Wildflower Festival - Every little thing gonna be alright

Okay, so. Music fest. I saw so much music, I don’t think I could give a coherent overview of the whole weekend. 7 bands that I went to see deliberately, and another 2 or 3 incidentally. My ears are full, and my dogs are tired. I’d be totally useless at something like Coachella or Bonaroo. I just don’t have the stamina. But there were definitely some high points (and low) that I thought I’d share.

The Kildares kicked it off with Celtic rock. Which I’m totally behind. You know what I’m not so much behind? Sexy-man bagpipe players. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a little bagpipe. And in some Celtic rock bands, it adds this kind of peaty funk. But in my humble opinion, a bagpiper should be like a bassist. Stand back. Lay your groove down. Maybe nod a little every once in awhile. Be cool. Not the Kildares. Their guy was in the basic Dallas guy club uniform (dark tailored shirt with a few open, cuffs flipped, boot cut jeans, shaved head, dark glasses – no that look isn’t dead here yet), and he was really prone to the rock and roll power lunge. Legs splayed, one knee bent towards the audience. Which is very effective on lead guitar. Not so much for a guy playing the bagpipes. Just plain weird.

There are bands who just play the music. And there are bands that put on a show. When you get a band that does both well, they deserve to be putting out music as long as they want. And Hoobastank deserves a Green Day style comeback. Total package. If I ever get a band, I’m totally buying those boxes that you put at the front of the stage and stand on during your solo. It also doesn’t hurt when it’s an outdoor show and the wind is blowing just right to blow back your shirt like you planned it. Awesome.

Brief public service announcement:
If you are ever at a concert and some girl comes up and punches you in the face out of the blue, it may be because you have a voice like galvanized nails pounding into people’s foreheads and you never stop to breath, let alone shut up. Not that it would be me. I’m a lady. But some folks don’t have my iron-like self-control.

And while I’m in bitch mode, when a group covers a band whose major songs include Caress Me Down, Date Rape and Smoke 2 Joints, don’t bring the kids. Not appropriate. Are You a Badfish Too? is no 1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. And I know the little ones love the reggae. Put on 3 Little Birds and watch the kiddos dance. But Sublime is not child friendly. And the fact that the air was getting a little thick is not good either. It’ll stunt their growth. Good show though.

And last but not least. The Wailers. Great show. There’s actually only one original band member still touring. But it was really nice to hear that music played live and with heart. They did the entire original Exodus album. Needless to say, some of the best. Everybody was dancing and feeling good. Well, I was butt dancing and feeling good. By Sunday afternoon, I was so tired, I couldn’t get my bohonkus off the grass. The guy who was singing the Bob Marley parts was pretty young. When he first came out he was wearing a hoodie and big sunglasses. And the band stage was in full sun. And I’m thinking, What up with that? Why doesn’t he take off that jacket? But as he goes, I start to notice he’s kinda . . . mmm. Pale? Then he takes off the jacket, and yeah. He looks more or less white. But you know. In this day and age, who can tell? Maybe he’s half black, a quarter, Heinz 57 racial heritage, one of those white dudes who deep in his soul just knows he’s really black. Whatever. He had the pipes and 3 songs in, I don't think anyone even thought much about it. I'm still humming along. And it was a fanatastic way to top off the weekend.