LeisureFest 2023 - Music Report

I wasn't going to do a special post for the bands, but each performance capsule got so long, the original overall post got way too big. So... here's the music review.

Before I begin, last weekend was my father's birthday. After not seeing him nearly as often in his final years as I had before his health started to slip, I find that I miss him at the strangest times. For example, my mother-in-law shared some fresh-from-her-garden tomatoes with me and I was immediately transported to a childhood memory of walking the tomato vines with my father after he arrived home from work, salt shaker in his shirt pocket. Few things as good as a tomato directly from the vine, with a little salt. Miss you, Dad.

Music In-Brief

We did not see all of the bands, and because of how far away we were, we could not hear all of them either. It was an interesting mix of genres, challenging Randy, the sound guy, but he flippin killed it. Randy was the star of the music, independent of every artist, he made everyone, and I do mean everyone, sound very good. The bands below I actually heard, but there were some I missed. Similar to my prior post about this festival, I did not take any pictures, enjoying the space IRL, absent a technological veil between me and my surroundings.

Steel Wool - (Eugene-based) fronted by the prior owners of the property, they had an early Airplane sound. Steel Wool played on Friday night while we were setting up, so we could not hear them as well as some others. What we heard was really good, setting a fairly high bar for the next day.

Jam - some of the artists scheduled to play the next day tossed in for a jam that ran until midnight. I was asked to throw in, but between the road fatigue and lingering anxiety about the variables I mentioned above, I was a bit of a wreck and abstained, hitting the bed instead. Besides, I was part of the opening the next morning.

Sunkicks - (Hillsboro-based) it's not fair to judge Sunkicks, because I play bass for them. The feedback we heard was very positive. Katie's vocals are always amazing, and even though we started playing at 11AM, she nailed it. We were given, and played 2 sets, setting a mellow wake-up tone for over 2 hours. I had to eat afterwards, so I missed Corona (singer/guitar with a clarinet player). Randy said we were the perfect hangover set, gently pulling people from their tents down to the music bowl for a day of fun.

Eve and the Bad Apples - (Eugene-based) solid band with some cool vocals. This was only their second gig, so there will be much growth to see, for sure. I felt the songs where there were many words or syllables close together lent best to Eve's vocal style. There were some songs that were almost rap-like in how the words were pressed together, but you could clearly make out every word, following the story she was sharing. Instrumentally solid with interesting bass twists and slide guitar work mixed into more straight supporting stuff. The drummer was like a clock, keeping time and keeping it simple.

Joe and the Wheel Monkeys - (Hillsboro-based) I play with Joe on Wednesday nights at Pizzario, and because their regular bass player misses shows sometimes, there was a risk that I would have to jump in. Dave arrived during the Eve set, so that was avoided. Joe plays an approachable country / bluegrass / rockabilly blend. Depending on who is joining him onstage (it seems different almost every time), he may have a lead electric guitar, a fiddle, a dobro or a mandolin for solos. This weekend, he had Rose (Boo's sister) on fiddle and Spencer (Sunkicks' guitarist). They were predictably solid.

Sunwell - (Salem, OR-based) These guys were amazing, and the loudest of the weekend. Boo described them as a blend of Perfect Circle and Tool. I would add some Primus just because of how talented the bass player is. The drummer and bass are about as locked a pair as I have had the chance to see; every single hit was together. Very impressive; Boo and I are big fans, so take these next few sentences through that lens. The vocals and lead guitar work was all handled by one player. There were spots where he was trying to do something fairly complex on the guitar while hitting a moving vocal line. I'm not sure a brain can actually to that level of context switching. Of all of the successes Randy had with the sound, the clarity on the lyrics was not there. I don't think it was Randy's to solve and perhaps splitting focus that was negatively impacted vocal clarity. He hit the notes, we just couldn't pick out the words. His solo work, complete with hammer-ons, was fun to watch. Great band.

Boo and I went back to Hapy for some dinner and missed the next band, arriving late for the Raventones.

Raventones - (Eugene?-based) the former landowners took the stage for their other band: just the two of them. TK is an accomplished bassist, but in this new configuration she plays a baritone instead. Her partner, Randy the sound guy, plays drums (and quite well). The baritone allows her to play more guitar-like stuff, with some chords while still focusing on the low-end. TK leads the mood mixing stories and song into a tapestry where you can't really be sure when a song has ended or started.

Alder Street - (Eugene-based) During our sound-check in the morning, Randy mentioned Alder Street as the band to make time for. Mentally noted, Boo and I made sure we were well established on the festival blanket, dog fed and settled, etc. when they started. OMG, these guys are incredible. If you look at their calendar, they are not playing many venues, which is absolutely puzzling. These guys are an absolute MUST SEE. Starting with the mandolin player, his voice is phenomenal, ranging all over the place, and performing with absolutely no filter. His solos are soaring, and when playing against his fiddle player (who was also next-level) some magic happens. They share the stage with an acoustic guitarist who also lead-vocals on songs (and lead guitar's in spots), a stand-up bass player who does not approach it like a blue-grasser (that's a good thing, once you hear him) and a female drummer with a clear sweet voice. We were treated to 2 sets, but crowd fatigue had caught up with me and Boo, it was getting dark and Tuukka needed to be moved away from the crowds as well. So, we headed back to camp. Can't stress enough how much these guys are a must see.

We missed a progressive rock band and the DJ. We were unable to hear either from Hapy, which I found odd since we were able to hear Steel Wool so well the night before. On Sunday morning, there was supposed to be a hangover set, but I think the artists (TK and Randy) overslept. Since they had played twice already, perhaps it was just as well they got the morning off. In the vacuum, some of Joe's Wheel Monkeys played around the bonfire pit.

In summary, Sunkicks were good, Sunwise rock and Alder Street is amazing. IMHO, all 3 are worth finding. Eve and the Rotten Apples are finding their footing, but give it 6 months and they are going to be tearing it up too.

That's it for this time. Thanks, as always, for following along-

The Dog Days 333 (Part 2)

Continuing the story of the 333-mile loop we did in mid-August. In part 1, I explained the plan, and the longest leg of the trip, from home to just south of Florence. Today, I'll cover the journey from Florence to Newport, happenings at Newport and then the journey through Lincoln City and home again.

Florence

googleImage

I left off the last post with our departure from Honeyman State Park. We had a great time there, but it was approaching lunch time for most, and we had one rider who had skipped breakfast, so food was at the front of our minds. When we entered Florence on our way in a few nights earlier, we spotted a Dairy Queen, so we had a fail-safe. I wanted to see if there were better offerings before suffering the Brazier. Our patience was rewarded with an A and W car hop on the north end of Florence. We were fortunate to arrive just after someone else had left, so we could pull into a car-hop spot. I didn't think these things were still around, but not only is the place still standing, they still bring food out to you at your car on big platters that you can hang on your window. I wasn't sure that was a good idea with a nearly 50 year old bus, so we used the tray as a table inside it instead. They served the classic A/W root beer in heavy freezer-cold glass mugs, and the food arrived slightly wrapped in paper. Maybe it was because we hadn't eaten planned food in a week (no grocery store stops means you make up meals based on what you have, not from a plan) or maybe it was because we had worked a bit to get there, but those burgers and fries tasted fantastic. As we sat, we could better see just how busy they were. Inside the restaurant, there were no open tables and the line ran back to the door. Around the parking lot, there were no open spots, and there were motorists queued for the next open car-hop spot.

From Florence to Newport

looking South
Northward is just as amazing

Now fed, we could embark on the US-101 north to Newport. I hadn't driven this stretch of the US-101 in many years, but as much as other areas of Oregon have radically changed, this area is relatively static. The coastline is peppered with public beaches, but for the most part, the waterline is unreachable. The cliffs are too steep, or the terrain too rough for a road. Or, a path could be put in, but there's no place on the 101 to put a parking lot. As a result, there are long stretches of untouched coastline to enjoy out the window.

With all of the recreational vehicles on the road with us, there was little pressure to drive too terribly fast, making the drive all the more pleasant. The road is curvy, so even if the road had been empty, Hapy tips a little bit on corners anyway, so I wouldn't have been driving much faster than the current speed of traffic allowed. Hapy was running great. His temperatures would pop above 185*F for a quick second and then drop back down to 185*F as we climbed inclines or had to slow way down. Overall, though, his temperature issues of the past were quickly moving further into the back of my mind, as the scenery increasingly took over the front.

park, as it appears in googleImages

As I mentioned in the last post, we rented a house in Newport. Well, my sister Em did. We had her text the address to C, my navigator, so he could get us there. He had us take a left off of US-101 after we crossed the bay bridge into Newport and then he became confused. He asked me to pull over real quick and he asked a pedestrian "is there a skate park around here?". Hilarious. But, there was, and he had almost gotten us there. We were a block and a half away from it. We parked in front, nose pointing at the concrete bowls, and C jumped out, board in hand. K2 opened the slider, but remained on the lot couch while I wandered over to check it out.

Newport

725 NW High Street, Newport

This skate park looked like a combination of planned park and random construction. A few words from the older cat hanging out brought clarity: the city built it, and then the skaters added to it. For materials, they used whatever they could find plus concrete. Patio blocks? Check. Concrete slabs? Check. So.. that begs the followup question: how were the transitions? Well... you needed to plan for them. C worked the park, and while he did a car-load of locals arrived. Apparently, this was a super-hot day for Newport, so the locals would do a run and then pant in the limited shade. They all had an interesting style where they would look uncomfortable on their board, but then pop an amazing trick or fly out of the bowl and land it.. just to look unstable again after they had landed the trick and rolled a few feet. Maybe it was all of the home-made transitions. Regardless, I pulled up the address for the house, and it was about a half-mile away. We were early anyway, so C got his skate on. Once he was pouring sweat and ready to roll, we pointed south and within 10 minutes we were sitting across the street from the rental.

The rental was an odd, albeit large, 4 story house. The first floor was a separate apartment, but it was part of our rental. The upper 3 floors were, in order from bottom-to-top: more bedrooms with a bathroom, the main living space and a full-floor master bedroom. There was no yard, but there was a grassy park across the street with a big playground in it. It was perfect for the cousins, but no yard meant no tent for C and K2. Arrangements were resolved, and shifted each night as who was able to stay the night changed each day. Boo and I got a bed for one night, but honestly, we prefer Hapy so we stayed in the bus the other nights, and were grateful for it.

The family reunion was great. Boo and I had seen everyone within the last few years, but many family members hadn't seen each other in a very long time. For example, K2 had never met Chris, Rebecca's husband, and C hadn't seen him for close to 10 years. Lives get busy, and travel isn't the highest priority when there are colleges to pay for. Regardless, it was great to have that time, all in one place, for a few days so we could really re-connect.

Newport to Lincoln City

near Yachats

When it came time to leave, the plan was for the smaller, or more distant traveling families to pack and split, leaving the final walk-through for those who simply couldn't move fast. Boo and I were that last group, transporting the grandparents and teens. The plan didn't really work out that way, though, and we had all of the families all packing and leaving at about the same time. This made for a little extra chaos, but it also provided a little extra time to see each other. Ultimately, we were out by the appointed time, and the families went their separate ways... with Boo, K2 and the grandparents in K'Lack and me in Hapy with C, we headed north towards Lincoln City with hopes that this time Moe's wouldn't have a long line.

The drive to Lincoln City was as eventful as the drive from Florence to Newport. Hapy's temperatures stayed very level, he had plenty of power and the traffic didn't push faster than around 55mph anyway. We took the left to get to Moe's and could tell from the parking lot that things weren't looking very good. It was past noon, but still close enough to lunch time, even on a Wednesday, to create a crowd at Moe's. I found a spot near the door and C jumped out to find out how long the wait was... 40 minutes for a seating. Boo quick-conferred with the grandparents and we all decided to go to the McMenamin's Lighthouse Pub instead. Of course, McMenamin's isn't exactly known for fast service, but I figured that with the time to seat and then get food, we were still ahead versus Moe's.

Lincoln City no-start
After lunch, Hapy's now-typical 'starts the first time' didn't happen. I turned the key and nothing. I wiggled some wires behind the ignition switch and I could get the system to flip to "run", but "start" was still a no-go. Neat. With Boo, the grandparents, C and K2 watching, I simply pushed in the clutch, let off the brake, and roll-started by popping into reverse. Within a few seconds, I dropped into that 1200 rpm limp mode. Fun. I just puttered to an incline and roll-started him again. With concern about Hapy's limp mode issues and inability to start, we headed back to the US-101. He didn't drop into limp mode again, nor did we stop the engine again until we got home.

Homing

4!

We made one stop after Lincoln City. There was a pressing need for road-bev's and a restroom so at the north end of Dundee, we stopped at the Chevron. I stayed with Hapy as he idled and C dashed into the store for a couple drinks for us. Other than the no-start in Lincoln City, Hapy continued to run like a champ. It was a hot day, and he was staying nice and cool. He continued to have plenty of power as well, and he demonstrated both on the long uphill between Newburg and Sherwood. I described this climb, and it's significance in my recent post (See Now Water COOLed), but I'll stress it again. This is the ultimate test ground for the success of the cooling system. Hapy has struggled up this hill on the way home every time we've driven it. Part of that is because of the length and height of the incline, but part too is because by this point, he has run for multiple hours and is already plenty hot before we start. This time, though, his temperature peaked at 194*F as we took the hill in 4th gear. Boo and I parted ways in Sherwood. I took Roy Rogers into Beaverton and she continued on 99W into Portland to drop off the folks. Roy Rogers has gotten very built up now, making this less and less of a quality cut-through. I may need to work the maps for something more interesting for next festival season.

Anyway.... 4 successful round trips, To celebrate, here's a clip from Sesame Street back when the painter was still part of the show. Yeah, showing my age here a little bit, but I liked this guy, back when the Count was spooky, the parents didn't know about Mr. Snuffalupagus, etc. Once they started PC-ifying all that stuff, they took some of the special with it. Anyway, 4 successful 300+ mile trips, totaling over 1200 miles without the support of a towing company nor AAA. Hazah!

By the way, the starter no-op was solved once I emptied the back of the bus and disconnected / reconnected the wires going into the TDI ignition switch. Something shook loose on the drive. Another argument to spend time this winter getting after the electrical: solving the 1200rpm issue with the accelerator pedal, the occasional issues with the engine not starting and maybe even organizing some of that wiring in the tire well. Nah... that's crazy talk :)

That's it for today. Thanks, as always, for following along-