My First Cheese: String Cheese Incident

I hadn't even heard of this musical anomaly until yesterday. I saw on Facebook that my dear friend Lara was interested in going but as usual my plans for the fourth of July involve my brother and I watching fireworks in the town we grew up in, so I was set on that. I went to visit my sister in the hospital ( an unfortunate place to spend the night on such an occasion) where I broke everyone's eardrums with my new violin. A friend of hers stopped by to wish her well and we started talking. She mentioned she was going to a String Cheese Incident concert later that evening. I have found often in my life I wait til I hear or see something three times before it clicks as some sort of sign from the universe for me to take notice, but this time I figured 2 was a good enough lead in a direction for my night plans, as I found my brother had fallen a bit ill as well. Open for a good time and down for whatever, I bought some tickets and went. It was also the first time I have gone to a concert by myself. I didn't really expect to see anyone I knew and found it exhilarating to get lost in a crowd of strangers for a few hours. As I had bought my tickets online in advance, I could have beat the crowd in waiting in line but it was a new venue and I was unfamiliar with their protocol, so like an ignorant sheep I waited in the will-call line. There was a nice gentleman with a case of beer in front of me, which had me suspicious that this venue might be a B.Y.O.B. type of place, which inclined to inquire. He shrugged and noted that if it wasn't he came prepared anyway and offered me a beer. When I got to the end of the line and start of the desk, I discovered that I could have just gone in already, but I don't see how a free beer can be a waste of time. As I made my way inside I was thoroughly impressed with the set up for venue The Backyard. Spacious, clean, organized, 2 drink stands, 2 food stands, 2 merc stands, plenty of room to sit, stand, dance, and the restrooms did not smell disgusting. Around 730 the band came on  stage and the crowd went wild with joy and excitement. I sat close to the stage and found people were smoking weed, sharing different dopes, and in all of this complete strangers were just friends for the evening. They were open books without judgement and it was a pleasant thing to experience. Lara texted me to let me know she had arrived, so we laid a blanket down and got caught up as it had been a whole minute since we had seen each other. The music had started with a very chill folk/funk sound but as soon as the sun called it quits, the stage lit up and the band turned the scene into a banging dance fest. The way the lights beamed across the sky highlighting shooting stars, the fog crawled over the audience with their hands dancing in it like seaweed reaching for the sun in coastal shorelines, It felt as if this unstoppable force of energy pushed me to lay down on my back and feel the organic presence all around me. The Earth in its motherly and nurturing way embraced me, her hands and thoughts running up and down my body exploring her child as he had come to feel her energy after a long disconnect. After so long, it was really great to be at home in that moment. Suddenly the music was over and people were making their way out into the world. Lara and I parted ways and I drove home happy, lost in thought, wondering about life in so many new, wonderful ways. 

Time well spent :)

This weekend, go do something you've never done before. Let it consume you. You'll be better for it.

-J.Feelgood

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