(editor’s note – okay, as I reorganize the Journal, I’m going to try to realign photos with entries – good lord they’re WAY OFF – so … starting NOW… -rob 3/2/21)
Exhausting day. Holy crap. But I don’t get to bitch, not really. Kristen had another gig after our two four hour ilyAIMY shows AND she drove the whole way! Getting up bright and early to make sure we were all caffeinated for the drive to Bluemont, the stress of what kind of gig we were playing eating at us all the way… and then the eventual thrill of seeing that we were totally in JUST the right place.
The first animal we met, after all, was a rea named “Dia” – these were obviously our kind of people. We had a great time playing to the people when we they were there and when they were all involved in goat races, pig races, dinosaur feeding, human child feeding or the meeting of the Pumpkin Princess, we had a great time playing pretty much to ourselves.
During our breaks we got to wander the grounds – there was plenty of stuff to climb, and plenty of stuff we were too OLD to climb on (growl) and though we had nothing to feed the hungry animals, it was really, really, really wonderful. Not the level of Life-changing wonder that the City Museum in Saint Louis aspires to, but a similar level of whimsy. Goat races and pig races and peacocks and turkeys…
Then there was a long drive to Washington DC where Kristen was playing cello with Christylez Bacon – who has got to be one of the most effortlessly cool people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting…. 6’2” of beautiful, elegant, 60’s reincarnated, Jimi Hendrix-lookin’ man with unmatched charisma and an ability to make English sound like a foreign language.
Btw – one who has a car, or a “whip”, can be referred to as one that “is whippin’”. Who knew!? I get educated by Chris every time I see him. Now, if only he could just WALK from point A to point B as opposed to clapping, snapping and spinning. It’s awesome. In order to be around him you sort of have to Live in his world… the universe just warps around him. If you haven’t seen him perform, do so. You’ll spend at least SOME time with your jaw-dropped.
ALL was not perfection, unfortunately. Kristen got a parking ticket and found a bee in her apple dumpling. There was a spider in the car that spent a lot of the ridge glaring at me before I managed to edge his eight hairy legs over to the window – and then there was that horrible dicey moment where you’re not sure if it’s exiting or potentially going to spring (or be blown) towards your face. And it seemed like an inordinately long drive home with red light after red light after red light…
\But man. I saw a pumpkin eating dinosaur and Chris Bacon beatbox with a traditional Irish accordion player and outspoon them to boot!!! My gigs are just COOL – and my friends are even cooler!
