Wakarusa 2011 Day Two
This trip so far has given me the chance to do a lot of things I haven’t done in a long time. I’ve been in a tent, taken a shower in a mobile trailer, and have now stayed up nearly all night after witnessing nearly 12 hours of consecutive live music. 5:15am was turn-in time this morning as I trekked back up the hill to the campsite after an early dawn raucous performance from Ghostland Observatory. Taking the stage at nearly 4am, the duo shrouded themselves in smoke and a laser light show that had to have been one of the coolest things I’ve seen on stage. The lights shrunk the feeling of distance and gave the open air stage a feeling of intimacy best experienced at a dance club. The attendees used that to their advantage, shaking and gyrating and of course throwing the glow sticks all over the place. This scene was even more intense a few hours earlier as Bassnectar thundered his way through a pulsating set of jams that sent the enormous crowd into a rave-like frenzy, reminiscent of the ‘90’s rave heyday. Much of this was observed from a safe distance as my friend and I used some connections to link up with the road crew from My Morning Jacket. This is a hard-working crew who have the unenviable task of packing and moving the loads of gear that’s located both onstage and at front of house. We were even pressed into service ourselves, and I found myself pushing a heavy case of gear down the runway as thousands of frenetic Bassnectar fans reveled around me. Kudos to the guys, though, for rewarding us with a cold beer and an AC break on the tour bus. They certainly ride in style.
More to come on the specifics of the shows, but The Heavy, Carrie Rodriguez, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses, and My Morning Jacket all sounded great. It was a loaded bill all day Friday.
https://www.nodepression.com/photo/albums/wakarusa-2011