What are your best TBF memories?

[hipchc]

Here's my fave momory..  

Friday nite, after the (awesome) Yonder Sheridan late nite (about 3am)....

I was hobbling back down Colorado Ave toward camp when out walks Jeff Austin and his girlfriend... After asking me where I was headed, Jeff pulls out his cell phone and starts making calls, lookin for a ride for me. After he couldn't reach anyone, he runs out into the street after a police car, yelling "Officer, officer, can you give my friend April a ride back to Town Park?" Then having him lovingly tuck my skirt up so he didn't close it in the door. Wowzers, what a sweetheart!!! ~ THEN, he came up to me at Greensky the next nite and asked if I made it home okay lastnite.. 

Needless to say, I was floored!!!! I mean I've always really dug Yonder, but now I have a whole new respect for them (or at least Jeff) 

[Iriecycle]

Hard sayin': Playing monster w/ my 3yr old @ Imagination Station Sun, cooking chiken squires Fri. for the Stir Fry booth, running #8 tarp in Fri. from town side, being w/ Crooked Still and Friends Sun in Elk's Park, Bela and Toumani Diabate, or sharing appology w/ "Big" Jon Eaton on Mon. morning while cleaning up the Beer Booth area. . . ridiculous as it seems, it's probably the later.  There is nothing like healing an old wound, and we have just started the healing, look out.  There were some fine moments in Town Park campground as well, sure love singing w/ y'all, though I'm hoping to remember not shout so loud so often. .

  Hey Jerry do you check in to this forum?  Please call me.


Peace.


 Listening to: The hum of this giamongus hotel, The Peaks.

[UselessJo]

After closing my mouth from the jaw dropping beauty and surviving my first gondola ride, the immediate warm welcome Brian (Useless) and I (Jo) received at the Smugglers birthday party.  The fun continued with our introductory visit and tour to Town Park by the ever smiling Hooch and lovely Flagstaff Jess. 

We have never met such a wonderful group of people....from the Town Parkers to the folks waiting in line with me for the next artist 'Meet and Greet', to the beer/food vendors and the ever changing gonola pod people we met as kept up our travels over the mountain.

The Festival, the music, people, food, and surroundings all lived up to the hype we had anticipated for those long six months preceeding our trek to Telluride.  We look forward to the next chance we have to participate and enjoy!
 

[ramblerjessica]

i think i want to just copy dave's post, because so much of what he mentioned is so righteously right on! 

i think, really, my best memory was a few hours after pete and i had pulled in on tuesday evening.  our tent was finally up, we had been warmly welcomed by every person we met, it was finally dark and we had visited crossroads for their super strong fruit punch, and bevin (how can we ever thank you, bevin?) had pretty much finished showing us around.  we had made our way over to the "professor's camp" (?) and suddenly they broke into "yoshimi battles the pink robots."  it was at that moment that i KNEW i was home, that all the crap i have to deal with on a daily basis really wasn't important in this magical place, if i just let it go.

oh, oh!  and when my friend bob got to pass on his song to jeff austin, he's such a cute fanboy!  and hammond's multiple religious bluegrass experiences!  i wasn't their for either of those moments, but both guys were sooooo excited it bears mentioning! 

[hipchc]

oh, oh!  and when my friend bob got to pass on his song to jeff austin

I thought it was Adam he gave his song to..? Hehe... Still awesome, nonetheless!!

[ramblerjessica]

oh, oh!  and when my friend bob got to pass on his song to jeff austin

I thought it was Adam he gave his song to..? Hehe... Still awesome, nonetheless!!

it might have been!!    he was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited.  he's such a dear-heart!

and so are you!  <3  i'm so glad we got to hang out and have fun together!   

[Iriecycle]

Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks.  Don't know the performer, Town Park Camp, cozy tent w/ two heaters.  Who was that bearded freak?  Anyone else fortunate enough to catch that set on the banjo, made me want to learn it?  I think it was an original . . .

Peace

 Listening to: Shining Star, Jerry Garcia from the3 disc of same name.

[BCG]

Don't get me wrong I have some beautiful moments at the festival.


But...My girl and I were walking around the festival in Telluride CO last week. While strolling we heard a man give a whistle to a woman which automatically indicated how hot she was. The whistle got our full attention, and right as we turned first to the man following the noise, then to the woman. The woman was about 5'2 perky and blond, and very very very beautiful. She was also carrying a dinner plate in her hands which made her comment back to the flirty whistling man so hilarious. She said..."Are you whistling at my Taco?" LOL!

[hipchc]

I've got another one, this time it's not all about me.. 

I was front and center at the Yonder Conference Center show.. In case you didn't know, the band played a recreation of a show from 10/02/99 in Sandy Alexander's honor. They even had a little shrine with his picture onstage. They ended the show with an extremely emotional rendition of Brokedown Palace, where Stella (Sandy's widow) understandably lost it. We were all there for her with hugs at the ready. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the house at that moment (I teared up and I didn't even know the guy!). The next day, I saw Stella in the crowd at the festival and made it a point to introduce myself. She remembered me from the nite before. We had a short chat about how awesome Sandy was and how incredibly amazing and touching the previous nite's show had been. So glad I was there to witness the magical tribute, even tho I never was lucky enough to meet him in person.
        
(sending love to an angel = Sandy)

[cowvox]

Rolling into T-ride @ about 2 am thinking "what is this place?". It's 1975, Trying to find Kooster McAllister, and later locating him flippin' pizza's. Getting to the festival, seems like there are about 1500 happy hippies like us there. Being mesmerized by the mountains, being 22 years old and being able to stay up all night, (okay we had some help-lol!)John meeting Pastor Mustard, Tim O'Brien, Danny Wheetman, Chris Daniels. Trying to find Fred Shellman, finding Fred Shellman, playing to dancing hippies covered in dust. The little green shed behind the stage was the dressing room. People danced so hard that they completely obliterated the "snake" (runs stage sound to out front sound). Being totally relieved and overjoyed that we found a bunch of people that loved what we were doing and weren't all hung up about whether it was "Bluegrass" or not, the more we jammed the better it got!

 Listening to: @ that time? John Hartford, Willis Alan Ramsey, Allman Brothers Band, Little Feat, Jackson Browne, Mahavishnu Orchestra etc

[landshark]

It was June 1987 Socorro, N.M. I was working on a Saturday cutting lots of hair working hard to support my family while my husband went to grad school.

I get this phone call at work from our friend Paul and he says"were packin your bags, we will pick you up after work, we are goin to TBF!!!

I was so stoked and ready for some music and fun. So off we go, happy and free...

OK so we arrive, no tickets in hand, and short on funds....

It was killing me to hear all that beautiful music and not be able to really see and be apart of fest.
I sat by the river and contemplated my situation...

I promised myself that I would be back, to be apart of this beautiful happening.

It felt and still feels like a calling. Someone or something (called music) is calling my name. This signal is loud and clear.

This fest is part of me.

[Hope Lin]

Rolling into T-ride @ about 2 am thinking "what is this place?". It's 1975, Trying to find Kooster McAllister, and later locating him flippin' pizza's. Getting to the festival, seems like there are about 1500 happy hippies like us there. Being mesmerized by the mountains, being 22 years old and being able to stay up all night, (okay we had some help-lol!)John meeting Pastor Mustard, Tim O'Brien, Danny Wheetman, Chris Daniels. Trying to find Fred Shellman, finding Fred Shellman, playing to dancing hippies covered in dust. The little green shed behind the stage was the dressing room. People danced so hard that they completely obliterated the "snake" (runs stage sound to out front sound). Being totally relieved and overjoyed that we found a bunch of people that loved what we were doing and weren't all hung up about whether it was "Bluegrass" or not, the more we jammed the better it got!

Thanks for the flashback Johhny C. ! We still love you!
Get over to The Station Inn... SOON!

Auntie Hope 

[Schleintz]

to pick one for now..
i can't forget Emmylou singing a song about her dad on fathers day last year. i cried. i have the best dad a girl can ask for and she hit me straight in the heart!! her voice, the beauty of my weekend, and all the memories of what a wonderful father i have made this ONE of my favorite memories....thank you Emmylou

[Doc Mike]

The destruction of BIT reminds me of a morning in the early 90's. The flecktones used to come to town several days early and hang. It was Tuesday or Wednesday and i was having a bagel on the porch, and Victor Wooten walks up, goes inside, gets his food, and comes out and sits next to me. We spent a nice breakfast together, talking about the town, the festival, and life.

I hope Jerry rebuilds, but that old wood will be missed deeply.

[Piper P]

I loved Mitch Barrett the troubadour winner from last year.  When he asked all the finalist to join him on stage...that was amazing.  His song Drop in The Bucket, OMG, I love his music.

 Listening to: Mitch Barrett - all the time!