Sasquatch 2013: The year of no sleeping on the hill

Sasquatch 2013

I haven't written in my blog for a while but before I forget anything from this glorious weekend here we go.  Every year it's a different adventure, with revolving people, bands and things that get stolen.  This year was one of the good ones, so different than any other year I've been to.

  We started off this year by caravanning 6 cars from Portland, which is a feat within itself.  We stopped in Hood River to devour sandwiches and to meet everyone.  It was somewhat chaotic, with lots of hand shaking and "I've heard so much about you." After that we were on our way!  We decided not to stop at the fateful gas station of last year just to be on the safe side.  Coming over the hill from Yakima my car put on Vampire Weekend and danced our way to the gas station to pick up one last car from Montana.  Jared was kind enough to wait for 2.5 hours (again, I'm sorry!) for us and a 7 car train started into the venue.  There was no line at the entrance; it took us 30 minutes to get in.  Anyone that has sat in line for hours upon hours will appreciate that last sentence...30 minutes really??!!  We set up camp and watched the sun set at the gorge for the first time of the festival.  

This place takes my breath away. 

Friday morning we woke up to rain.  However, we didn't need to be in the venue until 4 so no harm, it stopped by the time we walked in.  We were in for the first show of the festival, Sea Wolf.  I can't think of a better way to open the festival.  From there I ran around for the rest of the day.  Matt, Jared and I danced to Japandroids until someone literally fell on us.  We tried to see Father John Misty while having the first laughing attack of the weekend.  He proved to be too much for us with his face holding, hip thrusting, and camera close ups; I am sure his music will never sound the same to any of us again.  Steph, Nate and I watched part of the Arctic Monkeys but left early to see Vampire Weekend.  It was so crowded at the Bigfoot stage but somehow Nate found Michael and Brandi and the 5 of us sang our hearts out to Vampire Weekend.  I watched a Macklemore song but Vampire Weekend was enough for me and we went home "early" for the night. 

   

Sea Wolf 

Vampire Weekend

Saturday was a decent weather.  Jared and I caught JJ Grey, which was a rocking show, while others went to Indians.  I ran around a lot that day; Andrew Bird crooned to us, had a dance party to Holy Ghost, saw the Divine Fits  and Porcelain Raft and then settled ourselves down on the floor for the night shows.  The XX put on a great show but that night was reserved for Sigur Ros.  I've never seen them in the dark which sounds silly but the dark made all the difference.  Sigur Ros touches my soul in a way that other music can't even compare.  I can remember so vividly the first time I heard them so many years ago in Bellingham at a dance conference.  I don't know what they are saying, half of the time it's made up but I stood there with my hands by my heart and the world literally stopped while they played.  It was one of the best shows of my life.  From there Brandi, Michael and I went to Empire of the sun that was weird and oddly cool at the same time.  I went to bed that night dreaming of the Sigur Ros show, which was the best of the weekend for me. 

Sigur Ros amazing light show

 Sunday we sat around camp in the morning and went in to sit on the hill for Tallest Man on Earth and Drop Kick Murphys.  We moved our way down to the floor to our spot for Edward Sharpe.  They're one of the only bands I hadn't seen and I was excited but not expecting much.  He came out on stage, looking like a homeless person, and put on an incredible show.  They had the entire main stage dancing. He ended his set by asking the audience if anyone had a story and it turns out that people that are willing to stand that close to the stage do not have good stories. Elvis Costello was next and I stayed to watch him because I think he is a musical legend and when else in my life will I get to see him?  We had our entire group for Mumford.  My favorite part of the day was during the encore; they sang "The Cave" and the whole group got in a circle, put their arms around each other, and danced...old friends, new friends, people I always want in my life, all together singing their hearts out.  After Mumford, Josh, Lily, Jared, Carl and I watched Primus 3D.  It brought me back to middle school.  We went back to camp that night and sat in a circle chatting about the weekend.  We had a beautiful moment where we said Happy Birthday to Nate's brother and drank out of his flask in celebration of him.  

Monday is always such a bitter sweet day.  I'm always so tired but I want to make the best out of the last day.  Jared was nice enough to bring lots of Montana beer for me so I finished my Summer Honey and we tried to get prepared for the day.  It drizzled most of the day Monday.  We went in late because of the rain and everyone else had the same idea apparently because we stood in line for about an hour. Our music karma was good to us that day and Imagine Dragons was pushed back an hour but our booze smuggling karma was not as good to us.  The Mary Poppin's bag of always cold beers was emptied that day.  We rocked out to Imagine Dragons, went on an adventure to see Death Grips and part of Menomena.  Steph and I ventured into the crowd to see Cake until we decided we needed beers and went for an adventure which included us being trapped in the Jack Daniels tent (not the worst place to be trapped).  We caught the end of the Lumineers and I prepared myself for the Postal Service.  I've wanted to see them since their album came out 10 years ago.  I had the highest bar set for them and they exceeded it.  From the second they opened with "Sleeping In" I was hooked.  It was the perfect way to end the festival, almost as good as Josh's song "Joshua the Jew" that he belted out the whole walk home.

The Postal Service

I was a little hesitant about this year but even though it was different, the feelings are always the same when I leave.  I got to see some of my favorite bands in one of the most beautiful places in the world with some of the most amazing people I've ever met.  Coolers and umbrella's stolen, tents broken, rainy weather...it's all worth it.  I laughed harder than I've laughed in years during FJM, had music speak to my soul during Sigur Ros, and finally got to see The Postal Service...and I didn't fall asleep on the hill once. 

     

    

        

New Computer and I Pad

I'm the luckiest girl in the world.  Today I got both a new I Mac and and I Pad. I'm in love with both of them. Hopefully I keep updating my blog now that I have an awesome I Pad.  

Under wildwood

Under Wildwood by Colin Meloy. This is not what I expected from the second segment of this series but I loved it! I couldn't stop reading. There are so many twists and turns and unexpected adventure. It's like reading Harry potter for the first time, that excitement you feel when you finish the book, and the longing for the next book! I think the new characters are interesting and important to the overall story and I am interested to see how they all fit into the overall story. It is a dark book though with all sorts of evil and I think it fits the series perfectly. Evil is everywhere in this world and even in young adult literature I think it's important.
Can't wait for the next segment Colin Meloy!

The Night Circus

First book finished in 2013. Brandi picked this for book club this month. I wasn't amazed by it and I was waiting for something great to happen that never came. I thought the images and the world she created was vivid but there was no plot or satisfying ending to the story.

I want to read 40 books this year. 1 down 39 to go!

2013 Happy New Years!!

Here are my New Years resolutions!

1. Make new friends
2. Swim 2 miles
3. 2 new stamps in my passport
4. Write in my blog more
5. The usual, fall in love.

2013 is going to be a great year.

Neil Gaiman wrote "I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone that thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art, write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can"

These Tragic Events...and a Tribute to a Friend

Where do I start when it comes to the heart breaking events that have happened this past week? Tonight the TV show The Voice started their episode with the most haunting version of "Hallelujah" sung by all of the contestants holding up the names and ages of the people killed at the school in Connecticut.  No lights, no production, no crazy dancers, just darkness with candles and a beautiful song.  By the end of it, tears were streaming down my face and this entry had to be written.  

Friday when I found out about the mass shooting it transported me back to April 20, 1999 and that week that followed it.  I was a Sophomore in High School when the Columbine shooting occurred.  It's funny how there are details about this week that I can't remember, but some that are so fresh in my mind.  I don't remember where I was when the shooting happened, how I reacted, or basically anything except the aftermath. But I vividly remember that all of the sudden people in trench coats were evil, that we had a bomb threat in the high school and at the elementary school where my little sister went.  I remember we suddenly got a security guard.  I remember seeing the awful videos in the news and thinking that those kids looked just like me and my friends.  

But what I remember most about this awful week was that it started on Tuesday, April 20th and on Tuesday April 27th it got even worse.  That whole week was filled with anxiety and teenage confusion about what it meant to be in high school when that school shooting occurred.  Our high school was shaped like an upside down U and during the bomb threat we were evacuated to the middle of the U sparking debates on safety.  I remember having 5th period free and almost leaving the school on Tuesday.  There was an announcement for everyone to go to the gym and over 10 years later I remember my exact thought, "I can't believe we are having a bomb threat and they are putting us in the gym."  

After we had all gotten settled I remember my principal going up to the microphone and saying welcome and then turning around to compose himself.  He told us that Brent had left a suicide note in the library and had taken his own life.  I can remember the way he turned around like it was yesterday, the image of him crying while telling an entire gym full of people that knew and loved Brent, that he was gone. Moscow is a small town, there were less than 400 kids in my entire high school and the majority of them knew Brent.  

Brent Reynolds, I danced with him at Prom that Saturday night, he wore a bow tie and he smelled like Calvin Klein cologne.  He sat behind me in Mrs. Milligan's math class in Jr. High and when we graded each other's papers loved putting giant black marks on my wrong answers.  There were a handful of Asian kids at MHS, me and Brent being two of them.  We always had a special bond, not because we were Asian, but that we were adopted kids that were just from Idaho.  He was so vibrant and full of smiles.  He was the first person I knew to die, the first person I knew to take their own life, the first funeral I attended, the first time I had seen grown men cry, his loss was felt everywhere in that school.  I remember going to Mountain View Park and hurling rocks at the creek with so much anger.  It was beautiful on the Palouse that day, winter wheat growing behind Mountain View with the sun setting and me sitting on the swings knowing the world was a different place.  

My point is, that after all this time, tragedy like Connecticut always bring me back to that week.  The first school shooting I can remember and the first time I lost a friend.  But 13 years later, I think back and remember how awful it was, but I can also still see my friend Brent's smile and hear his laugh and smell his cologne, and see his little wire guys and hear him play music.  Sometimes I can't remember where I left my keys, or if I turned off my kitchen light before leaving for work, but other memories are forever in my mind as clear as the day it happened.  Any kind of loss is tragic, but I will never forget him just like no one will ever forget those beautiful children and teachers.  

Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers!

6 years ago I went to a Stephen kellogg show at the Aladdin theater by myself and they sang an acoustic song right next to me! Tonight their show was amazing and very much like 6 years ago I went alone. They opened with Flower in Rain and I was sold! I would go alone any time again!

Thank you for singing songs that make me smile and for loving what you do! It shows in your music and in the way you sing!

What a great night!