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Beach Stage gone, lineup of bands softer, more varied and Browns in Sports Zone
By Malcolm X. Abram
Beacon Journal music writer
Published on Friday, Jun 20, 2008
For 21 years, the Alive Festival — a Christian music festival — has grown in size and stature.
It often plays to crowds of up to 80,000 music fans, worshippers and campers spread across the 300 acres of Clay's Park Resort in Stark County's Lawrence Township.
But festival goers returning this year found a few additions and one major subtraction at the 2008 festival Thursday. The Beach Stage usually set up near the park's lake was nowhere to be found.
But there were new additions, including the Alive Sports Zone, where fans got to meet and hear Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, running back Jason Wright and General Manager Phil Savage talk about their faith.
The usual first-day hustle and bustle of thousands of fans carefully traversing crowded grounds was more subdued and there was plenty of space in which to maneuver.
Some fans said the lineup, which has in the past leaned towards musically harder and younger rock bands, is a bit softer and more diversified this year.
But there was still plenty of power chords and driving backbeats from bands such as Casting Crowns and Skillet.
Although their numbers appeared fewer, this year's opening day crowd still was a spirited bunch.
''It's the music, the camping [and] I get to see a lot of my friends,'' Andrew Woods, 17, of Norwalk, said.
For Woods, this will be his fifth concert and he is looking forward to tonight's scheduled appearance by headliner Toby Mac.
Woods attracted attention with his homemade T-shirt offering ''Free Ninja Hugs'' and a multicolored ninja hood.
''Are you really giving out ninja hugs?,'' one teenage girl, sporting the popular ''Virginity Rocks'' T-shirt, asked.
''Hey, I can't false-advertise. That wouldn't be right,'' he replied, opening his arms wide.
A few yards away, Gary Monza of Youngsville, Pa., was wide-eyed outside of the Meet and Greet tent. He had just met members of the Esterlyn band.
Monza, who regularly attends the massive 30-year-old Creation Festival in rural Pennsylvania, brought a group of 20 children and adults to Alive just to ''try something differently.'' He said he appreciated the event's slower pace.
''This is nice, there aren't the crowds, the psychosis, it's just a cool environment,'' said Monza, a father of two, ages 3 and 5.
''Usually, either Daddy gets to have fun or the kids get to have fun, but here there's room and great music. It's like the glass is down and everyone gets to run around the zoo.''
Taking a rest under a tree were Ben Davis of Jackson in southern Ohio and his buddies Logan Glendenning, 18, and Hannah McCorkle, 15, both of Chillicothe.
The trio, guitars in hands, were putting on an small concert for anyone within earshot, performing an original song, In Your Hands.
The three multiple-time festival goers are hoping their band, Dawn Arrives, will someday get to grace one of the festival's real stages.
But for a group of longtime festival goers, some of the changes were a bit inconvenient.
''They came and took our Porta Potties away,'' said Chad Mowrer, 34 of Urichsville, pointing to a stretch of now empty space in the camping area.
Mowrer, who has attended every year of the festival, has returned to the same camping spot for several years.
Aside from the loss of the nearby restrooms, he also lamented the loss of the Beach Stage.
''You can always find something to complain about,'' Mowrer said.
He still plans on having a good time.
''I enjoy the fellowship and it's great to meet people from all over the map and now [without the Beach stage], we can talk without screaming at each other,'' he said. ''We're already talking about next year's festival.''
Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.
For 21 years, the Alive Festival — a Christian music festival — has grown in size and stature.
Get the full article here.
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