Mon 28 July 2008; 209
The Hillside 25 was great. Most of the time it didn’t rain, though we were expecting it. There were sunshine, light clouds, but finally rain then a rainbow.
Volunteering again was definitely worth it.
Broken Social Scene’s set had so much energy and brought the weekend to a exciting end.
I have more to write about Sunday and the whole weekend, more photos to post, and maybe some videos if they turned out. In the meantime here are links to other times over the weekend.
Sun 27 July 2008; 208
There were weather warnings all weekend, but all we got was warm and cool and sunny and breezy. The warned weather never came until Sunday afternoon.
The sky opened and the drops came down.
I took refuge under a refrigerator trailer with a big plate of food to wait it out.
Eventually it subsided and my friends told me that in the nearby food tent where they were everyone applauded.
Then I went to watch Stuart Mclean and Ron Sexsmith talk and play.
Between Friday and Saturday the L disappeared from the Hollywoodlands-like sign that faces the causeway from the pen-island.
The letters are taller than the average person, so it would be difficult to conceal.
If someone really wanted to take it, they could have. But if the perpetrator is just a jerk I would suspect it be in the reservoir-lake or the bushes.
Later Saturday I stopped by the main stage to see the Tibetan Buddhists perform. There were two playing horns wearing scarlet and saffron robes and bright yellow headdresses. When I was there there was a guy in a colourful costume dancing.
Then I got some ice cream, two scoops of ginger.
Sarah Slean played at 5:45. I enjoyed it. She played a few on the piano and then got up to sing and dance.
I skipped the next show to rest and eat before my serving shift. I was going to serve beer and wine for the closing shift.
Sat 26 July 2008; 207
I had a security shift this morning. I IDed people and watched the fence.
I saw Spiral Beach, The Magic, & friends all play when I was working and a few others later.
After I was done we watched Jenn Grant. Danny and Hawksley were there watching too.
Then we went swimming in Guelph Lake, got food and now I am resting before some main stage shows and my evening shift.
After Danny Michel played, it was Cowboy Junkies and then Hawksley Workman to close off the night.
I was pretty tired and Cowboy Junkies’ really weren’t for me. I lay down to rest while they played. The didn’t put on much of a show. They stood there and played droning, modulating, wailing guitar and thuddy drums.
The singer had a little table with flowers and a coffee mug of tea on it. At one point in the show all these photographers were at one end of the stage and were taking photos with the flowers in the picture. I guess they thought it made it look more interesting.
The last act Friday was Hawksley Workman. I had never seen him play before and he is a real entertainer. His clothing seemed formal on the top and casual below. He wore a black pinstripe waistcoat over a black shirt and a yellow tie with a black hat on his head. His pants were loose and casual with a lanyard hanging out his pocket and dusty old shoes on his feet.
The show had loads of energy. Hawksley kicked, stomped, and jumped around the stage. He stepped up and started playing right away. In the first song Mr. Lonely, the keyboard guy, stood up on his stool and started dancing.
Hawksley, the few times he took a quick break from playing, talked in a funny voice “Hay Everyboday.”
He was playing most of the time playing songs in sequence, running one into another and liberally seasoning it with pieces of cover songs or phrases, tunes and riffs. He opened with a Jackson five song, and played some under pressure, and I lost track, but it was hilarious.
Today I have two volunteer shifts, opening and closing, but I’ll write what I see and post some pictures later.
Fri 25 July 2008; 206
We got here just after seven and walked to the island.
We walked over the causeway as the worms were finishing singing their pirate song as a finale on the Hillside main stage.
Danny Michel was great. He called Luke Doucet up for a song.
Luke had Corb Lund sticker on the back of his guitar.
I am heading out to Hillside Festival this afternoon.
My volunteer shifts are on Saturday and Sunday, so tonight is a free day. It is sold out according to the website.
I hope to blog all about it over the weekend. I am stoked.
Here are some blogs mentioning the festival:
I was going down Wellington Road 32 on Tuesday and I saw a tortoise crossing the road, very slowly. People commonly call tortoises turtles, but the land-dwelling kind are correctly called tortoises. I stopped and doubled back to make sure it got across safely and not hit by the automobiles that were zooming by.
It had made it to the road’s edge by the time I got there.
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I went to the rib fest and craft beer show in Victoria Park on Saturday. There were six barbecue outfits there with names like Boss Hog and Jack the Ribber.
I ate some ribs.
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