Velvet

We arrived Wednesday with a trunk full of way, way too many beers (after getting our whiskey and Mudslide illegally confiscated) and set up in Glen Close.  Met people and partied like crazy and saw Saturn (rings and everything!  Dude camped nearby had an awesome telescope and even awesomer knowledge of the planets).  Got up on Thursday and showered (in retrospect: ick) and did some more hanging out until mid-afternoon when lo, jaybone arrives with his lovely lady and set up camp right next to us, and then Stapes arrived shortly afterwards (we had pre-set up his tent next to ours).  And then the news hit.  People were scrambling to confirm that it wasn't some sort of prank and then I guess the Bunny announced it.  The couple camped next to us were in tears.  They started packing up almost right away (though in the end they did stay for the night).

A lot of people left.  I'd say about half of the people that had made it to Glen Close packed up by nightfall.  

Of course rumours of the band playing a couple of sets for the people that stayed behind started going around, and the next thing you knew they started tearing down the speaker columns.  Rumour: crushed.  I bet that got a few more people on their way.

We had about 175 beers in the car so we had a lot of drinking to do.  We pounded and pounded, went to hang with the crew in general camping and pounded some more.  Good thing the hard liquor had already been taken care of (by the security staff and their buddies, no doubt).  Overall the mood among those that stayed for the night seemed to be "what the heck, let's have a great time tonight."  It wasn't over-the-top at all, just people hanging out and having a good time.  

Thank goodness it wasn't raining when we packed up in the morning.  And it was nice that there was no security going around trying to hurry people up (we were supposed to be out by noon).  Really, there was a bare-bones staff on hand; hardly anyone at all.  phorbesie asked the concierge where she could get some drinking water and was told to "just maybe ask around at people's campsites. Someone will give you some."  

(We're talking the concierge in a VIP section.)

I counted our remaining booty: 133 beers.  We needed a contingency plan.  We got offsite around 12:15 (easy-peasy though again, almost staff-less) and drove in to town.  We met some friends for lunch and went back to their hotel room.  They couldn't get their room refunded so they decided to stay until Monday.  They offered us floorspace but it was pretty crowded in there already.  Luckily an excellent Plan B presented itself and phorbesie, Stapes and I drove to Penn Yan and stayed at Bdunn's Godfather's super-great cottage on the lake for the weekend. The whole crew was there, we sucked it up and put on our happy faces and had a wicked-great weekend.

When I got up on Sunday I was shocked to discover that we had more that met our beer-consumption quota (phorbesie was even able to grab an extra 15-pack before we cruised the border).  We stayed until about 2pm and then it was hugs all-around and the three of us drove north, leaving the rest of the crew to try and enjoy a final night at the cottage without us.  

Happy Birthday good sir!

I went last time and I gotta say, I could barely notice it was happening.  I thought the music was not nearly loud enough, I had no idea where you were actually spinning from, and there seemed to be a distinct lack of anyone I recognized from the Ottawa Dead scene on hand.  

That said, if it's a nice night I'll probably make it out to this one too.  Hope to see some of you there!

I was shocked at how much I liked DMB.  The horns added a lot.

Great band.

Sounds great!

I hear they just added DSO.  

Now who's going?

I'm guessing that this will flop but as time turns elastic I continually find evidence that proves that I know nothing about the music business.  Maybe this festival will prove me right about being wrong, but I doubt it.

Now, if this fest was being held somewhere much more rural where people had little or no access to actual real-live touring famous musicians, well then this fest might be a winner.

It's fun to see everyone try to look like everyone they aren't in the pictures.  

Thanks for the heads up!  In for Detroit!

Some people have written to mention that they didn't find a "comment" area in which to write in the word "recorder".  That's strange, because I do, but no worries: all donations coming in for the next couple of weeks will be dedicated to purchasing recorders.

Thanks Mike, and thanks everyone!

Never heard of the place until just now.  Sounds like fun.

God bless Jim Henson for abhorring alliteration.  I would have a hard time worshipping Freddy the Frog or Mikey Monster.

My gawd, if Bob Wiseman would sit in with Blue Rodeo I might actually be able to generate some excitement.  And/or if they had a mechanical bull onstage.

Cool.

https://www.blogto.com/music/2018/03/ttc-concert-lower-bay-subway-toronto/

Herbie Hancock 

Alison Krauss

Bela Fleck & the Flecktones

Jerry Douglas

Boz Scaggs

Jerry Granelli with Robben Ford

Tanya Tagaq

Sure, they probably spent less than usual this year, but that's some pretty good music.  Too bad Kamasi Washington isn't coming back.  I might have to go to Montreal Jazz Fest for his set.

Hooray!  

https://ottawajazzfestival.com

3 hours ago, Northern Wish said:

Greta Van Fleet is to Led Zeppelin as The Black Crowes were to The Rolling Stones. A damn good thing.

Just heard them on the radio this weekend.  Crazy how Zep they are.  My nephew and his wife are coming to Ottawa for their set so I'll be checking them out.

For those on the fence: I see that Hanson has been added to the bill.

7 hours ago, Rob Not Bob said:

Am I the only one who remembers the Breit Brothers as a band? I seem to recall the keyboard playing brother being a pretty good singer. (They had a great cover of "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" on a Neil Young tribute album.)

I have a Breit Bros. LP.

He's coming back to Centrepointe Theatre in late June.  Not a lot of tickets left but I'm going to wait to hear what is at jazzfest that night.

11 hours ago, Hartamophone said:

Fax machines still blow my mind.

Me too.

On 2018-02-16 at 10:04 AM, Asparagus said:

I saw him a couple of years ago with Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White.  Very bluesgrass/gospel.  Great show.  He's so all over the map that, as you would expect, the type of show it will be will completely depend on who he is playing with. I'll have to see if my dad wants to check him out this time around; he's a big fan.

And thanks for the reminder about Mambo Sinuendo.  I lost my copy and haven't listened to it for years.  It's a welcome addition to this morning's soundtrack.

Saw the same show and it was great.  Ry is such a fine, fine player.

Maybe Ringo?  I hope so.

Looking at Jethro Tull's dates I have to think they'll be at the fest on one of the first two days.  Again, I hope so.

I see Ry Cooder is playing in Toronto in late June.  He would be an excellent add to one of the summer Ottawa festivals.  Here's hoping for jazzfest.

Their twitter says the lineup will be announced next week.