Local musician Tom Bennett is hoping to do something that hasn’t been done in a long time. He hopes to bring music back to the Colorado City area of Southern Utah by organizing a music festival.
Colorado City and the community of Hilldale, Ariz., are collectively known as Short Creek for the waterway that crosses the area. This community is predominately the home of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) congregation, formerly led by Warren Jeffs. Since Jeffs and some of his followers have been imprisoned, there has been a lot of change to that area. According to Bennett, the people of these communities have not had any formal music gatherings for quite a long time and seem to be receptive of having this sort of venue come to their area.
Bennett, who calls himself a “one man band,” has already performed for a small gathering at the Berry Knoll Bakery in Colorado City and said that the turn out for his performance was better than he expected.
“There was about 40 people or so sitting out there, clapping hands, listening,” said Bennett. “Some even got up and danced a little bit. It was really exciting to see everyone having a good time!”
He was approached by an older FLDS woman who told him that she was very pleased with his performance. She related to him that in her younger days she would secretly listen to the radio and enjoyed most of the country singers she heard. She told him that it had been years since she has actively listened to any kind of music and that his performance brought back memories of her happy youth. It is Bennett’s wish to see everyone come away from his music festival feeling the same way.
Bennett first had the idea of bringing music to the area after he had an encounter with some young FLDS boys at the area park. While playing his guitar and softly blowing on his harmonica, the boys got curious about him and his presence there. After a short while, Bennett approached the elderly woman overseeing them and politely asked if he could give them some harmonicas he had. In a short while, Bennett had the boys gathered around him learning how to play music, and he also enjoyed a game of kickball with them.
Since that day, he has wanted to bring music back to that area. The FLDS under Jeffs had been forbidden to have “outside music” in the area, yet Bennett found out that there was a time when the communities did have music and other activities in the form of a yearly Fall Harvest Festival. But that all seemed to end around 2000. With all the changes in the community today as a result of legal actions against the FLDS leadership, Bennett feels that this is the best time to have a more positive impact on the area and for the people in general.
“The people in this area are very likable,” Bennett said. “They are strong, dedicated, and very industrious. I’ve made some good friends in this community, and they are anxious to see good things happen and are willing to support me in this effort.”
He hopes that everything will come together and is considering October 15 as the date at which to have this festival. While some still balk at the presence of outsiders, the friends he has made so far are eager to see changes in the community. He wants to have local artists perform and has plans to highlight them during daytime performances before the headlining musicians and bands take the stage at night.
Bennett has started a GoFundMe page to raise the necessary money needed to put this festival on. He is eagerly looking for corporate sponsors as well and has commitments from some of his musician friends who are interested in performing.
“I’ve got Tony Holiday and the Velvetones, The Highway Thieves, Lorin Walker Madsen, and Candy’s River House so far committing to come out for this, and I’m hoping to hear from a few more artists, too,” he said.
He said this will be a “family-friendly” environment and has no plans to charge admission.
“I want everyone to be able to come, lay out a blanket or set up chairs, bring a meal if they want, and just chill and have a good time,” he said, adding that he hopes food vendors will also be interested in coming out to help make it possible for this to be an all-day event.
Bennett was born in Georgia but came to live in the Salt Lake City area after he served a mission for the LDS Church. No longer an active LDS member, Bennett has said he has become more spiritual than religious and integrates aspects of Buddhism, Mormonism, and mysticism for his beliefs. He is a folk and blues singer, describing his style as, “Otis Redding singing lead for Kings of Leon.” He has performed locally as well as around the nation and calls St. George his home.
His energy for his music and for the plans for this music festival are infectious, and Bennett hopes that if everything goes well it will become an annual event.
More information about Bennett and the music festival is available on his Facebook page. His next local appearance is on April 9 at Jazzy’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Grill, located at at 285 N. Bluff St. in St. George.
It’s Hildale, UTAH
My mistake. I tend to get those cities mixed up, but the Festival is being planned for the Colorado City area since that is where Maxwell Park is located. Hilldale and Colorado City are both involved in this event.