A Trusted 30-Year-Old

   The Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance finally got to turn 30.  I can't say that I remember every moment of every festival, but I've been there from the beginning.  At the first one I was working at the main gate when it opened, and later was at the gate on Rabbit Run Road to greet the Frank Family who drove all the way from Louisiana.  It has been a huge influence on my life and been a major reason to stay anchored to Tompkins County for the past 34 years.

I did a little babysitting while Rosie and Paul played tunes with a friend who hasn't been to the festival in 12 years.  Joe used to have a band called Man Alive! so I brought the t-shirt out of retirement for the occasion.

Peter Rowan came for Culture Camp and taught some workshops, played a dance, then stuck around for a set during the festival.  It was an honor to have his presence for so many days.

We were also honored to have Lori stay with us for most of the festival and culture camp.  Just after taking this picture she found the other end of the rainbow in her hat.  A woman offered her $100 for it.  Come to think of it, there was another end to it in my stomach as Lori took the money and bought me dinner.

It wouldn't be GrassRoots without the sound going out during a set.  Local boy Willie Watson, who grew up being influenced by the music every summer, didn't let it stop him.  He and the band jumped down on the track and finished their set.  Nice to see two more local guys joining him:  Sam, who I was blown away by his chops when I first heard him play piano when he was about 7, and Ben Gould, who was in The Funnest Game and Old Crow Medicine Show with Willie.

I think I take a picture from back stage of Bubba George as they kick off the festival every year.  Why not?  It's shady and the sound is better.

Our special project during set-up of the Infield Stage this year was to build a grain bin/play structure in honor of the Ukrainian band, DakhaBrakha.  Officially, it was called the Peace Bin, but I referred to it as the Tetanus Tower.  The bundles of winter rye on it came from our garden. 

The core of the set-up crew.  Send help, I'm tired of being the young guy.  Alan did have a younger crew unload the trailer the day before he told us to show up so much of the heavy lifting was already done.

Gail and Annie from the first festival in 1991.

31 years later.  This festival keeps us young.

All the way from West Virginia, the Twins.  Sometimes we could tell them apart if they wore different shirts.  Their parents have been involved with both GR and Blue Heron from the beginning.

It almost always rains, but so what.

Alan in a rare moment not working on or fixing something.  Also rare that he sits and listens to any music, but DakhaBrakha was not to be missed.

Gail endured 90-degree sun to be up front.

I hung out backstage for this one too: shade and better sound again.  Plus I could see Gail and how emotional she was getting during the performance.  Who's crying?  I'm not crying...

Only at GrassRoots does an avant-garde band from Ukraine play before a legend in American music.  Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives were all that and more.  

Sunday morning at dawn means kickball.  Things got a bit rough when Jeb and Jonas were on opposing teams.  The twins were there to separate them before anyone got hurt, they both still had sets to play.

Another example of little change over 31 years.  Andy and Marylin from the first and this year.  Which pic is which?

And a few shots from set-up:

Alan can't believe he still needs to tell us how to do some of this stuff.

As the Young Guy, I had to put the ridge cap on the new building we built for the sound crew.  It started raining while I was up there and got real slippery.  I didn't slide off.

Local artist, John Gurche added a nice touch to the shed by painting this portrait of Carl Sagan.  I don't know if Carl ever attended the festival before he died, but it wouldn't surprise me if he did.

The stage awning was torn in a storm last year before the pseudo-fest.  The replacement wasn't sewn up until days before it was needed this year.  Some things don't change over 31 years.

The steps to the Death Platform in the Tetanus Tower.

Our work is almost done at this point.  The light crew and sound crew come in and put up all their crap before the truss is raised.

How about some video clips: