Lubbock has never been especially progressive, and sometimes it\u2019s been downright foolish.<\/p>\n
Yeah, \u201cstupid\u201d is a strong word. Some parents react to it like it\u2019s a curse word. But what exactly are you supposed to call a decision to effectively kill an iconic music festival because people were worried about the grass? The grass eventually grew back \u2014 because grass always grows back. But a once-in-a-generation music legacy blew away with the West Texas wind.<\/p>\n
Joe Ely Loved Lubbock \u2014 Even When Lubbock Didn\u2019t Love Him Back<\/p>\n
I still follow Joe Ely on Facebook<\/a>, and somehow the page remains active even after his death. In many ways, it feels like Joe loved Lubbock more than Lubbock loved Joe. That\u2019s kind of been this city\u2019s complicated relationship with its own outlaws. Whether it was Joe Ely, Natalie Maines, or even Buddy Holly back in the day, Lubbock<\/a> has always wanted fame \u2014 just not that kind of fame.<\/p>\n Tornado Jam Was Becoming A Massive Texas Music Event<\/p>\n Joe Ely helped launch beginning with the 10th anniversary of the devastating 1970 Lubbock tornado. What started as a local gathering quickly evolved into something much bigger. Over the next few years, the festival grew to the point where artists like Linda Ronstadt and Joan Jett appeared. That kind of star power brought huge crowds, and huge crowds brought growing pains.<\/p>\n The Grass Became More Important Than The Music<\/p>\n The big issue came after heavy rains turned the festival grounds into a muddy mess. Thousands of people tromping across soaked parkland absolutely tore up the grass. But honestly? That sounds more like a maintenance problem than a reason to kill a cultural institution. Throw some seed on it. Water it. Move on. This is West Texas \u2014 we literally built an economy on knowing how to grow things.<\/p>\n Instead, the reportedly cited concerns over damage to the grass and would not allow the next Tornado Jam to move forward. A lot of people who were around at the time believe the grass explanation was simply the polite version of, \u201cWe don\u2019t want those types around here.\u201d And back then, even acts that now seem downright wholesome \u2014 like the The Maines Brothers Band \u2014 were considered too rowdy for some of the city\u2019s old guard.<\/p>\n