Boomtown amid the fog, and then later in the afternoon, through a miraculous and surely coincidental communications breakthrough, this press release (below) suddenly appeared.

In it, we learn the "preferred" and "professional" caterer's name that David Duggins forgot to remember on Tuesday: It's Festival Cuisine & Spirits, with a primary office in Louisville and a storage warehouse on Pearl Street in New Albany (note that this year, it's beer and wine only at Boomtown).

All we've been told by the city in way of explanation is that the city placed alcoholic beverage catering in the hands of Louisville-based Production Simple, and Production Simple hired Festival Cuisine & Spirits.

Also, it is revealed for the first time publicly that while Boomtown's primary components are Louisville based, localism will be observed during the Bicentennial Park Concert Series and July 3 Fireworks show, via something called the Downtown Bar and Restaurant Association.

Perhaps City Hall means the New Albany Restaurant & Bar Association, unless NARBA already has a rival non-profit. In this city, anything is possible.

And, as revealed previously, local bricks and mortar retailers will have their booth fees waived by the Louisville-based Flea Off Market, and that's good news for retailers.

Why has Team Gahan sought so assiduously to make Boomtown such a Louisville-centric event, when local building blocks might be used -- when the band curating the event, Houndmouth, hails from New Albany and environs?

That's anyone's guess. Maybe it's Greg Fischer's idea. So, read the tea leaves, break out that dusty Ouija Board and spin a bottle ... or flip a coin. Mayor Jeff Gahan's administration is the single most furtive, secretive and non-transparent administrative entity in living memory, as well as the one most willing to award credit to itself. In fact, the most surprising development this year came on April 9, when Gahan chose not to celebrate his victory over General Lee at Appomattox Court House.

Verily, we all have become dentists, merrily pulling teeth. Novocaine, anyone?

What is known about Boomtown, amid the fog.

I'm going to tell you some things I know about the Boomtown festival, coming downtown on Sunday, May 24. If the following reports appear scant and contradictory, it's because I'm restricting sources to those that are open and public (yesterday's merchant meeting) or ones disclosed directly to me (the Flea Off e-mail). 

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We learned yesterday that the city of New Albany has ceded event planning sovereignty to the Louisville's musical promotions firm Production Simple as it pertains to control of alcoholic beverage vending at this year's second Boomtown show, slated for Sunday, May 24.

David Duggins told yesterday's Merchant Meeting attendees that last year's consortium of local businesses operating under the aegis of an NABC catering permit for the occasion, a group now formally chartered as the New Albany Restaurant & Bar Association, would not be repeated this year. No reason was offered for this.

Rather, in 2015 Production Simple will utilize its "preferred" and "professional" beverage caterer from Louisville, the name of which Duggins conceded he could not remember, although he repeated the word "professional" several times, and explained the caterer is "local" by virtue of having a warehouse located in New Albany.

In addition, the Louisville street bazaar known as Flea Off returns to Boomtown in 2015. Yesterday Duggins told the merchants that while local alcoholic alcoholic beverage vendors would be excluded from participation, local restaurants could contact Flea Off and register to serve food, even though a representative of Flea Off recently declaimed responsibility for both food and drink in an e-mail to the author.

Duggins also noted that while Flea Off vendors typically pay for their space, the city of New Albany has negotiated a special deal, and local retail stores and other entities will be allowed free booth space for Boomtown. Finally, the band Houndmouth will not be performing this year, as it did in 2014 at the conclusion of Boomtown, although the Houndmouth "brand" still fully backs Boomtown.

Now, many of you have asked me about beer for Boomtown and other summer events (Bicentennial Park concert series, July 3 fireworks, et al). Remembering that I'm on leave of absence from NABC in order to campaign for mayor, and have referred communications to others within the company, all I can say is that little is known to me or them. In short, the situation is almost completely opaque.

Unofficially, I am told that NABC beer will be sold by the "professional" caterer at Boomtown, but because no one knows who it is, and the level of craft beer commitment it possesses, there is simply no way for me to predict its offerings or how much it cares about craft. This, too, is opaque.

As to what happens when the concert series begins on Friday, June 5, it's also anyone's guess about vendors and beverage choices. As of this writing, no information has been forthcoming for public attribution, and there is no way of knowing whether local vendors will be involved, or Production Simple's "professional" caterer, or an entity yet to be revealed.

Frustrated by the persistent fog?

Trust me. I know how it feels. That's why I'm running for mayor in the first place.

Boomtown Ball today, Houndmouth tonight ... and Flea Off, bands, beer and things.

Houndmouth says: Come out all day to Boomtown Ball and pick up one of these amazing Madpixel Art and Design prints. Only 200 available."

If you haven't already heard, Houndmouth's evening show at The Grand tonight is sold out. But there will be eight hours of merriment before that, free of cover charge.

Houndmouth curated the musical lineup, and Production Simple did the rest. The Flea Off Market will run inside the enlarged all-ages "beer garden" area, within which there'll be food and ...

The Boomtown Tavern is a cooperative venture between NABC, JR's Pub, Irish Exit, Feast BBQ and 502 Winery, with a percentage of proceeds helping to start our New Albany food and drink non-profit. Outside the fenced-in festival area, many downtown shops and eateries will be open, some of them observing special hours.

At Bank Street Brewhouse, we've scheduled an unveiling.

Houndmouth bombers are the first bottling of what is projected to be regular 22-oz availability for NABC's Session Series (also Beak's Best Bitter, Community Dark and Tafelbier) of low-gravity beers. These will be sold exclusively at our two locations, so look for them later this summer.

Don't forget that in less than a week, on Friday, May 30, this summer's concert series (staged by Production Simple) begins at Bicentennial Park. NABC will be vending at the park, along with River City Winery, Irish Exit and JR's Pub.

Meanwhile, a block away ...

Big Four Burgers joins forces with NABC for Friday evening food at Bank Street Brewhouse

Beginning on Friday, May 30, Big Four Burgers will have its new mobile burger trailer parked outside Bank Street Brewhouse on the very same Fridays as the concert series. Burger hours will be from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., allowing music lovers to have a Big Four burger and NABC progressive pint before or after the musical performances just down the street.

SoIn previews the Boomtown Ball.

A consortium of downtown restaurant and bar operators have spent quite a lot of time preparing for next Sunday's Boomtown show, both by seeking to make the event equitable for all downtown businesses, and moreover, by accepting the responsibility for the alcoholic beverage vending at the event. It would be nice if we were to be mentioned somewhere along the way; if not in a single one of the city's press releases, than perhaps in this otherwise excellent newspaper preview. Alas, in New Albany, we're all here because we're not all there.

Kudos, then, to Production Simple for getting it right in last week's Fb blast. We appreciate it, guys.

All about the bands on the outdoor stage at Boomtown Ball on May 25.

Production Simple fills in the blanks and tells us about the music slated to be performed on the outdoor stage at the Boomtown Ball and Festival on May 25. Houndmouth is playing a sold-out show at The Grand the same evening. No worries; it is Menorial Day weekend, so you won't have to work on Monday.

NABC is delighted to license the Boomtown event for adult libations, and to work with other downtown drinks vendors to curate a lineup of beer, wine and cocktails for the occasion. We'll be meeting tomorrow to discuss details. Our collective aim from the start has been to provide genuinely local flavor to Boomtown, and to showcase the 365-days-a-year efforts of local business, whether bar or boutique. Just so you know ...

And now, the music.

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The line-up for the outdoor stage curated by Houndmouth; music begins at 1:30 p.m.

The River City Blues Band 
Hailing from Louisville, KY, the River City Blues Band plays a variety of Blues - West Coast, Delta, Chicago. Members Denny Thornbury, Jimmy Gaetano, Hank Dobson and Tom Murray play straight up BLUES, man!

The Kernal & His New Strangers
Based in Jackson, TN, The Kernal & His New Strangers call the Downtown Tavern home and from that halfway point between two Tennessee music mecca’s, tour the country with their home-grown brand of Southern mystique. Tied deeply to the legacy of the wandering musician and the historic Grand Ole Opry, the Kernal, a southern gentleman with an old soul and youthful ambition, found his sound and showmanship in the greats of the classic Country music scene like Del Reeves.

Ranger
Members Adam Faris, Michael Homan, Yuto Kanii and Alfonso Ramos were jamming out in an abandoned candy factory on Floyd Street in Louisville, in order to let loose and nail down some new songs. Now, after a trip to Kevin Ratterman’s La La Land, the New Albany band has a new album entitled The Bard. “We kinda stumbled upon the album title while reflecting on our demos at Ratterman’s. The inspiration was found through the storytelling aspects of the album,” says Alfonso Ramos, lead singer of Ranger.

Daniel Martin Moore is a singer and songwriter (and a great many other things arguably less relevant to this particular piece of text) from Cold Spring, Kentucky. On the strength of an unsolicited demo he sent in January of 2007, Sub Pop released Stray Age in October of 2008, a quietly striking album and Daniel’s debut full-length. And, in February of 2010, Sub Pop released Dear Companion, an album written and performed by Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore together, and produced by Jim James from My Morning Jacket and Monsters of Folk.

The Pass
Louisville, KY’s The Pass tout a “neverending quest for a balanced perfection of synthesizer pop and dance-floor psychedelia.” The music is compulsively listenable, danceable and playable. Their momentous sound and infectious onstage energy keep the crowd moving.

Discount Guns is the brainchild of John Ford & Edward Vincent. The two grew up in Central Ill. and met in 2006 working at a farm machinery store. The men both ended up in Louisville, Kentucky and Discount Guns was born. In the summer of 2010, they started writing music together. After failed attempts of finding a drummer, the two decided to learn to play the drums and become a 2-piece, switching off on guitar and drums.

Fly Golden Eagle is currently touting their latest, psych-funk release, "Swagger", wherever they go and are done with their follow-up, "Quartz", to be released soon. In the past year the band has toured with Alabama Shakes, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Dr Dog, Arctic Monkeys, Clear Plastic Masks and Chrome Pony. See them outside and in the sun.

San Fermin is the work of Brooklyn composer and songwriter Ellis Ludwig-Leone. After finishing his musical studies at Yale, Ludwig-Leone wrote the album in six weeks while holed up in a studio on the mountainous border between Alberta and British Columbia. He focused on lifeʼs top-shelf issues – youth, nostalgia, anxiety, unrequited love – and tied these vast themes to different characters through vocal contributions from longtime friend Allen Tate, as well as Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius.

This event is produced by Louisville based buyers Production Simple, Concerts & Events and radio sponsorship is being provided by 91.9 WFPK.

BicenPk acts for Friday in July: Dave Moisan, Bodeco, Violet Knives, Kaleidico & Daniel Ellsworth.

For complete descriptions, go here.