Big Noise, David Bromberg's Wilmington music festival, won't be held this year

Ryan Cormier
The News Journal

After a two-year revival, Bromberg's Big Noise music festival is going quiet once again.

The spring festival, named after Wilmington-based folk/blues stand-out David Bromberg, will not be held this year, says organizer Matt Van Belle of VPM Events, which produces the festival.

The fest, which has drawn acts from Chris Robinson and Dr. John to Los Lobos and Jefferson Airplane's Jorma Kaukonen, was founded in 2010 and resurrected in 2017 for a two-year return.

"We're putting it on ice for 2019," Van Belle says, pointing to both financial and scheduling concerns. "With the model we were using, it was just difficult to continue. We were boot-strapping it.

David Bromberg shakes hands with Jorma Kaukonen, founding member of Jefferson Airplane, at Bromberg's Big Noise in 2010.

"It sucks. We want to continue doing it, but we were falling short on attendance goals."

The festival, held on the Wilmington Riverfront, drew 3,000 in 2010, but only 2,000 in 2017 and 2018, according to organizers.

Bromberg manager Mark McKenna says he instructed Van Belle in December to desist using the Big Noise or Bromberg name in association with the festival.

"[David's role] in the last two Big Noise festivals was purely as performer and goodwill ambassador to the other performers," McKenna stated in an e-mail.

Recently, VPM Events was busy producing the first concert at Wilmington's 76ers Fieldhouse last month — O.A.R. with Val Astaire and Whitney Woerz. The company's second show at the 3,000-person Southbridge venue could come as soon as this summer, Van Belle says. 

Bromberg's Big Noise started strong in its inaugural year. It was founded at Wilmington's Justison Landing Park, which is now home to the Constitution Yards Beer Garden during the summer and the Riverfront Rink for ice skaters in the winter.

Bromberg and his big band headlined, but the first year, which was sponsored by WXPN 88.5-FM, also featured performances by John Hiatt, Sam Bush Band, Railroad Earth, Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) and Angel Band.

Under a sunny sky, the Americana festival drew 3,000 fans, benefiting the Light Up The Queen Foundation, the non-profit that was raising money at the time for the $25 million renovation of The Queen.

It had many sponsors, keeping ticket prices for the eight-hour festival at a low $32.

After taking six years off, Bromberg's Big Noise resurfaced in 2017, but this time across the Christina River at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park.

The festival leaned a bit less on folk and roots music, featuring a lineup that included former Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson, Dr. John, Anders Osborne, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams and Front Country. Tickets cost $44 each for general admission.

John Jenkins swings his daughter Ella, 6, as the band plays at Bromberg's Big Noise in 2010.

Passes cost the same last spring when the festival expanded and planned to return to the Riverfront park with Los Lobos, Railroad Earth, Bettye LaVette, Amy Helm, David Wax Museum and The National Reserve as the acts.

The Friday night portion by New Orleans' Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Dumpstaphunk was moved to Constitution Yards due to soft ticket sales. (Tickets cost $28 for the opening night.) The evening's set by Dirty Dozen Brass Band's was canceled.

"That Friday night flop was tough, speaking candidly," Van Belle says.

Big Noise grew to include food trucks, VIP amenities, beer gardens and side stages featuring performances by local acts such as Delaware bands Universal Funk Order, Apache Trails and Earth Radio. But the experience was not enough to grow attendance.

If you were counting on seeing Bromberg in the park and still need to get your fix, the multi-instrumentalist only has a few shows scheduled in our region, including concerts at New York's City Winery on Thursday and the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, New Jersey on Aug. 16.

Chris Robinson of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood performs at Bromberg's Big Noise Music Festival in 2017.

Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier), Twitter (@ryancormier) and Instagram (@ryancormier).

BROMBERG'S BIG NOISE LINE-UP THROUGH THE YEARS

2010: David Bromberg's Big Band, John Hiatt,Sam Bush Band, Railroad Earth, Jorma Kaukonen and Angel Band.

2017: David Bromberg's Big Band, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Dr. John, Anders Osborne, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams and Front Country.

2018: David Bromberg's Big Band, Los Lobos, Railroad Earth, Bettye LaVette, Dumpstaphunk, Amy Helm, David Wax Museum and The National Reserve.