Shipyard Music Festival lays anchor in Cape Girardeau

Shipyard Music Festival 2019 rocked more than just the staged charging station boats Sept. 27 and 28 in downtown Cape Girardeau.

With 11 bands performing over two days, over 2,000 people showed up to appreciate live music, according to Shipyard founder Jeff Rawson.

The festival brought back attendees from last year and well as new fans. Friends Kyra Minder and Jennie Ellsworth said they attended because of their different experiences last year.

Minder attended last year’s festival and even though the weather was rainy last year, she still had a good enough time to return. However, her friend couldn’t attend last year, and so she made sure that didn’t happen again.

“I knew about it last year but I couldn’t come, so I made it a priority to be here,” Ellsworth said. “It's so beautiful and it's such a good vibe, and I love festivals, so one coming to Cape Girardeau made me so excited.”

Each band performed for 30 minutes to an hour, and there were moments that stood out each night.

Retro City, made up of Southeast students and alumni, was the first to perform and had a lot of their fellow Southeast students and alumni cheering them on. Lead singer Nathan Higgins also gave a shoutout their roots of “the great old Cape Girardeau, our home town.”

The next band to perform traveled from Lebanon, Missouri, Dawson Hollow. Their lead vocalist and guitarist climbed on his brother’s shoulders to play part of a guitar solo.

Another family band, The New Respects, performed original and cover songs. This included “Wobble” by rapper VIC, a 2008 song popularized by its line dance, and returned to the stage to perform a song with Colony House, one of the two headliners for Shipyard.

Festival-goers could play cornhole and ladder golf between sets, or grab food at one of the five vendors. On Saturday, that number dwindled to four after Bistro Saffron’s fridge broke and spoiled all their food.

The event was friendly for all age groups, with interactive experiences from each sponsor along with a kids' area and beer garden.

Professor Christopher Rieger said he attended the event with his family for both the music and the family-friendly atmosphere.

“We came last year, and it's the same reason [to support a local music festival]. It’s great to have it downtown,” Rieger said. “Very kid-friendly. Unfortunately, they [his kids] swam in the fountain. We live close by, so we’ve been popping in and out all day. It’s nice to have a big loud music festival in our small town.”

With a larger festival turn out Rawson said that he was thrilled with the numbers and support for the event.

“The Shipyard was built as a means to unify a community on the common grounds of great music, food, and positivity,” Rawson said. “We that saw come to life this weekend and are eager to watch the festival grow.”