Music Fest

Submitted by Angel of Rock on Fri, 04/22/2011 - 4:24pm

Last Friday, lapsed blogger Mr. William Call, frequent blog entry inspiration P-tricky and I got in the mini van and headed to Winona, MN for the Midwest Music Fest.

 

The numbers: 

1 festival

1 vehicle without a speedometer

2.5 hour drive, each way

3 friends

3 venues

4 performances 

 

What we knew: 

The Black-Eyed Snakes were going to be playing, and we had to be there.

 

What we didn't know: 

The weather was going to revert to winter for the weekend.

The festival would be severely under-attended

We would have a seriously awesome time

 

The Midwest Music Festival was held over both Friday and Saturday, with many performances in a variety of venues. We only made it for Friday, and ventured to just three different venues, but the whole experience was more than we could have imagined.

 

We arrived in Winona without tickets or addresses for any of the venues. We really had nothing more than a vague optimism that we would get where we needed to go.

 

Our first stop was a coffee shop with a festival sandwich board outside. "Do you know where we can buy tickets for the music festival?" We were pointed to a teenager having coffee in a booth behind us. She sold us our tickets. We ate quiche and sandwiches and drank flat sodas and juice. We walked around in the wind and rain. We saw two performances in a Masonic Temple with the most inappropriate light show imaginable. But everywhere we went we basically had the artists to ourselves. 

 

Oh and then we drove home through a blizzard.

 

It was a very weird, very wonderful day. 

 

 

***

 

Mama E Dub did a killer recap of the Charles Bradley and Budos Band show earlier this week (which you can read here). I am equally smitten with Charles after seeing him a second time. And though I could do without all the f***s, Budos boys, y'all certainly know how to entertain. The office was pretty low on energy the next day. 

 

***

 

I've been complaining about a lack of new music but suddenly, new music. Not only that, new music that I am excited about:

 

New Flaming Lips tracks (Yes, they are found on the flash drives inside the gummy skulls). "Drug Chart" in particular. Listen here.

First single from Eleanor Friedberger's solo record. You can listen here

Dirty Beaches - First listen: Did not like. Second listen: Liked. Third listen: Liked very much. You tell me folks, lesson learned or should I trust my first impressions?

 

Now kicks off a weekend that I will practically spend at The Cedar. Haley Bonar's CD release show tonight, legendary Tony Allen tomorrow, and Candyrat guitarists on Sunday. Hope to see all you internet friends there.