Menu:
Friday, March 25, 2005
Friday started very early, because the storm from hell came down upon us. I woke up around 3:30 to the pitter-patter of rain drops on our pop-up camper. Then it got very loud for a good while, and we heard a popping noise outside but there wasn't much we could do about it then. After the rain let up about an hour later, I peeked outside to see that the middle support on the awning had collapsed under the weight of the rain and twisted up to gash the awning in the process. This was bad. This was not our pop-up camper, because we borrowed it from friends of ours.
I got it back up, and then leaned the awning so it would hopefully drain better for any more rain that might come our way. Remember, we had no idea of how large or small this storm would be. Well, we try to get some more sleep and the storm comes in hard and fast again. Susan wakes me up around 7 or so saying, "I can't get out the door, the awning is collapsed against it." I am able to wiggle out, and see that the arm supports just come out of their sockets and get it back up and in place. It still looks pretty sad from all the abuse. The storm is coming in waves that are very similar to hurricane bands. Eventually, we are trying to cook breakfast, and one of the nastiest bands comes through. Julie and Susan were trying to fry bacon but the pans filled up with water because the rain was horizontal. They were basically boiling bacon. It was a electrical storm, with strong winds and hail. A few crazy people, me NOT included, stay outside in that storm holding onto metal poles during an electrical storm.
The large tent was trying to blow away because the
stakes came up out of the ground. The campsite turned
into a river.
Quotes heard during the storm:
Randy - "Have you seen my hat? This is the perfect storm."
(repeatedly)
Susan - "#@%$ your hat, hold onto the tent."
Susan - "I'm holding onto a metal pole in an electrical storm, what
is wrong with this picture?"
Julie - "Are we crazy?"
Andy just held onto the center pole with his long hair flying horizontal
in the wind while Ron lashed the tethers to trees.
So the morning was a nightmare, I'm miserable and not happy. I spent too many weekend camping trips in the rain while in Boy Scouts growing up. I just wanted to enjoy a beautiful weekend listening to some great music. Yup, I do acknowledge a high degree of "whine" in that last sentence.
Susan and I decide that we'll take our chairs down to the main stage because it's a little after 9, and get everyone set up for the night's big shows. This was when we really discovered how big this storm was. Three out of four stages were no longer useable. The amphitheater and meadow stages were under three or four feet of water, and the Florida Stage tent ripped and collapsed down upon its own stage. We found out that there were marble sized pieces of hail coming down during the storm, my parents rental car was dinged up pretty good, a tree collapsed and crushed someone's car, and another person had their head gashed open.
Well, while festival organizers were still trying to figure out what to do, some of the music hall workshops were supposed to be already going. I headed down there, because one of the few sets I wanted to catch on Friday in the Music Hall was the fingerstyle workshop. You could tell people were pretty shell-shocked from the storm and were happy to have some place to go instead of dealing with the elements some more. I don't think it would have mattered what kind of music was being presented at that particular moment.
Fingerstyle Workshop - Stevie Coyle
and Clyde Walker - I came in pretty
early during this set as best I could tell. Stevie plays for The Waybacks,
and Clyde is an independent guitar player. Both are extremely talented,
but they did have some differences between them. Clyde plays a style that
is very loyal to Merle Travis and Chet Atkins, it is very clean too. Stevie's
sound and style is a bit more modern and technical. Stevie is a very funny
guy, and he helped keep the session light and entertaining. Both answered
a ton of questions, and I think their answers have finally encouraged me
to really give acrylic nails a serious try for a while. I don't know if
I'll be able to maintain them due to my job, but I'm going to give it a
try. Their duo version of Deep River Blues was great.
Well, by the time this set was finished, the organizers had figured up some sort of new schedule. The music hall was going to be new amphitheater so the biggest acts would be playing there. On the opposite end of the music hall was a small stage that was not going to be used. Well, this weekend it was going to be the new meadow stage. While one band was playing on one stage, the other stage would be setting up and getting ready. So you would watch one act, then pick up your chair, turn around and watch another with very little delay between sets. A building, that could have been a converted church at one time, was going to be the new music hall. The band, Red Headed Stepchild, offered up their PA for the weekend so the bands could be heard. Finally, a picking shed in the loop where we were staying became the new Florida stage site. There was no PA to be used there. Yes, it was chaotic and no one knew when the new set times were, but everyone seemed to understand what an unusual situation this was and did not get bent too out of shape.
Reeltime Travelers - The
next set I saw was down at the new music hall, which I'll call the river
house. The Reeltime Travelers played there without a PA, because it had
not been set up yet. This suits their music well though, because they are
the type of band to gather around one microphone and start playing. Their
music was very traditional, "old-time" bluegrass. They made up for the lack
of playing conditions and really won the crowd over with their enthusiasm.
This was yet another young band that really won crowds over repeatedly throughout
the weekend. The fiddle player in particular is a very talented member of
the band. Finally, I later found out that the band had some material that
was used in the movie Cold Mountain. Very, very cool, and they fit that
movie's soundtrack so very well.
Guy Clark and
Verlon Thompson - This was a
workshop about "Songs," but just served as a way for Guy and Verlon to each
play some songs that the crowd requested. We were right in front for this
set, and thoroughly enjoyed seeing these two gentlemen practice their craft.
By now, the new PA was set up and running, thanks to Red Headed Stepchild,
and everyone could hear just fine. I didn't write down any songs they played,
but they played many favorites, and Guy gave equal time to Verlon. It was
cool to hear that people had just as many requests for Verlon as they did
Guy. It was the perfect set to bring back normalcy for the weekend, and
things were pretty much back on track by this set (well, as much as was
possible).
Roy Book Binder - Well, this
was not the best setting for ol' Roy. He's pretty much the only blues performer
for the weekend. Due to the new lineup changes, he was delegated to the
back music hall stage, and it was hard to enjoy his music because of so
many who were talking loudly and ignoring him. I know others don't care
for him, but at least give those who do a chance to enjoy him. This point
was later addressed on the PA between sets, and it was minimized by the
crowd for the most part later. Roy did the best he could, and I thought
he was great. I was really looking forward to his lessons the next two mornings.
Guy Clark and
Verlon Thompson - This was Guy's
big set on the main stage. There were a ton of people by now in the music
hall, and it was becoming clear that it was going to be very hard to enjoy
the big acts due to how many people would be cramming into the building.
Normally the main stage would hold much more than the music hall was capable
of handling, and this created the problem of overcrowding. I got there early
to hear Guy Clark, and I snagged a seat for my wife since she had not shown
up yet. She hadn't shown up about three songs into the set so I gave up
the seat to a guy near me. As luck would have it, she shows up shortly afterwards,
but then the great people of Springfest make me proud. This guy offered
the chair back to her. That was very cool. Anyway, Guy sang for every song
in this set except for one song which he turned over to Verlon. Guy hit
all the good ones: The Cape, Homegrown Tomatoes, Parking Lot, Dublin Blues,
Desperadoes (the encore) and the three related songs he played earlier that
day: Sis Draper, Soldier's Joy, and Magnolia Wind. He also played a new
song or two, which prove that Guy hasn't lost a step when it comes to writing
even if he forgets the lyrics to his older songs from time to time. Finally,
there were some that didn't find Guy's bitching about the sound or lights
before the set too endearing. He did win them over though after the set
started. Guy is just a bit grouchy in his older years, and his gruff exterior
belies that amazing soul which comes out through his songs.
I left for a while, to eat supper and get out of the crowded mass of people in the music hall. Later that evening I forced my way back into the hall to give the Duhks another listen. It was worth the effort.
The Duhks - The music hall was super
crowded like I had expected. Since the crowd was so up in the face of the
band, the Duhks just seemed to live off the feedback they were receiving.
Every piece of aisle around the seats was filled with dancing people. Security
started to cut down on this later in the weekend, but it was left unabated
during this set. Bands like Nickelcreek and the Duhks are making bluegrass
more acceptable to younger crowds by giving it a comptemporary sound and
making it "rock" in the process. Make no mistake about it, this band is
great live, and you come away feeling like you've seen a real rock show
instead of a celtic bluegrass show. The set was pretty similar to the show
on Thursday night with a few exceptions. Most notable was reggae version
of Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," and they brought
out Josh Pinkham to join them on a couple songs. Josh was beaming while
joining them on stage, and you could tell by the look on his face how much
he looked up to them.
David Gans - I caught a couple tunes from David before calling it a night. I mainly wanted to see how the looping technology would work in a live setting. David Gans gave a workshop session on a technology called looping. It is where the guitarist can lay down a basic chord progression, and record it on the fly. He can then have that playing in the background, and David can then throw some extra licks or leads on top of the guitar playing. When I saw David use it, it was practically flawless, and unless you were watching for it, you didn't even notice when he employed it. This kind of technology is becoming more common and affordable for most musicians, and I look for it to become used more often in the coming years. Finally, David showed some strong song-writing chops too. He had a good sense of humor that was intertwined in his songs. He was playing to a tough crowd, because so many were recovering from the Duhks's set, but he held his own.
I headed back to the campsite that night, to enjoy one of the better campsite
jam nights of the festival. Friday and Sunday night seemed to have the best
mojo in my opinion.