SATURDAY PICK | Lowertown Roots Music Festival returns to Mears Park

If there's a lesson to be learned from the recent cancellation of the SoundTown Music Festival due to low ticket sales, it may be that when it comes to music festivals, bigger isn't always better. The Lowertown Roots Music Festival is one of the smallest local events to style itself a "music festival": one stage, one day, four artists (Mike Farris, Los Conocidos, Butch Thompson, the Barley Jacks) and one student showcase. Boom. The downside: no Flaming Lips. The upside: it's free, and plans for it to take place at Mears Park on July 28 almost certainly won't be cancelled.

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