mark tonin Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Arrived home on Saturday evening at around 7 p.m. after another fabulous Come Together Music Festival. I've said it many times and I'll say it again, I feel so lucky and fortunate to be a part of the amazing community of musicians and friends that are a part of this festival. I hope that this festival continues to provide magical moments to us all for many years to come.Personal musical highlights include Diesel Dog on Friday night in the saloon (glad I got my act together and made it up on Friday night), Fat Cats (with some awesome dueling guitars between Gillies and Crissinger), Shelby, Elmo & the Boys (their rendition of Dylan's Serve Somebody turned me into a puddle of joy), Mark Wilson & The Way It Is (the last band I listened to before I had to leave the festival ... very glad I stuck around for it), Passenger, Doug Feaver (now I know why the man is a "legend" in Hamilton), and the variety of acoustic acts that I heard in the saloon (Paul MacLeod's voice was described by a friend as sounding like "honey and maple syrup.")Personal friendship highlights ... wow ... words cannot even begin to capture how I feel at the moment ... the friendships that have developed out of this festival (and all of the Come Together Fests) have put a fire inside of me that makes me feel so warm ... I hope that this festival continues to provide such a wonderful environment for friends to gather for many many years to come. I am repeating myself but I cannot help it ... I feel so blessed!To tie this into the title of the thread ... I was scheduled to play at the festival on Sunday afternoon, but I shaved the skin off of the tip of my index finger with an axe while camping this past week. Fortunately there is no permanent damage, but it would have been painful and frustrating for me to play. I've been telling my son Nyell all summer to be careful when using an axe ... I guess I should have listened to myself! I was disappointed and pissed at myself when it first happened, but the magic of the festival made it easy to get past the disappointment.I am very much looking forward to connecting with people throughout the fall and winter at various shows, gatherings, and events, and am already looking forward to the May long weekend when we get to do it all again.Peace, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Evil_Mouse Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Holy crap, Mark! Hope we don't have a jinx going where we fuck up our playing fingers before CTMFs ! Take care of that digit, and get better soon!! Glad to hear what a great time it was (though I can't actually imagine a bad CTMF, mind you). For ersatz consolation I threw on A Head's Tale yesterday morning, which we hadn't seen in ages and ages, and that was in part a bad idea for all the futile longing it stirred up in me, but I did get a kick out of recognising so many faces in it - yourself, Mark, of course, but Ms. Huxtable, Tungsten Groovesten, Jaydawn, Cjamson, Mark Wilson, etc etc. Here's to next spring coming soon! Someone do please post some pics when they can.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouche Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Geebus Tonin! That's sorta spooky, although it sounds like things were perfectly balanced despite nearly losing a digit.I was using an axe on saturday as well, but I kept my other hand clear of the blade. The biggest danger I was putting myself into was pissing of the side of a boat, in the dark, sorta drunk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Funk Dawg Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 I'm dying to see some photos of CTMF.. Unfortunately I was only there for Saturday night (I had to pick up Randy Brecker at the airport for a show I was doing at the Danforth Music Hall).. It was one fine party.. I first caught What the Thunder Said, who was throwing it down like nobody's bizness.. then I performed with the IRIE BAND.. who dubbed it out with reggae jamz... it was really great opportunity to play with some authentic Jamaicains.. then The Fat Cats tore the roof off tha sucka... Mark Chrisenger had some ripper solos... added to the excitement... Steve Murphy and crew were in fine form.. members comming in and out... Serve Somebody certainly was a favorite... great to see all the skanks out, even in the miserable weather... CTMF got hit both installments this year... hopefully we'll see the festival back bigger and sunnier next year.. then I was out like a trout... love to hear how the rest of the party went... peace -jp.s. please post photos!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark tonin Posted September 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Photos from the festival would be great to see ... lots of people were taking pics so hopefully some of them will get posted. We're due for some sunny warm weather next year, that's for sure. Thank goodness both stages and audience areas were covered, and thanks to Willy, Leanne, Mike, Shanti and everyone else who helped to put up the huge tarp in our camping area ... it certainly made the weather much more bearable. I usually keep my fingers and toes far away from the axe while I'm using it, but I was using the axe to cut up some kindling, and had a momentary loss of concentration as someone walked by while talking. Fortunately I didn't lose (part of) my finger, or worse. And thankfully my toes and feet still worked well this past weekend, which made for lots of fun dancing. A Heads Tale ... I haven't watched that in a while ... I'll have to check it out again at some point soon for a blast from the past ... if my memory serves me correctly, the clips your are talking about DEM are from the May 2002 CTMF at Frontier Town, and it was freezing cold! That's it, next year it's going to be sunny and warm for sure at every festival! Peace, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaPink Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 Great times for sure! But I didn't take a single picture all weekend Gator video taped the entire Diesel Dog set though! We're handing it over to Doug and he's going to work his magic. A DD DVD is in the works... woohoo!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edger Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 I too had a great weekend, despite the cold that I've had creep in over the past two days. Sooo thankful that I brought my rubber boots and raincoat, that dance floor was certainly sloppy. All you skanks are a bunch of troopers!! I really didn't see anyone who let the weather bum them out. Good vibes all around.Musical highlights for me included Diesel Dog on Friday night, Passenger (my first time seeing them... will definitely catch them again), Shannon Lyon in the saloon, caught the tail end of WTTS, Irie Band was a great addition (I always love the reggae vibe), and I was blown away by the Fatties (if I do say so myself). The last half of their set in particular was well-timed with my intensifying buzz. Mark sitting in with them definitely revved it up a couple of notches. I was loving the Allman inspired jams!!And of course Shelby, Elmo and the Boys put a great cap on the night for me. Steve your vocals were sounding fantastic!!Unfortunately I had to head out Sunday morning, so I missed that day's festivities. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves!.... and sorry, no pictures on my end of things. A camera in the rain is just too much for me to keep track of!!Also, one big extra thanks to Mark Wilson for all of his hard work and dedication to making this festival a wicked party over all these years. I hope you continue to feel inspired to keep 'em coming!! Much appreciated!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeps Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 (edited) Very true that people didn't let the rain get them down.It was a real nice time mud and all and the late night clearing skies were a nice cap for the people who stuck it out.We had the pleasure of having our first set at CTMF with the sun down. It was raining quite a bit but we managed to get people right up to the stage despite there being no cover for the last 3 feet. Such an enthusiastic crowd. Our hometown favourites Passenger were the the first group we saw. They were energetic and playeda solid set complete witha dub version of Breathe by Pink Floyd. Glad to have them as part of my community and even happier to get to share some fest time with them.The Irie boys threw out a sweet Exodus and The Fat Cats had an edge that I hadn't heard in a while. I love when Josh sings...so inspired.Marcus from Vanderpark is one the best guitar player's in this community right now...if you haven't seen him yet go out and do it and tell him to turn up. Chameleon Project as a 3 piece is a fine thing. Very groovy. I think I begged each band member to keep it like that. It was nice to see Ed from Jomomma helping out several bands over the weekend. He's truly one of the nicest players out here. So content to just play his drums; really helped the fest out.Sounds like Chameleon and Jomomma are working on new albums too so we might have something to keep us warm over the coming winter.Thanks Mark for making this happen time and again. I really understand the festival now that I've lived through this past one. It is really about coming together and having some laughs around some talented players.I think Shelby got more happy birthday shout-outs than anyone I've ever met.BTW I mentioned a cover that we had dusted off for the fest....it was Salsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel for those of you not in attendance. Edited September 5, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarahbelle Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 I had SUCH a great time!!! It was so good to see everyone again and party down. It was awesome to be back at frountier town tooo!!! I always get a little sad the day after the fest because its just sooo awesome. My favourite moments were mark wilson playing an acoustic set in the saloon, the fat cats, What the Thunder Said, and vanderpark! Also spinning fire with Lauren and Vita on the last night!! I can't wait until next year.....! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boiler Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 (edited) Gator video taped the entire Diesel Dog set though! We're handing it over to Doug and he's going to work his magic. A DD DVD is in the works... woohoo!! That's fuckin awesome! wait I mean, that's REALLY fuckin awesome!!! Edited September 5, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark tonin Posted September 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 Also, one big extra thanks to Mark Wilson for all of his hard work and dedication to making this festival a wicked party over all these years. I hope you continue to feel inspired to keep 'em coming!! Much appreciated!!Thanks Mark for making this happen time and again.Ditto on the above two quotes!!!BTW I mentioned a cover that we had dusted off for the fest....it was Salsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel for those of you not in attendance.Sorry I missed this (and the rest of your set), but I was in need of some campsite downtime during your set. Glad to read that you had a good crew out to hear you play.I had to leave as Vanderpark was playing, but they certainly sounded great as I drove away.I look forward to seeing the Diesel Dog saloon video when it materializes. Hopefully the chatter and dance moves near the camera from time to time didn't get in the way too much. I could tell that Gator was getting a bit stressed at times as I (and others) got too close for comfort. But there's nothing like a cozy party in the saloon!Peace, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal_Tears Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 Away from The Frontier and back to the working life. What a hard day to get through... the sounds of top 40's playing on the radio just didnt cut it for this cat, especially after a weekend of great music, great friends, and dancing for hours on end. THANK YOU to all the musicians that took the time to pour your hearts and good vibes out for all of us... I always feel so uplifted after a great weekend of Ghost Town Delights. My Personal Highlights... seeing everyong again of course... bokonon and her fuck ya's, the last night of dancin' under star lit skies and drum jams , late night saloon is always a great time day time acoustic saloon was amazing I wish more people hung around for it all..jackie, brianapple and Mark Tonins dancing always makes me smile...all the hugs from everyone, they were my biggest highlight I think..haha i could go on and on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backbacon Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 (edited) I had a great time up at FGT this past weekend! I liked the new set up with the tent and saloon going on at the same time. (Although I didn't catch one afternoon saloon set, I liked having the option.) Arrived on Friday evening just in time to set up in the dark and head down to the saloon for some electric Diesel Dog. They got that place a-hoppin' that is for sure! Everyone was in a killer mood as far as I could tell. I took some photos from that night. These are the only photos I took over the weekend as, like others, once the rain began to fall, the camera stayed dry and safe. Click here for some Friday night saloon PICTURES. The rest of the night just flew by and the next performance I got around to catching was Diesel Dog's early afternoon acoustic performance in the main tent. This acoustic show was a lot of fun and thoroughly enjoyed by the sparse crowd in attendance. The show also served as an opportunity for Diesel Ryan to debut his comedic prowess! "Who do you like better... Mark Wilson or ben Harper? I like Mark Wilson better. Ben Harper could be a nice guy though... never know." Definitely in fine form! Listen to the tapes of the set to see for yourself! A looong afternoon nap had me waking up in a pitch black damp tent with the sound of rain pouring down outside. Ahhh, just in time for some Fat Cats! After getting rid of some of the cobwebs that had formed in my head, it was down to the main tent for an INCREDIBLE set of super jamming roots rock from some of Canada's finest musicians. The entire tent was packed and grooving hard. A bit of a tussle broke out between a couple guys but the great vibes promptly put that little scuffle to rest. This was perhaps my favourite Fatties set. I had big intentions of enjoying the Shelby and Elmo, etc. late night saloon set but after only a few songs in, I was out! I don't think I was awake for much more than five minutes after exiting the saloon. Zonked! On the bright side, I was extra chipper for Sunday's festivities. Mark Wilson and the gang put on, as usual, a great set of warm danceable music. Mark's voice is like silk. It was a very fun set in the tent. Good thinking too with the spreading of straw on the muddy ground... nice. Mark's set would prove to be the end of the festival music for me, as, like several others, I opted for early departure. So, after a few hours of hanging around, sharing many laughs and silliness, goodbyes were bid and the drive home ensued. It was nice to see many young faces over the weekend, a sign that such an event won't soon go the way of the dinosaurs. Big thanks to Mark Wilson and all the many others involved in pulling together such an intimate, easy going event for great folks to attend and just get down and be happy together! I'm really looking forward to the next one! Edited September 7, 2006 by Guest changed Ryan's joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Funk Dawg Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 great pics!! any pictures of What the Thunder Said -> Irie Band -> Fat Cats??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backbacon Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 Who me? Nope. The only bands I saw were Diesel Dog, Fat Cats, and Mark Wilson. The only photos I took were of the first night (diesel) in the saloon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Funk Dawg Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 great to see you there Backbacon.. i'm just curious about other people and their photos... love your shots. Friday looked wild!-j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backbacon Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 yep, you too, Dawg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarinGarage Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 james and i took lots of pictures, but i got to wait for him to get home because i don't know how to upload them. we don't have a lot of band pictures, though, mostly pictures of all the craziness and debauchery, including me and my box of shame Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balogna pogna Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 ...including me and my box of shame How is your box? It seemed to take quite a beating this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Funk Dawg Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 I can't believe it.. but I've been asked to join the Irie Band... what a compliment.. I hope you cats enjoyed their show... I'm considering it... I really love the reggae mon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 I now have visions of a version of the movie High Plains Drifter, but filmed in Jamaica with an entirely Jamaican cast...Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edger Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 Totally enjoyed their show Jaydawg. I dig the reggae too mon! I say go for it, I'd check you guys out again for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarinGarage Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 ...including me and my box of shame How is your box? It seemed to take quite a beating this weekend. my box was beat to shit, but it takes a licking and keeps on kicking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairySari Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 you mean this box? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarinGarage Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 yep, it looks good in that picture. it's still intact and no signs of a fisting yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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