FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2007
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Ben Dowland, Assistant Director, SBSF3
http://www.steelbridgesongfest.org
Eds.: The spelling of pat mAcdonald is correct.
Steel Bridge SongFest 3 To Benefit Historic Drawbridge in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Christie Weber's love of old bridges, and a casual conversation with her brother, singer/songwriter pat mAcdonald, about the steel bridge that is a landmark in their hometown of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, set the two on a course they could not have imagined. In a matter of months, that chat and an exchange between mAcdonald and singer Jackson Browne gave rise to the Steel Bridge Songfest, a free annual concert that has helped raise almost $150,000 to supplement state and national efforts to save and maintain the bridge and to build community awareness of the importance of preserving it. This year's festival is scheduled for June 14 to 16 at several venues in historic downtown Sturgeon Bay.
The two-lane Sturgeon Bay Bridge spans the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal in the central business district of Sturgeon Bay. Built in 1930, it is only one of two bridges of its type in the United States—an upper rolling lift bascule bridge. The 1,420-foot bridge is comprised of a counter-balanced, movable span and 12 concrete and steel truss approach spans. The bridge, a familiar sight for Door County vacationers and locals, is listed on the Wisconsin Register of Historic Places and is a candidate for the national list.
With the bridge as its beneficiary, the songfest has developed into much more than a concert. It celebrates live music, activism, historic preservation and creativity. More than 100 bands from across the country donate their services to help raise money and awareness for the bridge. Components of the event include:
• Take It To The Bridge. An all-day, benefit concert headlined by Jackson Browne on Saturday, June 16, at the Great Lakes Yacht Services boatyard. Jane Wiedlin of Go-Go's fame will also appear.
• Take It Inside. Three nights of live original music will be featured in multiple venues around town, including all-ages shows. Venues include The Nautical Inn, The Red Room, Poh's, The Ladder House, Pudgy Seagull, Launch, Latham Smith, Trail Bridge Park, and DC Coffee.
• The Construction Zone. This component brings original songwriting into the festival mix. Twenty-five songwriters are invited for three days of intensive collaborative songwriting at the historic Holiday Motel. Writers are encouraged to write songs loosely based around the metaphor of a steel bridge. (The Construction Zone is for invited musical guests only.)
• The Steel Bridge Songfest CD. The best songs to come out of the songwriting workshops are captured on CD to be released the following year. Songwriters perform their original creations on the concert stages and at the venues around town and the live performances are recorded. Also, a custom-designed recording studio at the Holiday Motel is assembled for studio recordings. Steel Bridge Songs Vol. 1 has just been completed and its release party is planned for the upcoming Songfest.
Weber's and mAcdonald's efforts do not stop at fundraising. They are adamant about public education on the significance of the bridge and the efforts needed to keep it operating. Recently the Wisconsin Historical Society approved the bridge for listing on the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places. This listing has been sent on to the National Parks Service to be placed onto the National Register with approval expected sometime in the next two months.
Citizens for Our Bridge Inc. does ongoing work with federal highway officials and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to monitor bridge developments. The organization's aim is to raise the money and awareness needed to preserve the bridge. The money raised is used in the educational effort and is collected in a special fund held by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and earmarked for expenses related to preserving and enhancing the historic bridge.
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