Curiosity’s effects on Schrödinger’s cat.
Last week I turned 38 on taco Tuesday. I feel like I may graduate from the kids table this year but I don’t really want to if I can help it.
My friend Trevor invited me to travel up to Wisconsin to hangout with his family at the Eaux Claires music festival. It was the best. We did all the roadtrip no-nos.... religion, politics, metal, techno, podcasts, cheese curds, sushi, thunderstorms and it was amazing. To be honest I really didn’t know many of the bands playing the fest and so I went with little to no expectations. Its been years now since I was involved with Middle of the Map Fest and over a decade since I last performed as a musician on a stage. My time in Europe rekindled my love of dancing. My time in Wisconsin amongst humorous, wonderful and witty personalities has revived my love of the unknown and my heart that dwells in liminality, surprise, and relationship.
To be in between often feels like failure or being forgotten. The darkness and insecurity feel like waste. Its not. In fact the tension is what provokes reflection and refines the boundaries that we draw around meaning and identity. Growth and wisdom. I continue to be on the move and what I discover along the way, I am compelled to share. I am compelled to create. I am compelled to play. I am compelled to continue despite my hopes deferred... despite the violence that numbs... despite the dreams dashed... despite the hole of my own making... I am compelled to sing. I am compelled to relate.
In fields of stages, port-o-potties, and thousands of people, I got lost. I got my dance on. I got mesmerized and even ground into oblivion at one point. I discovered installation art in the woods and happened upon a few pop up performances. I got tired and watched the Perseids grand finale while eavesdropping in on the sonic discoveries and the sharing of experiences by the strangers around me.
There was a silent stage where everyone put on headphones and I sat and drew to the movements and melodies of the musicians. I was in heaven... drawing while sharing with good people surrounding and having live music as our muse. Time disappeared.
A little rundown of the photos...
1 Deafheaven may have changed Trevor’s mind about heavy music.
2 Bon Iver performed his upcoming album for the first time with lots and lots of brass and some fuzzy beats.
3 The Staves and Ymusic were hypnotically beautiful.
4 ExEye were brutal and melted everyones brains with awesomeness.
5 Sarah Neufeld is who caused the before mentioned time catastrophe at the silent stage.
6 Sarah Neufeld was then joined by Colin Stetson of ExEye and my drawing exploded.
7 Buke and Gase made lazer beam rainbows carve out a dance floor for me and the near unmovable Wisconsinites.
8 The teenage engineering synthesizer engineers had a pop up demo/dance party showcasing their latest creations.
9 Eaux Trevor
10 Baroque was the organ/sculpture by Edoardo Tresoldi that hosted many unforeseen collaborations in between performances.
All in all the Eaux Claires were a refreshing start to another trip around the sun.