Pinky's Farm Independence Day Party Review July 5, 2014

  The event started like almost every other work weekend we've had up here.  Friends began to trickle in Friday evening, bringing with them a buzz of excitement for the coming activities.  We've had a very busy season, throwing down festival puppet shows and promoting like it's our job... fortunately it is.  This weekend, though, was very different than the regular weekend grind.  I definitely enjoy our routine of late, but it can get very exhausting.  There is also a certain paradox about having our busy season fall in the productive and growing season on the farm.  Most summers we're scrambling about this time to make the farm presentable for the upcoming crescendo of Pink Moon.  This year seems to be going smoother than most on that front.  Our touring show has ironed itself out quite a bit as well, but the work weekends have really sculpted this place into a welcoming venue for Pink Moon as well as a number of other noteworthy events (including Masquerade tomorrow, and The Get Down in August).  Not the least of which was this Fourth of July work weekend.

   People milled about all Saturday.  Mitch Kordella, from Toxic Moxie, grabbed a crew of people and streamlined the electric to the Shangri-la village and revitalized the arrangement that had been in disrepair for decades.  Our goat "Walter Dwight" (aka Heisengoat) made regular appearances all weekend.  Eating many thing he shouldn't and going pretty much wherever he wanted; Walter was one of the team, playing with dogs and being weird, yet friendly with everyone around. 


Anyway, seeing the lights on in Grandpa's little buildings brought a tear to my eye. Thank you so much Mitch, for bringing the light to Shangri La!  Other highlights of the Work Weekend included path clearing, a crazy amount of mowing and weed whacking, harvesting and installing ancient split rails along the house fence, sign painting, goat wrangling, and general cleanup.  It was really productive and really touching to me to see all of this gets done.   If I were to dedicate my undivided attention to all of these projects, it would be  months of work.  There's no way Jess and I could possibly keep up with all the needs of the farm, so it is very touching to have our wonderful community come together and take ownership of the hallowed ground that we share here. 

   Then came the evening.  Before it got dark we grilled a pile of hamburgers and hotdogs, shared watermelon and beers, and generally had a good time recovering from the day and getting revved up for the evenings bangin' lineup of musical talent.  The atmosphere was electric as Brian Moss (assisted by Christian Kenney) set up projection screens on the back of the stage and around the venue.  Loco Pickle Productions set up an elaborate lighting rig and got all of the sound in order.  The music started with an unplanned solo acoustic performance by Reed Yearwood.  His set was strong and set a good vibe for the rest of the evening.  As the sun began to set we were serenaded with great sets from Mixing Numbers WithSound (from Bedford, PA) and Interstellar Soul (from MD). Everyone was put back at the talent presented from each act.  

 In between the sets, I made my way to the highest peak near the venue.  My plan was to bring a small group up to the best sunset lookout near the venue. As we made our way up the hill we were surprised to see a very colorful camp already established in the spot.  They were playing and singing with guitar, mandolin, saxophone, hand drum, and harmonies.  There was even some free-styling (by Ricky Nappi) that carried the groove and everyone got down singing along and chuckling to themselves about how wonderful the scene was and how gloriously the sunset exploded for us. It was truly magical!

Now that it was getting dark, the light and video elements on the stage really brought out the "wow" factor in each of the performances.  While our audience built, liquid light art moved along the tree line and behind the stage.  A number of artists rotated through the evening making for cool new moods guiding the eager onlookers as they danced the night away.  Galaxy Dynamite! had another stellar show that peaked with an Independence Day firework display which really made the evening pop (literally and figuratively).  Next up was Invisible Landscapes, which kept the vibe high even as the temperature dropped, and many retreated to the heart-shaped fire circle near the stage.

  Toxic Moxie was the next band to play.  Having already helped us tremendously with preparing the venue and with Radio Rubber Room doing a wonderful job of video documenting the event, we were treated to a phenomenal show.  Everyone was excited to hear the band as they recently were added to the Pink Moon lineup. Their show was nothing short of tremendous.  Playful and raw, the band bounced with glow-sticks seemingly floating on clouds as the fog machine consumed them fully. As the smoke cleared the band could be seen bouncing around and having an incredible time!  I know I was! Their stage presence was unbelievable, and their style (which is admittedly different from what we usually book) was mind blowing!!

   Finally, nearing sunrise, The Southern Belles took the stage.  Strong set is an understatement.  Pink Floyd covers from Live at Pompeii (Animals and Dark Side of the Moon), made me feel like the aliens were about to land.  The set continued with a great slew of originals and Hendrix's "Manic Depression", making my heart soar and squeezing every last ounce of energy dancing the very last of the night away.

  After the music stopped I had the pleasure of catching a little impromptu after party with the Galaxy Dynamite! guys.  After a special nightcap or two I decided I couldn't keep up with these young guys anymore... 7am and time for bed.  It was a fantastic event, full of excitement and unexpected surprises.  We accomplished a lot in the work weekend, and had a throw down that was worthy of Rock Camp's celebration of Independence Day.  With the help of our work weekend volunteers, Pinky's Farm looks AMAZING for Masquerade tomorrow!   

Looking forward to seeing a bunch of you again this weekend!  And I must take just one last second to thank everyone who threw down and brought the love for our one-of-a-kind Independence Day Rager!

-Sethro