A lot of "inkâ is gonna get spilled in the next few months as Missoulaâs premiere music festival, Total Fest, gears up for its 14th installment. Probably even more so now, considering it was announced today (via Josh Vanek on Total Festâs blog) that this year will be Total Festâs last. For full disclosure, Iâm on the planning committee for the festival this year and I knew about this news before today but itâs the kind of thing we felt really had to be delivered by Josh Vanek, the guy behind Wantage USA and the very guy who was behind Total Fest since its inception. 14 years is a long time to do something like this: a relatively thankless and stressful job thatâs 100% a labor of love. Missoula has been lucky, for sure.Â
Iâve attended every Total Fest since moving to Missoula six years ago. Other than the stories of Jayâs Upstairs (a venue I never had the opportunity to be a part of), Total Fest was the kind of thing I heard about while still living in Minneapolis. Iâve heard similar things from people whoâve lived in Seattle and Portland. I viewed it as an achievement that this modest mountain college town could demand attention from its larger regional population centers. Total Fest and the work behind it really helped put Missoula on the map for countless touring bands that may have ignored us otherwise. After 14 years, I bet that influence is worth more than just a pat on the back and a hearty âthank youâ to the Vaneks and every other organizator, Total Fest is one of the things that created the Missoula we have today. This, the final year, should be a celebration of everything thatâs come and of everything that will be. Missoula is a better place because of what Total Fest has done. What with Camp Daze and the ZACCâs rock show resurgence, Iâm pretty confident that Missoula can keep it going.
Thanks everybody. Thanks Total Fest.Â