As I ponder at my calendar for the next 120 days, the yearly ritual that I have participated in for the last 25 plus years still intimidates me. Who will I once again be reunited with? What unexpected magic will I stumble upon? No doubt, there will be moments that I recall and share in the years to come. Those moments are what keep me on the bus…the ticket-lines, the pummeling, inevitable rain that surely will soak my sleeping quarters, the hassle of being shuffled to another gate, etc. will all be worth it come the changing colors of fall. With that being said, my hopes are that all of peeps stay safe during their travels. Too much too fast brings out the weirdness in some. Take care of each other. Lend a hand. Be kind. It just might be you the next time around!
The month of July is going to be an amazing one for me! Fresh off a trip overseas, I put my feet directly to the fire with SCI in Asheville, North Carolina. Load up the gear, and across the country I go! My travels will take me to Alpine Valley for Dead Co., then the Northwest to go Phishin’ at the Gorge! I circle back for Michael Franti, The Big What? and FloydFest. I will be at a show more days than not during the month! Out of all the shows I will attend, what I look forward to the most is Bruce Hornsby at FloydFest. Hornsby has a special place in my heart. After the passing of the Grateful Dead’s’ Brent Mydland, Bruce Hornsby kept that ship afloat for us deadheads. It’s a distant memory for most, if a memory at all, but there were some really, really bad shows after Brent died. Hornsby stopped the bleeding, and let the good times roll once more. When I see Bruce perform in his home state, I will have completed not only my summer travels, but a decade-long journey with him as well. Love that guy!
I hope to see you all along the way! I’ll be the guy with the shit-eating grin up front doing my thing! My picture is of D’Angelo at Bonnaroo 15’. I have taken some flak for this statement, but I stand by it: D’Angelo was hands-down the greatest show I witnessed last summer. This is in light of being on the rail at Fare Thee Well in Chicago, and the other glorious shows I attended (Phish). With the sadness of Prince’s recent passing among other musical giants, I choose to share a vision of the future (that’s what this is about right, the future!). D’Angelo definitely is that……
Have a great Summer of 16’ friends!
Written by Tim Hobert