The Wichita River Festival—despite its attempts to please—Still mostly a corporate shill

The Wichita River Festival has begun (May 29). As with most years I'll be sure and miss it. I miss it every year. Every time I've gone to the River Festival I've been disappointed. This year I just won't go.

To be honest they have improved the festival as far as getting a few decent music acts. They have the Village People, who I am not a big fan of, but at least some people will enjoy it. The drawback of that band is that there are only about two people from the original act. They have the local band Split Lip Rayfield, which I'm not a big fan of but they are one of the better known local acts.

One of the worst things about the festival are all the corporation using it as advertisement. Koch industries staged the Twilight Pops with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. They also managed to get their logo on the website of the River Festival web site. Other corporations have their logos on the page as well. This event as a whole is just busting at the seems with corporations promoting their products or themselves.

As in the case of Koch Industries, owned by the nefarious Koch brothers- Charles and David, they need the positive publicity to distract from their horrible deeds, such as supporting global warming, opposing universal health care, putting together phony front groups (usually called think tanks) such as Americans for Prosperity, supporting such undemocratic organizations as American Legislative Exchange (ALEC) and buying up elections. You won't see me giving the Koch Bothers a free blowjob by attending stuff with their names on it.

Even when the festival does have acts that I want to see they usually miss-manage them to the point were something is bound to go wrong. One year I wanted to see the Go Gos and they messed that up by moving the concert and not telling anyone.

They always have preachers and annoying church related things. For years they tried to make the festival "family friendly” mostly be attacking anyone who drinks at the festival or liquor related events or places. They seemed less annoying this year as they have allowed a craft beer "Tap Truck."

One big irony this year is a stage the set up called RedGuard Stage. Did they notice the word Red Guard has had leftwing connotations.

So while they have made some improvements on the festival it is still just a promotional stunt for the benefit of local corporations and business people.

I'm playing it safe—I'm staying home.

-សតិវ​ អតុ

When Italy- its people- turned against Benito Mussolini they shot him and his mistress and then hung them from a public business, so the people could spit on them. It was good enough for Mussolini—we should try it on the Koch Brothers.