Chad And Rob To Retire After 10 Years Of NEARfest
Date: Monday, January 21 @ 00:17:59 UTC
Topic: Festival News


NEARfest co-founders Chad Hutchinson and Rob LaDuca announce their retirement from the festival organization after this year's 10th anniversary NEARfest X celebration, largely due to significantly increased family and professional obligations. Arrangements are well underway to transfer the entire non-profit festival organization and its crucial diverse band selection ethic into the capable hands of others already well-established in the progressive rock community. It is certain that NEARfest "Mark II" will have the same wide spread of prog rock subgenres as always.

Rob states, "It's been a pleasure bringing the best in progressive and eclectic music to the NEARfest audience for ten long (or is that short?!) years. The demands of single fatherhood and my academic position at Michigan State have left little time for NEARfest over the past couple of years. My time to investigate the torrent of new releases in all prog subgenres has evaporated, and in what little music-listening time that sporadically presents itself, I've been consistently reaching for old favorites. I feel that all of the NEARfests have had stresses and joys, and they all have left an indelible mark; I'll never forget any of them or the many people involved... artists, volunteers, and audience alike.



"However now I find it's definitely time to focus my energies more closely on my children as they enter their teenage years, and secondarily on my teaching and research career."

Chad says, "It has been a great ride and it is very hard to believe that it's been 10 years already. In that time, I've not only gotten married to Cheryl, but now have two wonderful little boys, Liam and Cameron. The years running NEARfest have been pretty amazing. Looking back on it, I'm still in a bit of disbelief when I think that we've hosted the likes of Keith Emerson, Steve Hackett, Camel, Banco and, this year, Peter Hammill on our stage, not to mention being part of the the reformations of Anglagard, Happy the Man, Nektar, FM and Discipline. I am realizing how many wonderful people we have come in contact with over our tenure, from the musicians, the crew, the Zoellner staff, the local businesses ... to Roger Dean, Paul Whitehead and Mark Wilkinson ... to of course all the people who have supported the festival by buying tickets year after year. We've had a lot of fun and learned a lot in 10 years, and with that, when to refocus and concentrate on other parts of our lives, like our families and our careers."

Though we are both leaving our official posts with NEARfest, Rob and I will provide whatever assistance we can as the festival moves forward. An announcement will be made in the coming months with regard to the new organizers."

Thank you to all of the musicians, festival staff, and attendees for all of the wonderful memories over the past 10 years. We will see you in June ... one more time.

[Source: Chad and Rob]







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