In the spring, accomplished composers Paul Reller and Charles Farrell prepared new, Ybor City-themed pieces to be played during the Moving image fest. The performances were held on the sidewalk around the corner from El Pasaje Plaza, and the music was challenging and avant-garde — rarely a big draw. But the response in this case was so meager as to redden the face of any arts booster: No one came. (Well, not no one: There were a few friends and family members on hand.) In fairness, other facets of the festival drew respectable crowds. But the sad attendance for Reller and Farrell was a real shame.
This article appears in Sep 12-18, 2007.