I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
Edgar Allen Poe

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
- H. L. Mencken

Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
-Bertrand Russell

What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
-James Branch Cabell

August 10, 2015 - 10:15 a.m.

Falcon Ridge 2015 the Day of Helios

It's only 9:02 and I'm starting to write! I have an appointment with the eye surgeon at 2 and it took me forever to get there last time so I want to leave myself enough time to get there. Yes I know for most people that's very late. But most people don't have to blog before they leave. I also have to schedule in an anxiety attack. It has actually started. I'm multitasking now. Just to make it clear and avoid all the reassurances, I have no fear of what the doctor will do. I'm looking forward to that. That's my reward for dealing with the hard things.

I didn't do much yesterday. I was too busy being anxious. But I did arrange the songs I am going to be playing on the radio. What you didn't know I was going to be on the radio? I am going to be Brian Norton's guest on WFDU spinning new tunes. It's going to be all music released since November. Actually it might all be since December. Some has not been officially released yet. Want to know who I'm playing? Here's the list:

Spuyten Duyvil
Mike + Ruthy
Caravan of Thieves
Harpeth Rising
Dagmar
Rod Picott
Bobtown
Pete Kennedy
Heather Aubrey Lloyd
The Young Novelists
Maura Kennedy
Tara O'Grady
Papernik & Wu
Calan
Cassie & Maggie McDonald
The Alex Mallett Band
Bumper Jacksons
Richard Thompson
Kristin Andreassen
Fred Gillen
Skye Steele
Nathans & Ronstadt
If I find it in my PO box I'll be adding something by Mike Laureanno. Damn that's a good list. I actually worked quite a bit on the sequencing yesterday. In my mind it all flows. I hope if flows in yours too.

I also made sure to cook for myself yesterday. I overcooked my burger but it was still good. I got it at Trader Joe's and it was somewhat thinner than I realized. I got four so I'll know for next time. I still did not find that CD I'm looking for. That means I'll have to play the song on a file. There are some that have only been released as files so it's not the end of the world but I would like to find it.

OK so now back to Falcon Ridge. I'm up to Sunday. Oy, why didn't I get my program while I was up .Now I have to do that because none of you love me enough to come over here and give it to me. I have to walk almost three feet to get it too. It is so hard being me. I'm back. Funny thing my heard is pounding but not from the effort but from anxiety.

So Sunday at Falcon Ridge. Remember that I complained that they scheduled a workshop with Pesky J. Nixon and Caitlin Canty at 10:30 AM on Saturday? They didn't do that on Sunday. The Gospel Wake Up Call wasn't till 11:00. Oh there was Stories, Songs, & Tall Tales but that wasn't till … Oh Damn! 10 AM. That was pretty much my real time reaction on seeing the schedule. My next reaction was to call it the Fred Volkert Dream Workshop, it featured Matt Nakoa, Jean Rohe, and ilyAIMY. There is no way I can miss that either. It was as good as advertised, I love all of them.

Even though the Gospel Wakeup featured Brother Sun, Pesky J. Nixon, and Susan Werner I listened fro the Budgiedome. I think I planned on listening from the shower but that didn't happen. I also thought I'd nap but didn't. I got very little sleep the night before.

I headed back down the hill to the main stage to see Roosevelt Dime and Susan Werner. By the way my rule for giving links today is if I have a macro to insert it. I'm trying to finish this fast.

I finally took advantage of my Backstage Pass on Sunday and watched some of the music from there. It was more about socializing. Oh and there's a spread. Oh and they have much cleaner port-a-potties. Yes I have my priorities right. That is where I got to propose to Susan Werner … again. We did our usual "Do I know you, I think I should know you but I don't" dance. I decided to put an end to that but introducing myself and reminding her that I had proposed to her before. Yes to Susan Werner I am the guy that proposes to her. She explained that she was gay and married. Like I didn't know that. Hell I proposed to Ethan and neither of us is gay and he was engaged at the time. I'm very open-minded when it comes to proposing people who I know will say "no." As nobody will even consider "yes" that means everybody.

After the set I got a Frozen Mocha Chiller from Taste Budd's. Notice this time it was mocha not cocoa. I needed caffeine.

Then it was up to camp to break down the Budgiedome. I managed to do no major damage to myself. We did it as we often do during the Nields' set. I did my annual rendition of Easy People. You don't want to hear that. It always amuses LORi. We planned on one set for breakdown but I knew it would take more. It did. I was also up there for Garnet Rogers. He's one of those legendary guys that doesn't really excite me.

I went down for Judy Collins. I'll be honest, she doesn’t especially excite me either. From that vintage I'd much rather see Joan Baez. But I don't get to see her that often and I knew that everybody would be backstage for that so I went. That's where I saw Pete Kennedy. He told me that he wasn't going to be at the Festival but there was a last minute change of plans. He played with Susan Werner but was on the far end from me and I didn't see him. Let me see if he's in any of my pictures. No he's not.

Judy did a sure crowd pleaser at Falcon Ridge but not many other places, she covered Dave Carter's When I Go. Did I get the song right? It is so hard not having a brain. The lighting was perfect so I got some good pictures that I'm going to show you one.

I liked getting to see Susan Werner and Ellis act like fan girls. I liked that I got to talk to Ellis. It was also my only chance to talk to Rodney Platt, John's brother. It really was fun to watch from what I call the bullpen, the area to the side of the stage.

One of the main reasons I wanted to be down there was to take pictures from behing the singers during the closing song, Never Turn Back. Like many people, most I talk to, I don't like that song. Somebody, I think Carey., called it a dirge years ago and that's always how I think of it. The closing song should be Dave Carter's Gentle Arms of Eden. Like the song or not it's still the official end of the festival and an emotional scene. So this is what it looks like looking through the performers into the crowd.

I will get that view every chance I get. Back in the old day it was when I said my goodbyes to my friends and that was even better. We'd all watch together. It just doesn't work out that way anymore. I never even saw some of the friends I met at Falcon Ridge 16 years ago. Sorry I missed you Kat and Jill.

My new tradition is staying over another night and LORi driving me home on Monday. I love that tradition too. I was my last night with my Falcon Ridge Family. I can no long call Emily and Joe and their friends and family my once-a-year family as I come and visit and see them at New Bedford. Sad news. I heard that this was the last New Bedford Folk Festival. Now I have to find another affordable one to go to early in the summer. We really need to do the Budgiedome Festival.

I will write more about Falcon Ridge tomorrow. It will be all thoughts and musings, not recounting events. Brigadoon has once more retreated from the world..



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Memories: Not that Horrid Song - May 29, 2018
Wise Madness is Now In Session - May 28, 2018
The NFL and the First Amendment - May 27, 2018
On The Road Again - May 26, 2018
Oliver the Three-Eyed Crow - May 25, 2018



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Horvendile August 10, 2015
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