Tickfest '06 after action report
We decided to combine the 60th and the 9th tick festivals this year and call it the 69th. (For those who don’t know, tick festivals are not done in numerical order. We did the last one three or four years ago, then did the first one a couple of years after that. We are now trying to catch up and get the others done. It’s a relativity thing.) By all accounts, it was a good one.
The usual suspects and workaholics showed up Thursday to make final preparations. Jeff Brown drove the Claytonmobile down from Chicago again to everyone’s amazement, and as far as I know he has now driven it back. Forgot to ask how many miles it has on it, but I suppose close to a million by now.
A good number of folks showed up for the Friday night film festival. Features included:
- A documentary about Jessco White, an insane tap dancing hillbilly Elvis impersonator from Kentucky or some such place
- Vintage footage of an early Wilders practice which raised questions about how they got any gigs.
- Vintage footage of an early Santa Rosa String Band performance which confirmed why they never got any gigs.
- Educatonal films about the dangers of drugs for teenagers and dirty books for all ages
- A home move of Don Carrick and Mike Murphy doing a Blues Brothers bit that left all speechless
- A Trouble in Mind feature done by a TV station back before they matured and became cynical
After the films, most of the Recycled band from Red Oak Iowa took to the stage and played with such persistance and determination that some gritters joined them and provided melodious and lullibic entertainment for those who went to bed before 3 AM.
A bunch more people arrived late Friday and Saturday. The usual 20 or so Rural Grit regulars were there (in various combinations, the represent about 65 performing bands.) Bill Rexroad again arrived with cannon in tow and effectively got everyones attention when needed. The Iowa folks arrived bringing a good deal of garden produce to cook, a few chickens, and a healthy attitude. The Eilts brothers and friends came in and showed good taste and judgement by camping 100 yards east of everyone else. Chris Rexroad led? a small but dedicated contingent from KU. All Wilders except Ike who has now missed 2 tickfests. If he doesn’t show up next year, he will be declared tickdead and his organs harvested to feed other parasites. (Well, maybe not his organs, but at least his polyester suits.) A few of my family came in long enough to confirm their suspicions about my judgement and sanity before leaving. And a few others, some of whom I see regularly, some of whom I hadn’t seen for several years.
The afternoon music was made up of 5 and 15 minute slots in which a lot of folks did their favorite solo stuff, tried out new original material, or tried to do stuff that they maybe had not totally mastered. High point for me was Phil and Betse doing a duet while confused about which instruments they can play. Evening was a good mix of real bands, pseudo-bands and not bands at all doing a whole bunch of good music. Trouble in Mind did a great set, these are the guys who started it all, and without them there would be no Rural Grit or tickfest. At one point, three guys wearing nothing but ski masks and fresh air ran past the stage. A paint ball sniper will be on duty next year to punish any repeat performance.
I enjoyed a bike ride Saturday morning until Kim Wade revealed her sadistic side by setting a killing pace on the return leg. Also a good talk about the Burr of Knowledge with KC Stanton, the greatest living authority on the subject. We still believe that someday, the Burr will sprout and mature in time for a tickfest. KC filled me in on two of the false burrs, Aaron and Under the Saddle.
I did not engage in a foolish adolescent stunt to celebrate my 60th birthday, as my whole life to date has been such a stunt and anything I might do seems redundant.
So there you have it. I’m sure a lot of others did really cool, fun stuff while I wasn’t around, but you can’t be everywhere.
The usual suspects and workaholics showed up Thursday to make final preparations. Jeff Brown drove the Claytonmobile down from Chicago again to everyone’s amazement, and as far as I know he has now driven it back. Forgot to ask how many miles it has on it, but I suppose close to a million by now.
A good number of folks showed up for the Friday night film festival. Features included:
- A documentary about Jessco White, an insane tap dancing hillbilly Elvis impersonator from Kentucky or some such place
- Vintage footage of an early Wilders practice which raised questions about how they got any gigs.
- Vintage footage of an early Santa Rosa String Band performance which confirmed why they never got any gigs.
- Educatonal films about the dangers of drugs for teenagers and dirty books for all ages
- A home move of Don Carrick and Mike Murphy doing a Blues Brothers bit that left all speechless
- A Trouble in Mind feature done by a TV station back before they matured and became cynical
After the films, most of the Recycled band from Red Oak Iowa took to the stage and played with such persistance and determination that some gritters joined them and provided melodious and lullibic entertainment for those who went to bed before 3 AM.
A bunch more people arrived late Friday and Saturday. The usual 20 or so Rural Grit regulars were there (in various combinations, the represent about 65 performing bands.) Bill Rexroad again arrived with cannon in tow and effectively got everyones attention when needed. The Iowa folks arrived bringing a good deal of garden produce to cook, a few chickens, and a healthy attitude. The Eilts brothers and friends came in and showed good taste and judgement by camping 100 yards east of everyone else. Chris Rexroad led? a small but dedicated contingent from KU. All Wilders except Ike who has now missed 2 tickfests. If he doesn’t show up next year, he will be declared tickdead and his organs harvested to feed other parasites. (Well, maybe not his organs, but at least his polyester suits.) A few of my family came in long enough to confirm their suspicions about my judgement and sanity before leaving. And a few others, some of whom I see regularly, some of whom I hadn’t seen for several years.
The afternoon music was made up of 5 and 15 minute slots in which a lot of folks did their favorite solo stuff, tried out new original material, or tried to do stuff that they maybe had not totally mastered. High point for me was Phil and Betse doing a duet while confused about which instruments they can play. Evening was a good mix of real bands, pseudo-bands and not bands at all doing a whole bunch of good music. Trouble in Mind did a great set, these are the guys who started it all, and without them there would be no Rural Grit or tickfest. At one point, three guys wearing nothing but ski masks and fresh air ran past the stage. A paint ball sniper will be on duty next year to punish any repeat performance.
I enjoyed a bike ride Saturday morning until Kim Wade revealed her sadistic side by setting a killing pace on the return leg. Also a good talk about the Burr of Knowledge with KC Stanton, the greatest living authority on the subject. We still believe that someday, the Burr will sprout and mature in time for a tickfest. KC filled me in on two of the false burrs, Aaron and Under the Saddle.
I did not engage in a foolish adolescent stunt to celebrate my 60th birthday, as my whole life to date has been such a stunt and anything I might do seems redundant.
So there you have it. I’m sure a lot of others did really cool, fun stuff while I wasn’t around, but you can’t be everywhere.
posted by tickmeister at 1:09 PM
1 Comments:
Just poke around in the ground near the plant and see if you find tubers. You can pull a few out without hurting the plant most of the time. Generally speaking, it's hard to keep a sweet potatoe from producing something.
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