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| Please feel free to use these photos in any non-commercial manner you'd like. All I ask is that you drop me an email. | |||
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RANDOM THOUGHTS ABOUT THE WEEKEND: Once again, The Slip
delivered. Those guys get better and better by the week. Wow- what an
fantastic show they put on! The Creekside Jamboree is held in one of the coolest little campgrounds in the northeast (or is central PA even considered the northeast?). Forksville is a beautiful place, waaaaaaaaay in the middle of nowhere, and picturesque beyond belief. There was an understandably smaller crowd this year, or at best no bigger than last year's, mostly due to the really crappy weather. The size was fine with me, though, as I prefer festivals on the small side. The ambiance is so much better. And the weather was moderately ok, just perpetually cloudy & damp. As long as you resigned yourself to being wet, it actually wasn't too bad. It wasn't as relaxed as in years past, but totally cool nevertheless. Beer certainly helped. One of the coolest artists (besides, BAM of course), was sitar master Roop Verma. One of the benefits of the rain was that few people (60, maybe) went over to hear him play. It was such a small number that Roop invited everybody sit around him onstage while he performed. It was absolutely intense. Roop is an incredibly serne guy, and he and wife, son, and another guy (the 3 of which perform as his backing band) play amazingly beautiful music. It was something I don't think anyone will forget. I saw at least one tape rig running- by all means get a copy if you can. [shameless grovel to that taper: hook a bro up!] The highlight of the weekend, of course, was The Slip. The producers wisely moved them from the outdoor main stage to the enclosed latenight tent. Which, in addition to keeping everyone warm & dry, had the added benefit of giving their set a much more intimate feel. The Slip + intimate = GREAT! Let me say this: THE SLIP WAS ON! From the minute they took the stage, they pumped out one of their best sets I've ever heard. This wasn't a gentle set; it was energetic, grab-you-by-the-hair and drag you, blissfully, through an funked out, grooving head trip. Hardcore jammin' to be sure. Even their "crew" (read: backstage friends, family, etc- that whole group) seemed blown away. And the crowd didn't hold back either- they cheered the band on at every opportunity and whipped everyone into a frenzy as the night went on. I won't even begin to hazard a guess at the setlist, though I'm sure it'll pop up somewhere soon. My only complaint is the same one I always have when they play- it ends far too quickly. They can never play long enough for me. Great, great set. If you're reading this, BAM, great job. Thank you. That set alone made the long, cold, wet trip from Boston worthwhile many times over. | |||
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WE NOW PAUSE FOR A MOMENT OF BITCHING: I'm at the front of the line when it comes to promoting a live-and-let-live attitude, and I'm extremely hesitant to rain on someone else's high. But apart from the fact that it's sold by people who don't give a shit about the scene, nitrous turns you into a fucking moron. I was amazed at the number of people sucking baloons right in the middle of the main thoroughfare. There they stood, wobbling, falling down in the mud, mumbling to fans walking to and from the shows. Please, especially where nitrous is concerned, use it away from the crowd. Sit in the privacy of your campsite and do as much of it as as you can. Don't make everyone uncomfortable, to say nothing of making a fool of yourself, by flaunting it. Just use some discretion. Failing that, all of us end up with a bad name. Party hardcore... responsibly. That's what I think our crowd is all about. I sincerely apologize if this comes across as preaching- that's totally not the case. I mean, I've injested enough chemicals to have otherwise killed a large mammal. But me and my friends always keep our heads about us and look out for one another. That's so important. So please, use your head, have a great time at shows (especially sumer festivals- they rock!) and help keep the good vibe going for long time to come. | |||
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NOW BACK TO A LIGHTER TOPIC: Ah yes, The Slip. Well let's summarize...The weekend: wet. The crowd: enthusiastic and bonded from the shared experience of crappy weather. The band: outstanding beyond belief. Bottom line is that the show, and the whole weekend, was great. Nothing could detract from the fact BAM put on yet another monster show. We're a lucky group of people to be part of this scene, both the band and crowd. And once again a huge thank you to Brad, Andrew, and Marc! Much love & respect, mike More Slip pics My Phish main page | |||