FRFF 2004.

response to my email to [email protected]:

> Hi,

> FRFF will be a 4 day event next year and hopefully in the future, see below
> for 2004 dates, thanks, Anne

> Anne Saunders

> Falcon Ridge Folk Festival
> Always on the fourth weekend in July
> 16 years of Folk Music & Dance in the Berkshires
> July 22, 23, 24, 25 2004

eesh.
i'm hoping that my drained feeling this year was mainly because of sickness and bad camping experiences. four days *did* mean lots more time for socializing, which i enjoyed. and maybe now that they've had a four-day festival, they'll be better at it next year.

Not just them, but us.� We'll be more prepared for the rigors of a 4-day festival next year by taking it easier, pacing ourselves for the whole weekend, havng lots of food and drink ready to go, or just not showing up until the Friday of.�

The amount of people who were there on Thursday really made a statement that a 4-day festival can work, although Richard Thompson had to have something to do with that.� Now I regret not going down the hill to see him after hearing how great of a time people had seeing him.

or just not showing up until the Friday of.

that argument is about as useful as the "oppose the tax cut? send it back!" argument. in other words, I don't like the idea of the 4 day festival, but I'm still not going to skip Thursday.

I'm not going to add anything more to this argument after this, so here is my final thought.� No one forces you to go to all 4 days, except for the fact that the only early-bird deals you can get are for all 4 days.�

My first year in 2001, I paid for the whole thing, but showed up on Friday at around 10 PM.� Not�what I wanted�I planned on getting there earlier that day, but still, I essentially only got half a festival.� I chose to come on Friday instead of Thursday, because I wasn't sure how I would like the festival.

That's all I saying about this.

again, John, you have missed my point.

while it's true that no one is forcing anyone to go for any particular amount of time, I'm still not going to sacrifice time with people or seeing bands I like - it's a mixed blessing, you know? there are some good things about it, obviously - more time with friends, more space for people to play - but there are disadvantages that you either don't see or simply ignore.

it's not black and white - and yet your response of "You don't have to go all 4 days" demonstrates that you are viewing my position on it as a very black and white one.

WOOHOO!!!!

I agree completely!
YAAYYYYY!!!!!

:D

Relaxed, laid-back FRFF rocks the casbah.

*nods emphatically* happy happy!

how the hell is it relaxed and laid back? it's just tremendously intense for 4 days instead of 3 now.

really? thursday was wonderfully laid back this year. and wednesday night was so nice and quiet. as i alluded in my previous post, i'm hoping the festival organizers will learn from this past year and find a way to balance things better, because friday thru sunday were crazy packed. there has to be a way to spread things out a bit more evenly.

I do agree with you Carey on the balancing of music.� Thursday/Friday were sparse while Sat/Sun were crazy.� First of all, 10 AM workshop on a Saturday is much too early.� 11 AM should be when the music starts. For example: Gospel wake-up call works great at 11 AM.

Friday is generally a relaxed day as it is because of the New Artist Showcase.� They don't schedule any workshops during that 12-5 PM slot, so the only possible stuff that can really happen is on Friday night at main stage.

Or maybe we just love too many damn performers. :)

I could get used to the 4 instead of 3 days.� Wednesday night was very nice and quiet...a little too quiet at times, but it was�pretty blissful.� I liked the fact that I had a good amount of time to socialize most of Thursday and Friday, visiting all the various camps and running into people along the way without having to worry about missing much music and such.� Perhaps next year I'll take the time out and actually sit down and chat more instead of being a little jackrabbit.�

But yes, Saturday and Sunday were hella packed, yet I'm not sure how they could really spread it out more.�� Perhaps�they can shift some of the music on the mainstage during the day�Saturday� to Thursday during the day, when the stage wasn't being used at all?� Or move the�Emerging Artists Showcase to Thursday�(when less people may be around) or Saturday (when more people would be around) and squeezing workshops on Friday?� Not sure if any of these would work, but it was�some random thoughts that popped into my head.� I think there are just too many performers that I like and feel that I need to see there.� *sigh* :)

The most quiet day was the Saturday night before when I was there. :)

I guess I'll be planning on doing the same thing in 2004, with helping Steve Martin set up the Budgiedome the weekend prior, if he decides to set it up the weekend prior again.

I'm kind of agreeing with you, Carey.� I too was exhausted and sick by the end of this year's festival -- but I'm planning to eliminate the causes of exhaustion/sickness�next year, and totally enjoy 4+ days.� I'm also really looking forward to next year's Wednesday night -- which will be�my first "pre-festival" night since 1998.�

As Carey said, Thursday was very relaxed and laid back. At least where we were. It was so enjoyable to get there and set up camp and not WORRY about hurrying. It just felt really great to me this year.

M hm!
Exactly.
No running around like crazy trying to get to everything.
Got to set up camp, then just sit back and chill.

:)

The festival can be as stressful and jam-packed and exhausting or as relaxed and laid-back as YOU want it to be.� Managing your fun is as much a responsibility as managing your work... the only difference is the desire to do everything makes it harder to say "no" to something.

I am planning on being early crew for MedTent, and hopefully i won't have a reaction to sunblock or (as I'm discovering after the fact) red wine���so that i can stay til Monday like i'd originally planned this year.� I'll probably be working alot, there's my "making FRFF exhausting" nugget... but my main goal is to enjoy the weekdend and know my limits.

Angie
who can't seem to talk about FRFF w/o mentioning the MT���

I think 4 days can be ok, if it's handled well and the musicans are spaced better apart.�� It was just too much space apart and then so much crowding together this year. I must admit, however, I did enjoy all the socializing I did.���

i'd just like to put in at this point:

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

that is all.

That's right, you're coming in 2004, right?

If so, bring the British flag so we can fly it at the Budgiedome!

yupyup! definitely, definitely,�DEFINITELY in 2004, if it frickin' well kills me.

right, i'll have to find a british flag then. *hunts* :D

Yea!!!!!� We'll have to add God Save The Queen to our flag raising ceremony.

I want a Welsh flag too!

And, um, then we'll need to sing the Welsh national anthem.� In Welsh.� *ducks*

and an irish flag! and we can sing "another irish drinking song"!
and a chinese flag! and we can sing "i wish i were"...or maybe not.
take it home, pissed off chinese guy.

Sorry, the rule is that you have to be a citizen of said country in order for us to raise that flag at the Budgiedome.� Or else we'd have 10 flags raised, at least!

Hmmm... I'm guaranteed Israeli citizenship if I decide to emigrate... Can I put up an Israeli flag pre-emptively? Melissa and I can sing HaTikvah in harmony.

Can I mouth the words along with you? I know enough not to sing.

er... does it matter if i don't know all the words? :D

(in fact, i know the american and canadian national anthems better than my own. *hides*)

Guess who jsut got roped into a project for that particular week in July?

Maybe I'll be able to weasel my way out of it.

*grumble*

You had better, upper camp won't be the same without you.

word. an frff without paul would be like an frff without hoopoe the clowne. :)