Musings of a Wench

Folk Fest 2006

We went to the Folk Fest this weekend, for the first time. I got a great deal through work, so we decided we should actually go one year. Plus, Ani DiFranco was playing, so now that I actually have money, I wanted to see her perform from inside the grounds. (A few years ago she was here, but I was in school and working several jobs just to make tuition, so there was no way I could spring for real tickets then. So we sat on the other side of the river and listened as best we could.) To bad about the weather, though. It had been gorgeous - Thursday night was warm, Friday night was too, Saturday was almost too hot, endless sun and blue sky, Sunday morning was hot and John got a sunburn, but at 3:45 a northern front blew in as we watched and the temperature dropped something like 10 degrees in 5 minutes and then kept dropping and my goodness but we weren't prepared for it. Capris, flip flops and a hoody? Not so much with the warm. And then the rain started. I ended up sitting on Tina's blanket in John's lap with the umbrella above and my sit upon over my lap to keep my legs somewhat dry. At one point, I fell asleep I was so cold. It took me more than half an hour to get chai because everyone wanted the warm drinks.

But the Ani show was great, worth the wait. (Not for Tina, as she left when I went to get chai.) That 1 Guy was truly amazing. John bought his CD and his tshirt. He played what looked like a combination of pipes and a vacuum cleaner with a computer attached. I have no idea how to describe it. He was in the best workshop we saw all weekend, which involved him, a Inuk throat singer, a Persian drummer and their computer guys. My head just about exploded hearing them play - it was like nothing else I have ever heard.

Stew was so much fun - he sang a great song about Ken being gay. I bought his cd - it will make great road trip music, singing along with a bunch of protesting Ken dolls, "Fa la la la, fa fucking la..."

I'm glad we went - after listening to the festival from my parents front yard my whole life, it's great to actually do and experience the whole thing. Will I go next year? Probably not. That's a ton of music in a weekend. (Thursday 5:30-10, Friday 5:30-11:30, Saturday 10:00-11:30, Sunday 10:00-10:00.) Will I go again in a few years? Absolutely. I know a lot of people get really in to it, become Folkies and I don't think that's me. But every few years? It's seems like a blast.

posted by Morgan @ 8:26 a.m.