The Sundance Film Festival, which sets up shop in Park City, Utah, on Thursday, is more than a festival, it’s a delicate balancing act. This is an institution that walks the line between two competing notions of what a celebration of cinema should be, straddling as best it can a gap that is especially evident this year. Continue Reading

City Stages, the annual music festival held in Downtown Birmingham, announced today they are closing their doors for good. Festival organizers released a one-page press release saying City Stages is “irretrievably insolvent” and unable to continue operating. Earlier, City Stages founder and president George McMillan announced ticket sales for last weekend’s festival reached an all-time low.

Quick facts:

- City Stages celebrated it’s 21st year in 2009.
- At it’s height, City Stages attracted over 100,000 fans for each of the three festival nights.
- Record attendance was set at the 2004 festival.
- The festival announced over $550,000 of debt leading into last weekend’s event.
- The Birmingham City Council approved an additional $250,000 “bailout” for the festival last week Tuesday.

Will you miss City Stages? Let us know in the comments - and be sure to catch more information on this story in the July 7th issue of Kaleidoscope.

Ed. - The Kaleidoscope is on a biweekly publishing schedule throughout the end of summer.

Can’t make it to Springfest 2009? Want to still catch all the action?

Just tune in to BlazeRadio.org this Saturday, April 4th starting at 11 AM Central to hear One Sweet Band play live from the campus green!

And in case you missed it, be sure to check out Lonnie’s interview with the band members here.

Happy Springfest!