Masquerade! Paper Faces on Parade! Happy Birthday Mel-Rod!

           A few months ago my dear friend, Melissa Penrod, asked me if she could have some music and friends up on the mountain for her 30^th birthday in July.  I’m always thrilled to have any kind of celebration up here, especially when it involves friends!  The wheel went into spin and a galaxy of old friends and good people organized this very special get down! It was everything I’d hoped for. I was very happy to see so many of the people that I’ve known in the region come out for a good old fashioned farm party- just like we used to have when I first moved down here full time, from New York.

            
Mel Rod came early to set up the Shangri-la Village as the VIP and hospitality center of the party.  As the guest began to arrive Saturday, the party began to resemble more of a festival.  Soon there was pizza being served by the Meatball Mafia by the Farmhouse Stage and production was nearing completion. Sound and lights were provided by Tony Espelage, who helped us run production at Pink Moon 2!  Music started well before evening.  Being in the dead center of a very busy season, I hadn’t fully realized what was about to unfold.

            Music began with old friends Adam Beason playing guitar and Amanda Glover fiddling along for a staggeringly appropriate old timey set.  Then SHAPOW, a band with a number of our old friends from “Hi Street” that totally lived up to its name.  After SHAPOW, the event really began to take form.  People had comfortably filled in the fields around the Farmhouse Stage as well as the Shangri-la Village. 

 Playing to a beautiful summer sunset, the KIND ushered in a magical evening.  Covering a number of Grateful Dead staples including “Jack Straw”, and “I Know You Rider” (fun fact: the KIND is the ONLY band allowed to play "I Know You Rider" at Pinky's Farm). By overwhelming audience demand, the band played two encores, with Wendy Godley ending their set solo with a really nice “Mountains of the Moon”.  I can only hope we get such a powerful and appreciated set again when the KIND plays the farm again for Pink Moon 6 in September.

           
As the night continued, we got a great show from our old friends Half Moon.  As appropriate as the guitar and fiddle were as openers, Half Moon delivered the perfect mix of reggae, folk, and party music to move the night in the right direction.  People danced around the fire, spun their hoops, and carried on as Electric Soul Pandemic (ESP) took the stage and melted the dancing party people.  Again, I only hope to get such a performance from this band for Pink Moon in a couple of months.




The night wrapped up with a great deal of laughing.  It was an evening of reunions, trading stories, catching up, seeing great music, and foremost a celebration of our dear friend’s landmark birthday.  Well, Happy Birthday Mel-Rod!  I hope that throw down was everything you hoped it would be!  Keep your chin up, even if it is all down hill from here, at least life gets a little more straight forward once you’ve cleared your twenties.  Birthday wishes for many many more!

-Sethro