Thursday, April 23, 2015

Ever wonder what old hippies bring to festivals.... Part 2

This is a continuation of the previous post.  If you missed it go check it out after you finish reading this one. It starts from #6 for that reason. Don't miss the first post.  Click here to link to it.  Ever Wonder What Old Hippies Bring to Festivals... Part 1.

6) I dedicate this one to Dirtfoot.  Dirtfoot is a fantastic band that plays the best swamp grass music I know of.  We are lucky enough to call them friends and even camp mates at times.  

The draw of the home pad is a big deal.  You will want a cool place to come back and hang including shade, crafts, food, drink, etc.  Yes I mentioned CRAFTS.  For the last few years I have been bringing some canvases and a bunch of multicolored sharpies to the festivals.  I get a set of cool tip pens and small canvases from Michael's and leave them out on the picnic tables of our site and those around us.   People move in and out of the camps and draw little thing, leave a saying, maybe a signature or even dominating an entire canvas spending a few hours.   The outcome is great and it is a creative fun thing to do.  

One of my favorite part of the craft project is that you get to see a creative side of folks that you did not know existed.  A couple of years ago the members of Dirtfoot dominated a canvas making the most wonderful keep sake I could have gotten at the festival.  One member did the majority of the drawing and then the others signed it and made their Dirtfoot drawing. I have it hanging in my hall along with the other canvases from that year. 

7) I dedicate this one to Miss Wildheart who is the queen of ground score, in a good way. When it comes to VALUABLES at a festival you have to be careful.  First things first, be careful with your car keys.  Leave them in the same place each time you go into the car.  You are better off not taking any valuables and leaving your car unlocked then losing your key down a portable potty.  You do not need to take them with you to the shows.  Find a place to stash them and leave them there. Better yet bring an extra key and stash it in another location. 

Your phone will quickly become a paper weight so leave it somewhere safe and dry as well.  Have a smart stash spot or lock it in the car. Unless you are going to keep it going with charging cubes you don't really need it on you.   I cannot tell you the number of phones that end up in lost and found, out of battery and with cracked screens.  You owe your phone a more dignified end.  Once it is dead even find my phone apps will not be of any help.  Also the internet service will be so overloaded by the first day that it will go down to almost nothing, so don't make yourself crazy trying to post to snap chat.  You probably should not post anything anyway. 

When it comes to money my old travel senses take over.  Don't bring too much.  You can use a bank machine, of which there are plenty.  Don't put all your money in the same place.  Put some in a bag, some in the car, and some on you.  Don't carry it all on you at once.  You are just as likely to drop it as have it stolen. Wear a fanny pack or use a zipper pocket in your water bag for anything you cherish.  

When you are out and about, keep your money close by… not 20 feet away in your bag as you dash off to see one.  People are generally kind at festivals, however losing things is easy to do and finding them is almost impossible.  To some festival goers finding things, i.e. ground score, is a way to fund their trips. 

8) This tip comes from someone I will call the Bloody Mary King.  He makes a killer Bloody Mary that will wake you up in the morning and give you a buzz before noon.  His tip is a HEAD LAMP.  He says "With cash and a head lamp I can do anything at a festival."  The head lamp will save you from falling over passed out novices and stepping in piles of unmentionables.  It will keep you from a bad scene in a portable potty and help you find the way back to hopefully your tent.  You might say that you phone has a light but remember without access to electricity your phone will become a paper weight soon enough.   

9) This tip comes from a wonderful woman I will call The Queen of Mardi-Gras. She has beaten Cancers’ butt and continues to share wisdom, generosity and strength.   

This is actually one of the most important items and one that I would be lost without.  EAR PLUGS.  After a few days without sleep you will sleep no matter what.  However if you want to sleep the first couple of nights of the festival, ear plugs are your best friend.  Also, if you are an avid music person and want to be able to hear your grand-kids in 30 or so years you might want to start using some ear plugs at shows like Basenector sooner than later.   Trust me they will not make it so you can't hear the music.  At a Basenector show you could be in the next county and still feel the music.  

10) I will dedicate this one to two great guys that always keep the music going at our camp site no matter what.  I will call them the Dynamic Duo.   

You may ask why you would want to bring a MUSICAL INSTRUMENT to a festival where you are surrounded by 5 stages full of talented musicians, and I will tell you that not a festival has gone by where a 3am jam session did not grace our campsite.  Often late into the night, after the main stages have shut down, music is be heard coming from little jam session happening all over the place.  Even during the day little musical interludes will pop up made up of lay people and artist alike.  Many of the musicians will stroll around looking for impromptu sessions to get in on.  If you come prepared you might get in on one too.

At the same time our home grown music at our camp has seen us through some rough times.  Two years ago when a huge storm came blasting across the top of the mountain the Dynamic Due played music while we all hid under the lowered easy up.  They kept our spirits up and the crowed entertained.  

Lastly, most music festivals will have a drum circle at some point in the schedule.  Usually this will happen on the last day of the festival and is a great event.  People will bring anything they can make percussive sounds out of and will pound and dance for hours.  You will not want to miss this experience and will be more a part of it if you have something to bang on. 

Bonus:  Bring a Yoga Mat.  Most festivals will offer a daily yoga practice. It might be too early to get most people going.  However I would not be a yogi if I did not bring the full yoga set up.  If I don’t make the practice I will often do a shorter routine outside my tent, assuming I can find some dry flat ground.  Bringing the mat and assorted Yoga accouterments and make this a pleasant addition to an already relaxing adventure.   

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