06-24-2009, 04:39 PM
I left home around 10:30PM and rolled in around 1:30AM to find two of our stalwart nite krew as the only ones still awake and eager to help me set up my tent in the dark. They changed the layout of the venue, eliminating a camping area we called the back 40, which made things much more crowded. Staff was supposed to park at a nearby high school and get shuttled in, but we did a little work around, so I could make an easy escape.
It was delightfully mellow this year so I'm just going to talk about food and music.
We ate astoundingly well. Jah Med's director just came back from AK with a fresh scallops and halibut for appetizers and fish tacos. We have two vols from the culinary academy to set us up. SNWMF provides decent hippie fare, fresh fruit parfait (cuz everybody luv parfait) and bagels with some odd hippie schmear for breaky, lunch was veg sammiches (some had to run out to get turkey to add) and dinner was stuff on rice (some sort of bean salsa one night and some sort of curry the next night). There was a ton of food. I probably gained a few pounds.
Friday flew by and I barely engaged any of the music. I wanted to catch Femi Kuti, but was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The dancehall was good and we went until 4 AM or so.
Saturday, I was more targeted. I was eager to see Michigan & Smiley, my 1st dancehall duo. I got into them just as they were fading, but had seen them a few times over the years and they were still interesting. This time, they were reduced to back up chorus singers as some young guys, dressed as rasta cub scouts, took the leads. That was weird. I totally missed my ol' favs the Abbyssinians because I got stuck in a CPR recert that was supposed to only be an hour and went for 2 and 1/2 hours.
Caught a little of the Heptones and they were cool, somewhat nostalgic. I was eager again for Sly & Robbie, but they didn't really move me - they need a good front person and they didn't quite have it. Then Michael Rose, of whom I'm a huge fan. He hadn't been through in seven years. But he didn't grab me either and I found myself bailing out of his set about halfway through to get to Stone Love in the dancehall. SL always satisfies and they dropped a new Jr. Gong track near the end of their set, which was around 2 AM.
I went to sleep at that point. I had a long drive home to get back for Dad day.
All in all, a very enjoyable show, but more for the company of Jah Med and the adventure of it all.
It was delightfully mellow this year so I'm just going to talk about food and music.
We ate astoundingly well. Jah Med's director just came back from AK with a fresh scallops and halibut for appetizers and fish tacos. We have two vols from the culinary academy to set us up. SNWMF provides decent hippie fare, fresh fruit parfait (cuz everybody luv parfait) and bagels with some odd hippie schmear for breaky, lunch was veg sammiches (some had to run out to get turkey to add) and dinner was stuff on rice (some sort of bean salsa one night and some sort of curry the next night). There was a ton of food. I probably gained a few pounds.
Friday flew by and I barely engaged any of the music. I wanted to catch Femi Kuti, but was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The dancehall was good and we went until 4 AM or so.
Saturday, I was more targeted. I was eager to see Michigan & Smiley, my 1st dancehall duo. I got into them just as they were fading, but had seen them a few times over the years and they were still interesting. This time, they were reduced to back up chorus singers as some young guys, dressed as rasta cub scouts, took the leads. That was weird. I totally missed my ol' favs the Abbyssinians because I got stuck in a CPR recert that was supposed to only be an hour and went for 2 and 1/2 hours.
Caught a little of the Heptones and they were cool, somewhat nostalgic. I was eager again for Sly & Robbie, but they didn't really move me - they need a good front person and they didn't quite have it. Then Michael Rose, of whom I'm a huge fan. He hadn't been through in seven years. But he didn't grab me either and I found myself bailing out of his set about halfway through to get to Stone Love in the dancehall. SL always satisfies and they dropped a new Jr. Gong track near the end of their set, which was around 2 AM.I went to sleep at that point. I had a long drive home to get back for Dad day.
All in all, a very enjoyable show, but more for the company of Jah Med and the adventure of it all.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse