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| Wednesday, July 12, 2006 |
| Cornerstone: Friday |
Friday I was tired, so I slept in sorta. It was still a normal breakfast time when I woke up and made oatmeal with strawberries. Scott was a little longer in rising even though the sun was beginning to heat up the tent. I could already tell this day would be hotter than the others.
 There wasn't really anything exciting going on at the Wycliffe tent (there had been some native american drumming, but after a while that just starts to be like chinese water torture). So I decided to roam again. Plus there was something in one of the exhibit tents I wanted to get for Amelie for her birthday. Halfway there, underneath the shade of a very big tree on the side of the road, a makeshift stage was set up. A band (whose name I think is Waking Up in the Morning After, but I could remember it wrong) consisting of a guitarist, a cellist and a bassist was playing. I was enamoured with the cello, it was all hand painted with a mural. And they were good, though they played a lot of cover songs. A small crowd was gathering and beginning to block the road.
 They ended their set because they were going to see Timbre, but no one really seemed to know which stage she was on. They gestured in a direction that didn't seem correct to me, so I wandered, and wandered, and wandered. I thought I'd never find it. And then I did, but nearly too late. She was on her last song. It was beautiful. A lot like Sarah McLachlan (of whom I am a HUGE fan), but with harp instead of guitar. I was so so sad to have missed her short little set.
During my wanderings I had run into my friend Laurel coming from some seminars. She had just been to one on women leaders in the bible. She was going to another on the role of women in the church now and throughout history later in the day and invited me to come with her. I hadn't even been to one seminar yet and thought if I were to attend one, it would have to come highly recommended as this one did.
 So after watching some canoe races down near the beach and eating a little lunch, I went. It was an okay seminar. I was much to hot to sit underneath a tent and listen for much time at all. And I seldom get interested in a topic unless the speaker is very engaging, which unfortunately this guy wasn't. My poor overheated brain just could not retain the vast stream of information.
I wandered and soaked some more. The wind growing hotter and more fierce and sucking the energy right out of me.  I spent a little time in the exhibit tent, finally getting that present for Amelie and finding a wooden flute and a handmade skirt for myself. Went to hang out at the Source booth for a while just for kicks. And then returned to the campsite to make some dinner. Autumn and I ended up making the dinner and we never really were quite sure who's turn it was on the list. But it was fun. I made the tomato soup (yup, real difficult) and some spaghetti for Scott and I. Autumn became master of the grilled cheese.
The rest of the crew slowly straggled in and soon we were all hanging out and eating dinner. MxPx was the next concert anyone was really interested in and that left us with some time to kill.
 I think I started wandering towards the Underground tent when I ran into Scott and we ran into a guy on a homemade tall-bike trike. We stopped him to ask about it and ask to photograph him riding it.
He was from some southern state, I forget which one. He'd wanted to ride a tall bike (much like I have wanted to), but the whole balance up high and getting a running start and then climbing on thing just didn't work for him (the same worries I've had if I should ever get a chance). So he built the trike. It didn't look like an easy build and he said the hardest part had been getting the rear wheels on in a way that they worked together.
Next thing we knew, what looked like an army came striding towards us chanting and singing. We couldn't tell what they were saying and our interest was piqued. They were mostly "crusties" and "punks" and we wanted to know where they were going. So we followed. As we caught up with them, we could start to make out words. "Chick magnet, Chick magnet, Chick magnet" and "We don't got not place to go, so let's go to a punk rawk show". Ah, MxPx. Then the chanting, "punk rawk show, punk rawk show". I followed the group all the way down to the stage, leaving the rest of my friends behind somewhere.
 The show was electric and exciting and I was about 3 people away from the circle pit. In front of the pit, the mob I had followed down waved their cardboard signs in the air chanting "punk rawk show" (meaning they wanted MxPx to play that song). At one point, I nearly got pushed into the pit, cameras and all. I'd kept a safe buffer. Instantly those 3 people disolved into the pit and I was next. I quickly retreated further back, knowing that both wearing sandals and carrying a camera were bad ideas when it comes to a circle pit. I sang along as much as I knew, which was more than I thought I'd remember since I haven't listened to MxPx for years and years.
 When it was over, my ears were slightly ringing, but I was smiling. The Psalters (who had been highly recommended to me by Amanda and whom I had heard rave reviews elsewhere) were scheduled to start at 10pm in the Jesus Village tent. I went straight there and found Glen Clark and the family were not yet done playing. Wow, they were different, but great. A real throwback to real hippie times. I sat on the ground in the back, closed my eyes and just absorbed.
There was some shuffling and I managed to be up front for the Psalters. As soon as they came on stage, everyone stood up and squished together leaving me a lot of room though I was standing right in front of the speakers. They began by singing a chant of "home, home" and "refugee, just like me, please don't leave, you're our only....home" accapella.
 Next they broke into a lively song called Dumpster Divers and immediately I knew they were my new favorite band. It only got better from there with about a thousand instruments being used and a sound like no other. Even a rendition of The Lord's Prayer better than any I've ever heard. And I danced. I danced like I haven't danced in a long time and just let the music take my feet. I didn't care at all that my ears were ringing or that I was exhausted from my day. I just danced. And when they were finally done, I wandered back to my tent and I slept.
More photos from Friday in the Day 4 album. |
posted by Jen @ 1:44 PM   |
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