The fun part

After all the months of planning, it's hard to believe the 2007 festival is a reality instead of just a series of agenda items at a meeting in the back room of Staples. "Now comes the fun part," as many of my fellow organizers are fond of saying.

A big part of the fun, at least for me, comes not just from attending lots of shows, but comparing notes on them with other people. That's where this blog comes in: it's a vehicle for anyone and everyone to play critic, advocate (devil's or otherwise), roving reporter, hypester, or any other role that suits you. The main blog innovation this year is that we've tried to organize a small cadre of folks who have volunteered to see as many shows as possible and write about them here on a daily basis. You've already read some of Chris Uebbing's thoughts on Day One; I'm gonna be posting my own mini-reviews in a sec; Lynn Lasota will surely be chiming in soon; Caesandra S. promises to share the many photos she's been taking; and we're hoping to hear from Lawrence Rowswell as well. If you'd like to join the team, just send an email to me at (ronehmke @ hotmail.com) and I'll be happy to add you. (If you're already a member of the blog from last year, you're good to go.)

Of course, if you don't feel like committing to more than an occasional post, you can always click on the "comments" line below any review and add your thoughts about the same show. From time to time, we'll also create spaces where you can write about any show you've seen that we haven't reviewed yet, or simply share your thoughts about the festival in general.

Without further ado, let the games begin.