Back from Orycon: review

replyWhoof. We have met a convention, and it was us. Or something like that.

I'll be more than happy to hear comments, positive and otherwise, on the filk/music parts of the convention; meanwhile, herewith my own assessment.

CONCERTS
Assuming I get this job next year, the one thing I *know* I'll want to improve is tech-turnover. I definitely underestimated the difficulties in re-arranging mikes/tables etc., and completely spaced the microphone-stand problem until mid-Saturday afternoon at the con. Fortunately, filk-folk being great improvisers, we coped pretty well. (In part the whole thing was a result of the ongoing increase in talent and professionalism on the part of our concerteers--I am not sure we've had duos and trios on stage at the concerts prior to this. No, wait, I'm ignoring Roy and Joan, who have been doing concerts for ages....)

On the whole, however, I thought everyone put on a superb show, and thanks go to the House of the Golden Note for stepping in at nearly the last moment to fill in for Steve Dixon, as well as to Aislinn for the loan of a Real Mike Stand at the critical moment. Plus, of course, thanks to ALL the concert performers: Roy & Joan; Douglas & Titania & Andrew; Aislinn; Jeff; Cat & Callie; and Maya & Jeff. (I am told that Maya & Jeff have now been nagged sufficiently that they *are* looking at the idea of an album....)

OPEN FILKING
I *still* don't understand why the room situation Saturday night fell out the way it did, and I have been having a terrible time trying to explain to my Programming-Czars that it ought to have been intuitive to use the otherwise-empty Klamath Room instead of the Santiam Room for the early-hours filk circle. Ah, well.

The one other real concern I noted was the circle-style situation that arose after the close of the GB concert, wherein (a) two circles had consolidated to one, then (b) adopted the Chaos mode, in (c) the posted Bardic room, at which point (d) a number of Bardic-partisan folk floated up to the circle from the GB concert.

In retrospect, I suspect I ought to have ducked out of the GB concert during their set-break in order to check on things--although I should make clear that I have absolutely no criticism of anyone's on-the-fly actions during the time I wasn't upstairs. Clearly there *were* problems using the Santiam Room at that point, it made sense to move into Klamath, consolidating the circles was appropriate, and the then-participants were within bounds to choose whichever format was most popular.

At the same time, I can also sympathize with the Bardic-partisans arriving to find a Chaos circle in the midst of the posted Bardic room....

I hope we managed to sort that one out without ruffling too many feathers, and I think most folks were gracious about the return to Bardic format. (I gather, though I didn't have a chance to check, that the Chaos group resurrected itself for some time thereafter, which I trust was enjoyable for that group.)

The lesson learned out of that adventure is in some ways problematic, as the root of the difficulty was the full-length GB concert and that's a programming element that's not likely to repeat regularly in future years. OTOH, it may be that we need to look at the dynamics of what happens when we have filk circles set to open several hours apart.

We did, in any event, have a *lot* of people turn out, and I am advised that we got a lot of new people to show up for all or part of the experience. I've already gotten E-mail from one of them asking where the local Portland housefilks are....

• John C. Bunnell
• JCBunnell at sff.net
• Filk Peasant, Orycon 19

[Alert readers will note that I've re-subscribed to the list from my 'Net-proper address, and have petitioned the ListGods to take my Genie address off the rolls.] Received on 11/10/97