The first day of this fall's (apparently final) Free Press Block Party was a mixed bag. Friend Bobby put it succinctly early in the day: "this event gets bigger and worse every year." Though, as the day went on and the bands that were supposed to be playing were actually playing, we warmed to the event as we do every year.

Two days, more bands turned out to be the organizational headache that was expected by everyone. It led to bands making their own schedule, swapping times with other bands, so that the printed schedule was meaningless. It led to festival organizers relying too heavily on unreliable partners. I suspect it even led to greater awareness of the festival, which in turn led to greater police presence, which made the entire event feel, I don't know, like we were all doing something wrong. And I know a lot of the festival-goers might get off on that, but, really? Can we all just grow up a bit and put on an event that doesn't attract the cops? (Given the one arrest and one cop-and-suspect foot chase I witnessed within a span of fifteen minutes, maybe not.)

Anyway, let me start out with a few positive notes:

1. As always, Omar Afra and his Free Press volunteers are to be commended for putting on a showcase that features local musicians and gets them in front of an audience. No doubt, their heart is still in the right place.

2. Hollywood Floss and his crew (Kidd the Great, Shina Rae, Thurogood Wordsmith, among others) outside Numbers was the hands-down best set of the day. After listening to a couple of half-assed attempts at indie-rock upon arrival at the festival, here, finally was something to sink one's teeth into: a hip-hop party set to rock 'n' roll and soul. Loved it.

3. Springfield Riots was solid and, thank god, earnest. I don't want to spend any more time watching terrible bands ironically plod through a set for their friends. I want to see bands like Springfield Riots and Roky Moon & BOLT get better and better at what they do and put out records and kick ass and take it seriously. I commend the earnest folks.

4. If nothing else, the block party has served as the biggest social gala of the music scene for years now. We don't dress up in sequined finery and sip cocktails for charity, we meet on the street corner wearing our music festival shoes and say hello, hug it out, ask "when are you playing?" and are reminded that this music scene is mostly a community of decent people. The neighborhood setting must put people more at ease than the HPMA showcase downtown, where there isn't nearly the same feel of camaraderie.

Ah, but there were also negatives:

1. Bands didn't show up. They just flat-out didn't show up. Why didn't they show up? Well, that's not for me to say, though it could have something to do with poor communication between the festival organization and the bands. I wanted to see Uzoy, damn it. Where were you, Uzoy?

2. An entire venue's lineup was canceled the morning of the festival and moved, leaving even more bands confused and without a place to play after being promised a slot. I spoke with more than one band upset with this turn of events.

3. The increase in vendors was a step in the right direction, but discount purses made in China? Is that local? Is that sustainable? I don't understand why we can't marry the music and crafting community in Houston and have a festival where local musicians ply their wares next to the handmade goods of local crafters. Yes, I know, there was a guy making bracelets. There were people selling art on rolling papers. There was also a girl collecting spirit donations for wolves or something, but none of this is anything I want to take home with me.

If this is truly to be the final block party, I will simply look forward to next year's Summer Fest. But if the block party is to return as a street festival, I hope that the enormity of the task doesn't get away from the festival organizers in the way that this one seemed to.