Stingaree 2008 - Where to begin...

Let's begin at the beginning. The day started out rainy and I almost ran over a turtle and almost hit a dog on the way to the cabin. After that, everything was platinum. There was even, of course, one weird coincidence. While waiting for Hayes Carll to come onstage Friday night, my sister called to see if I wanted Kris Kristofferson tickets (YES!) and "Help Me Make It Through the Night" was blaring out of the speaker right beside me at exactly the moment she called.

We missed most of the early acts Friday night. We did see Corb Lund which immediately got my niece and her friend pumped up for the weekend. They were already excited to see Hayes and Ray Wylie Hubbard, but now they knew they were in for a full weekend of great music and, well, a few or ten cute guys. After Corb Lund, Hayes did a set and was his usual magnificent and hilarious self. (Buy his new CD now...we'll wait.)

We decided early on that we wouldn't bring chairs and would sit on the ground all weekend as close to the stage as we could. As usual, there was the regular assortment of annoying people and nut cases in our general area. One chick was particularly annoying and, when she got up to leave, Katie and Chloe and I moved into her spot closer to the stage. A good looking guy behind me touched me and said, "That's your spot now. If she comes back, don't let her have it."

Chloe said, "What did he say to you?"

I said, "He says he wants to have my children."

Come to find out, he already had children. Two small daughters who are 20 months apart, according to his lovely wife. They wanted to know if Katie and Chloe were sisters and his wife said he was freaking out thinking about their two small daughters at 16 years old and thought it was great that they were enjoying themselves so much and having so much fun with their aunt.

After Hayes' set, it was time for The Sideshow Tramps. I can't tell you how much fun these guys were. It took them a long time to setup their equipment because they kept having technical difficulties, but it was well worth it. They play all sorts of hand-made looking instruments and the music is wild and crazy and totally intoxicating. I am at a loss to describe it, so Google them or You Tube them or Wikipedia or MySpace them and find out for yourself. It was like some kind of wild church revival on mescaline.

Toward the end of their set, they started telling everybody...EVERYBODY...to get up on the stage. Ah, now I understood the earlier technical difficulties. People were careening and cavorting all over the stage tripping over wires and equipment and, generally, losing their minds. Katie and Chloe leapt onto the stage like gazelles and I stood by taking pictures. Mr. Nice Guy Father of Two said, "Get up there!"

I said, "That's okay. I'm taking their picture."

He said, "I'll take the pictures. Get up there."

So, I did. However, lets all remember that I had been sitting on the ground for about three hours at this point and I can only describe my getting up on the stage as not even slightly gazelle-like. Have you ever watched a 2 year old try to climb onto a couch that is just barely too tall for them to climb onto? You get the picture.

I told Katie later, "You know, in about 16 years when you and Chloe and I bring Ava to this show, I'm going to need some granny stairs to get up on the stage. You know, like those doggy stairs you see on television."


She said, "I think we'd make some money off of that! Granny Stairs!!! Hahahahaha!!!"

That's my girl.

Presenting, The Sideshow Tramps...

TOMORROW: Day 2 of Stingaree 2008