It was one of those peak experiences.
.. ..
We’re set up on a
covered stage right on the shore of one of the small ponds at Deerfields. In case you’ve never been, it’s a very
beautiful festival grounds on a mountain full of old apple orchards, streams,
rhododendrons and mountain laurels, 2 ponds, and plenty of room to camp, wander
and lay under the sun/moon. It’s raining
off and on, sometimes sprinkling, sometimes pouring down hard. You can see the ripples on the pond, which
has a party barge full of dancing people floating right behind the stage.
.. ..
We have 4 hours
to play, and we want to fill it all up with sound. So we play a few songs, filling the spaces
between with loops we create on our pedals.
When we’re ready for a pee break or grab another beer or smoke, we just
set up these guitar loops which loosely harmonize with each other, shifting
rhythmic patterns in random repetitive patterns while we set down our guitars
for a few minutes. It’s kinda hypnotizing. Then we’ll play a few more songs and do it
again. ¾ of the band was dosed, and it
was nice and clean. (We don’t usually do
this onstage) It definitely affects the
music in a good way, and at times my head feels like it’s expanding and my ears
are stretching out beyond my head to catch all the crazy sounds.
.. ..
Most importantly,
our tunes are tight, we’re all playing really well, and inventing new music on
the spot. We have so much time – 4 hours
– so we stretch out all of our pre-written songs and take them to places
they’ve never been, and work out a bunch of new tunes. There is a girl dancing naked in the rain,
people hanging out on the stage, doobies being passed around, and people just
getting soaked! Then ....Brandon....
from The Malah joins us onstage with his guitar synth, keys, and laptop, and
steers us into latin/carribean dance funk territory. Very fresh!
The music just gets louder and crazier, and the 5-headed beast is a new
Silver Machine hybrid. We end our pond
party holding hands in a circle around a candle, a vigil for our recently
departed friend. The candle continues to
burn – in the rain – for hours into the night……… Magic!
Many thanks to Kri and the TOUCH Samadhi collective... 8)