Being hardened northwesterners, we knew that the warm day would not last long past sunset. We headed back to the tent to change and chill. Unfortunately, we also got a visit from Mr. Migraine. We could kind of hear the music from our campsite, so I listened while Mel slept it off. When I heard “New Speedway Boogie,” I suspected that the Rhythm Devils were on stage but “Franklin’s Tower” sealed it. I told Mel that I’d be back at the break and ran off to the stage. I almost made it to the wristband checkpoint when the setbreak was announced. Oh well. I tried.
Migraine or no migraine, we didn’t spend $105 each to sit in a tent. Advil was taken. Caffeine was consumed. Then it was off to the field for set two. Yonder wasn’t helping. Between the inane between song banter and the lights shining right in our face, it was like we they were trying to aggravate the headache. Then everything changed.
Members of the Infamous Stringdusters were brought out to help on “Up on the Hill Where They Do the Boogie.” In one of those classic Horning’s crowd participation moments, a few robot marionettes came out from the side of the stage. With glowing eyes and pincers, they were pretty scary. Yes they had on their chests symbols for peace, music, and love respectively, but they also were enacting a battle. Peace Robot was especially scary as it had a top hat and mustache akin to a 19th century vaudeville villain. They might pretend to be here in peace, but their intents were obviously more malevolent. Yonder knew that the only way to prevent a takeover of Earth would be to appease them with good music. The set got a lot better and the robots went from fighting to dancing. We were saved!
…or maybe I just watch way too much Doctor Who…
The wildcard for the evening was moe.‘s set. How would they perform as an acoustic act? The answer was, “Surprisingly well.” While “Time Again” was their one and only attempt at a bluegrass song for the occasion, complete with a “Yee Haw!” no less, the acoustic section had some nice high energy jams. The weather was defeating their efforts a little though. The chilly air required them to tune extensively between songs, leading some great banter as they explained that this is why they usually play electric.
While moe. did have some incredible jams, the show suffered a bit from Disco Biscuits syndrome. I personally find that after a lot of long songs, something short and catchy – a “Sample” or “Bouncing” – provides a great change of pace, a palate cleanser. When every song is at the 10-15 minute mark, ears never break from that sound and it can get old. Still though, the first 75 minutes or so of the set were amazing enough that I left satisfied, if not getting ready to drop everything to go on moe. tour.
Saturday night in the Horning’s campground is always going to be an interesting experience – this year the fun was a band playing amplified music until 3 AM – but Sunday is always the recovery day. There weren’t quite as many people stumbling around as in past years, but everyone always moves a little bit slower on Sunday. We went back out to the field, let Crooked Still’s music wash over us and I read. My book for this trip was a rereading of David Brin’s The Uplift War. It’s mainly a space opera sort of SF book, but he uses the series to talk about issues that interest him, such as the nature of intelligence.
As I sat out in the sun, watching people hoop and play Frisbee and experiment with this tool that creates giant bubbles, I read the following:
Neoteny, Robert thought. It was a classic, pre-Contact theory that had proved more valid than not – one proposing that part of the secret of sapiency was to remain as childlike as possible, for as long as possible.
Is that what we’re doing with our music and our toys? While the statement seems mockable, there actually is an element of truth to it. No, it’s not in the person who is so far gone that they can just sit down and say, “Ooooooh! Pretty colors!” However, the spirit of Horning’s Hideout always seems to have a level of curiosity beneath it. It’s a place where you can ask questions about botany or the science behind cold light or the rationale behind the Electoral College and you’d be likely to get a real response. The trick is to keep up your curiosity about the outside world, and – as silly as it may sound – a weekend spent playing and listening to music can do just that. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I managed to solve a lot of sticky world problems on the Monday following NWSS.
So when you see people playing at a festival, don’t think that they’re just goofing off and being stupid. They’re furthering the intellectual evolution of our species. See! Now check out this new trick I just learned! It’s science-riffic.
*****
David Steinberg got his Masters Degree in mathematics from New Mexico State University in 1994. He first discovered the power of live music at the Capital Centre in 1988 and never has been the same. His Phish stats website is at www.ihoz.com/PhishStats.html and he’s on the board of directors for The Mockingbird Foundation. He occasionally posts at the Phish.net blog
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