During the run-up to Sparklefest 2006 I made up my mind that Sparklefest 2006 indeed was going to be the last Sparklefest. As much as I have enjoyed every single one of the seven festivals, I feel the amount of effort I put into making Sparklefest the premier power pop/rock music festival was becoming too much of a drain on my professional and personal life to continue.

It has become harder and harder to attract sponsors and although attendance was good in 2006, it still fell far short of what it should have been considering the massive array of top-drawer talent on the bill and the large amount of promotion the festival garnered.

I look back with no regrets and in fact, the Sparklefest experience is one that I will ultimately remember as being a smashing success. There were so many INCREDIBLE and I do mean INCREDIBLE musical moments that happened on the Sparklefest stages between 2000 and 2006 that I cannot even list them all here.

I want to thank each and every band that played and all the venues... King's Barcade - 2000, Local 506 - 2001, 2002, 2005, The Lincoln Theatre - 2003, Martin Street Music Hall - 2004 & The Pour House - 2006. Also props go to The Garage in Winston for Sparklefest West 2004 and the side stage at Go! Room 4 in 2001. All these venues and their staff went above & beyond in helping support the festival and in being really good people to work with. I especially want to the YOU if indeed you attended a Sparklefest event! You indeed rock. I have to mention the god-like genius of Robbie Rist. I also need to shout out to all those who helped in any way -- Clay Howard, Michael Slawter, Jane Francis, Jack Cornell, Dan Hresko, Chris Serino, my wife Anna, my daughter Hannah, Courtney Robinson, Lee Thrift, The Music Loft of Carrboro. Please also patronize our sponsors -- they love you as much as I do.

Stay tuned to this site as I will indeed get into some promotion of pop-related events in NC. I plan to do some themed-shows at various venues and other shows that will feature Sparklefest favorites.

In the meantime please familiarize yourself with my band - Stratocruiser.