In nine years, Fest has grown into a pilgrimage, a verb, and something of a lifestyle. Besides the 200-300 bands in town, annual activities include excessive drinking, a lot of walking, sporadic meals, counting Mikey Erg bands, and seeing how many times Dave Decker will run onstage.
Once again I find myself in re-cap mode. After taking a few days to recover from the malnutrition and general bodily abuse, it’s time to reminisce about highlights and pick out my favorites. With a similar line-up year-in and year-out, it’s hard to not write up the same bands each time. I may see The Tim Version, Tiltwheel, Toys That Kill, and others every year, but I can’t single them out for attention every time with so many great bands on the circuit. Besides, Fest is a time to find new favorites and to meet new people.
It all started at 1982 pre-Fest.