The free show in Martin Park on the 9th has been made possible by the Sturgeon Bay Parks & Recreation Department in conjunction with official Steel Bridge sponsor the Holiday Music Motel, and non-profit organization Citizens For Our Bridge. “This is huge,” says festival organizer pat mAcdonald, “The bandshell Grand Opening is our first co-production with the city of Sturgeon Bay and we also see it as the grand opening of a whole new era for Steel Bridge and for Sturgeon Bay.” It is no coincidence that the city has chosen to schedule the Grand Opening of the new Martin Park Bandshell in conjunction with the opening ceremony of this year’s Steel Bridge Songfest, an annual celebration of creation with its roots in preservation.
“I think it’s a neat idea to have Steel Bridge do the Grand Opening,” says Bob Bordeau, Superintendent of the Sturgeon Bay departments of Public Works and Parks & Recreation. “The festival has been going on for seven years, and it’s been pretty instrumental in not only preserving an historic part of our city, but also in just bringing people to Sturgeon Bay.”
The Grand Opening will feature new live music from a number of returning Steel Bridge favorites: indie siren Geri X, P-Funk All Star Kim Manning, and ukulele sensation Victoria Vox can all be seen in addition to such acts as Milwaukee’s alternative/grunge group Filter Free Radio, Green Bay’s The Muddy Udders, Chicago-based singer/songwriter Miles Neilsen, who grew up touring with his father Rick Neilsen, the lead guitarist of Cheap Trick, and the young Steel Bridge veterans of Orpheus, a band out of West De Pere consisting of nine high schoolers who have been making waves nation-wide as rising stars of the Ska scene. And Bordeau promises these exciting Grand Opening shows are just the beginning for the new bandshell. “There are going to be an awful lot of performances on that stage in the future. We have twelve concerts lined up already for this year, not including the Steel Bridge performances. I hope people come on down, enjoy the park, enjoy the music, and enjoy the city of Sturgeon Bay.”
And what a way to see the city! The collaborative nature of the music writing process that leads up to the Songfest each year requires a fluidity in the scheduling of the weekend’s performances, resulting in a roster that includes over 150 acts performing together in ever-surprising combinations at locations throughout town. It’s a powerful experience to walk through the streets of downtown when Sturgeon Bay is positively percolating with fresh live music, groups of friends and strangers sharing together in the arts of music and fun. In a small town, an event of this sort is more than a concertgoer’s musical odyssey. It is an event that brings together locals and the tourists who love our beautiful community. It brings together artists of the most varied backgrounds, and audience members of all tastes. It brings together the small business owners whose work gives our county life, and it is an annual reminder of the power of such a coming-together, symbolized by the bridge that began it all.
The Michigan Street Bridge, now widely referred to as the Steel Bridge, was built in 1931 as Door County’s first Veterans’ Memorial, officially “dedicated to honor those of Door County who answered their country’s call and gave their service in times off emergency”. When the bridge was under threat of demolition rather than repair in 2000, a bold group of advocates came together to save the bridge by raising awareness for its historic importance to our community and appreciation for all it has come to symbolize for the people of Door County and our welcomed visitors from around the world. They succeeded in doing so through the first-ever Steel Bridge Songfest five years later. The bridge has now been forever saved from the wrecking ball, protected under the National Register of Historic Places. This year, with the bridge’s 80th birthday around the corner, Steel Bridge Songfest serves as an extra special reminder of the possibility inherent in the convergence of preservation and creation, of conviction and dedication, of a cause and its effects. Don’t miss this year’s great coming-together in beautiful historic downtown Sturgeon Bay.
Steel Bridge Songfest Tweneleven will begin with Thursday evening’s free music in Martin Park at 6 o’clock, and will continue into the night in venues throughout town, with another free show in the park on Friday night. Passes for the festival’s Friday and Saturday pub crawl performances grant the passholder admission to all the festival's music events, and are available for just $20 at ticketstaronline.com, or at the Holiday Music Motel and other participating venues in the area. Details regarding a special Sunday after-party will also be announced soon online. Check www.steelbridgesongfest.org for up-to-the-minute updates on performance schedules and participating venues and artists, or simply grab your pass, head downtown, and follow your ears.
