California Roots Festival @ Monterey Fairgrounds

[Drunk Monk]

Cali Roots has been the perfect decompress after KFTC25 AF. My hair is riddled with preliminary dreads - I'll de-tangle tomorrow. T&C seem to be having a great time - went to bed early last night during Naz.  I was assigned to guide nooBs in late night shenanigans, a weird well point that the show supe sent out on email, but there wasn't much trouble to be found.

T&C leave today around 3. I'm waiting for them to wake so we can go to breaky. It's overcast and chilly. I'm headed out when it's over. My car is close and I can stage for a quick exit.

Alborosie was strong modern Roots danchall and was joined by a lead singer of another band but I can't remember who now. Yellowman was as physical as ever - his voice is completely shot but his timing and breath control are still solid. But not what most enjoy - he's a specific taste. I was at the concourse table most of the day and had to stay there for easy star all-stars. Nakho aounded off key and the shift from reggae to hip hop for naz was jarring.

Today - Anthony B & Thievery corporation.

[Drunk Monk]

Well it sure ain't sun day. It's overcast day. The sun peaks out teasing warmth and the is buried in chilly clouds.

Anthony B is on now (I'm at the concourse table). I was a huge fan on AB after JA. I still like him but he didn't hold my attention. I went for the calamari ceaser salad.

[Drunk Monk]

I cut out early in the Dirty Heads finale. Caught a song that was amusing, but then remembered that I'm not overly fond of DH - they are overrated. So I made good my escape. The previous Thisvery corporation Set was good. At first it was just okay but near their final song they got me dancing. They still got it. Prior to that John Brown's Body was good in that old fashioned way. I wasn't really tuned into the early acts.

It was mellow medically. Psych had 2. 1 etoh that I didn't see and 1 3 goldfish, 3 cheezits - clearly too much mmed in those. She was anxious until we told her to lie down where she fell to sleep instantly.

[Drunk Monk]

Aaaaaaah that post-festy bath is epiphanical.

It was an irie run this year - we were down to only two dozen vols and again, we survived. I'm now in recovery mode which means napping and eating. Stacy thoughtfully stocked the fridge. I could really go for some cheezits.

Names i should remember - Ari (off to Ecuador), Zach (solid noob), Matt, Spike, Kathy (met last year - need to keep their names this year).

Only raked in around $50 because we had few supplies (might've double that if we had aloe yesterday) and the sun was only with us on Saturday. Got a fair amount of green donations - lots of medibles. The moon booth was just handing out handfuls of medibles.

Got some cool socks from merge4 - run by a mom of one of T&C's classmates. $20 socks. I visited her booth early in full reggae garb and could tell she recognized me but could t figure out where so it hung out awkwardly for a bit, but then came back past with T&C and she made the connection and came running. We all had a great laff at that.

I found my iPhone power cord that I thought I lost in flublin coming home from symbiosis. It was in my festival tarp & air mattress bag.

[Drunk Monk]

ttt42018

Coincidentally, U2 just came through again, but I missed them.  This weekend, TCEKFMCX.  Then Monday is Tom's memorial at Anchor.  I was invited to the screener for Solo, but I just can't swing that review in time and will have to pay for a ticket like a commoner.  Thursday I'll insert in Cali Roots, once again to return the RM jump bag and banner.  Then I'm in for the long haul.  And no T.  She's going on a camping trip with her gymno club in SD.  So DM can run amuck all weekend.  This is the light at the end of a long, long tunnel.  Just gotta make it through this week and I'll be on the road to Zion.  Soon come.

[Drunk Monk]

I got kinda sick after Tom's memorial.  Been coughing like a dog.  Last night, I was really achy and ready to bail.  But I feel a little better today, so I'll go, just gotta be cool and maintain - play that 'i'm sick' card.  I just finished melting laminates, something I planned to do prior to TCEKFMCX - did a huge run with that, Tom's and this, but I ran out of pouches and the feckin company I ordered refills from didn't deliver on schedule so I had to hit up both Staples & Office Max just now and pay 4X the price for lighter pouches.  Someone saw me working on these, and I'm superstitious about that - it brings bad luck.  

But I'm gonna head out soon.  It might rain Friday.  Damn.  I've been looking forward to this for two months as the light at the end of the tunnel and now it's kinda spoiled.  We'll see how it goes.  I may bail early if my illness gets worse.  At least I get to spend 5 days in the Monterey Bay. yay.

[Greg]

You can't stop now. We are all counting on you to soldier through to the finish line.

Or maybe you should rest? It's been a long stretch of go, go, go for you.

[Drunk Monk]

I’m in. Got here 2nd so secured the best real estate. 4:20 soon, so I ducked out, lest I be tempted. Time for a nap.

I scored passes to the show next door, an unrelated reggae show that coattails on the scene at a nearby bar. I go there every year, but this year they leveled up so I called in a favor from my DJ friend. So I’m kind of obligated.

Right. Nap.

[Drunk Monk]

Got a decent nap, hit up cvs and Denny’s (turns out there’s very little I could eat there). Then hit Planet Gemini’s for The Night Before - an unofficial pre-show. It was too smoky - my partner in crime had a nice joint, DJ Spleece handed me his signature pre-roll, and I was sorely tempted. Caught a little of Pacific Roots, a local surf/ska/reggae band then gave the remaining tix to Wendy. She knows Soulwise personally and is hooking up with some other friends of the band later. She was very stoked. 

Now I try to sleep. Had a Jameson nitecap and some loquat syrup to quell my cough, but there are erratic bursts of soundcheck music, plus the noise of the camp.

[Drunk Monk]

Last night sucked. Cold & miserable. Reggae festivals are not the place to heal. Who knew? I may bail after Alpha Blondy this afternoon. I can always come back Sunday if my condition improves.

[Drunk Monk]

It’s a gorgeous day here. Sunny, light clouds, cool. I’ve got the most ideal camping spot and parking spot. But I gotta go. Everyone keeps passing me pot and I must abstain. And I feel weak, coughy, sneezy, achy, sore. What a bum out.

Alpha Blondy hits the stage in moments...

[Drunk Monk]

I’m home and my bed never felt so good.

Heartbroken but at least I have a chance to heal.

Details later. Now sleep.

[Greg]

Sleep. baby, sleep.
In peace may you slumber.
No danger lurks
Your peace to encumber.
We've got the missiles
Peace to determine
And one of the fingers on the button will be German.

[Drunk Monk]

Is that a missile you got there or are you just happy to see me?

After a good night’s rest I’m feeling somewhat better. I think I was having allergy issues too a my nose is still a little tickly. Still coughy & achy but no sore throat. Hurts like hell to cough. I’m just going to stay in bed today, maybe move to the sofa later to watch some tv and eat.

It’s been an epic run these last two months. Sad I couldn’t hang and finish in an irie blaze of glory, but at least this final fail is only me, only my loss, and doesn’t really affect anyone else depending on me.

I’m still holding out this slim hope that I’ll have a miraculous recovery in the next 24 hours and can return to the party. Highly unlikely but I’m not taking off my wristband until tomorrow night. 

I’ll add more later.

[Drunk Monk]

As for the show, Cali Roots was really nice. They eliminated the middle stage, which was taken over by WeedMaps, and show either live streams of either stage or little interview sessions.  That field was filled with giant bean bag chairs, which were very appreciated.  

CR now has its own signature strain of pot and line of hot sauce, along with the other official merch like T-shirts, lids, water bottles, beer cups, and socks.  The CR strain was only $40 an 1/8th (reasonable) plus you got a free pre-roll and a dab.  

I caught the entire Alpha Blondy set from front of stage about 10 feet back.  He opened with Jerusalem, which was strong given what's happening there now with the embassy and all.  He's aged a lot but still energetic and his voice is still good.  He went into The Heathen riddem, but just preached to us in French during that and never actually got around to singing it, which annoyed me.  He also did Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here (covers have long been his speciality).  It had a chunky riddem, which didn't exactly work for me, but that song has a lot of emotional baggage for me so I found it moving anyway.  He had a bad ass sax player who reminded me a little of PPFY if he were cool, and a bad ass reggae sax man.  

I didn't really tune into much more music than that.  I worked a little table service, checked in with a few friends in the scene, hung out with RM, but generally kept it low key.  I packed out slowly yesterday, step by step, because it was so hard to leave.  Finally, when Steel Pulse came on, I felt myself getting sucked in, and had to bail then.  I rode off into the sunset with tears in my eyes, mostly because I was dealing with some allergy issues making my eyes really watery.