Despite a variety of musical and artistic offerings

Despite a variety of musical and artistic offerings, the crowd sizes throughout BAAM Fest were oftentimes lacking.
There were certainly bigger names on the schedule who brought out good-sized crowds, such as The Magic Math, The 911 Reporters and Jasper Coal. A few of the venues, such as Rogue Tavern and Speakeasy, held consistent numbers throughout the weekend as well.

But with many of the BAAMfest events, the crowds ranged from small to a mere handful; and even then, many of the bodies populating the venues were staff members or other musicians and artists rather than ticket buyers.

Underwhelming crowd sizes throughout the weekend were evidence that BAAMfest—still a festival that is learning and growing—has yet to overcome its biggest obstacle: marketing a conglomeration of musical/artistic products in a three-day package that Birmingham natives have separate access to throughout the year.

Based on the logistics of the first two BAAMfests, the festival organizers appear to be less concerned with showcasing a festival that will attract out-of-town ticket buyers and more focused on hosting an annual celebration of Birmingham’s musical and artistic purveyors where local entertainers can come together and support each other.

This leaves many questions about the future of the festival. BAAMfest has staked its claim as a festival that intends to return year after year; however, based simply on observation, an expanded festival platform in 2011 yielded a head count similar to —and perhaps even smaller than—its debut in 2010.

On the positive side, though, BAAMfest certainly has a product worthy of being showcased, and one that’s only getting better. Regardless of ticket sales, crowd sizes or other measured expectations, the second annual BAAMfest provided strong evidence that Birmingham has a thriving music and arts scene that is worth celebrating.