By Chad Cooper, Cedar Rapids If you’re sick and tired of reading about GO Cedar Rapids and newbo evolve, I’ll take no offense if you opt for a hard pass on this letter. This is now the fifth (!) piece I’ve written about this festival turned flatulent flagrancy, and these writings have been much more […]
Insanity occurred in the council chambers of Cedar Rapids City Hall Tuesday night. Only a week removed from the dissolution of tourism organization GO Cedar Rapids after the newbo evolve debacle, city council members voted to let VenuWorks take over tourism duties for the city. […]
I publicly voiced early reservations with newbo evolve, the city’s festival turned flop. It featured mundane pop acts. It lost $2.3 million. Vendors are still owed $800,000. Executives were fired. Board members pointed fingers. And the banally named GO Cedar Rapids ceased operations on Monday, Oct. 15. How did this all go so wrong? […]
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Several weeks ago I penned a letter raising concerns about the then-upcoming newbo evolve festival. My primary criticism was that the event’s branding seemed at odds with its elements. How can one truly have an event “celebrating the Bohemian spirit” with $400 passes, a lineup dominated by mainstream pop acts and a lack of community engagement in the planning process? […]
Lookin’ to get down, but not sure where to go this weekend? It’s OK; happens to the best of us. Don’t let Monday find you with no great stories to share. Little Village has the lowdown on this weekend’s can’t-miss shows. […]
Cedar Rapids entrepreneur Steve Shriver wrote a letter to The Gazette in February chastising those raising concerns and criticisms of the upcoming newbo evolve festival. Shriver asked, “What do you gain by complaining about an upcoming event?” Shriver’s loaded question reveals his defensive attitude and skewed perception. It’s also emblematic of what is wrong with the current “creative brain trust” in Cedar Rapids. […]
newbo evolve is branded as a “multi-faceted festival” that “celebrates the creative Bohemian spirit through music, fashion, dance, food and technology.” […]
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