The Voo Doo that you Do...
Last Friday it decided to rain quite a bit. By the evening it had all cleared up. However it made for some very soggy grounds out at City Park. Other festivals have in the past *coughjazzfestcough* have dealt with soggy grounds by putting down some hay. Not at Voo Doo. In some areas they laid down some plywood, more like particle board on the swampy areas leading to the food/drink vendors. During the daylight areas, it wasn't that bad. You could navigate around the really muddy spots. The brainiac that I am, didn't put two and two together and wore flip flops. So yes my feet did get a bit muddy but nothing to bad. There were some areas where they had dug small trenches to run cables. They failed to cover these. As it got darker, they were harder to see. The swamp pits were harder to see. The only lights set up were at the food/drink vendors and at the stages. In between, you were on your own. There was a lot of in between. I lost my flip flops at least 3 times in the mud suction. By the time I left the fest that evening? My feet were covered in mud. You almost couldn't see the skin. Another issue I had was the lack of garbage cans. I think I counted 5 throughout the entire festival grounds. Trash piled up everywhere. So not only were you dodging the mud, but now also the trash. The sound at the mainstage? Was so unbelievably loud. We stood back a good way, I can't really guestimate how far back we were and that is where the sound was comfortable. If you got any closer? You were unable to hear yourself think. On Sunday some of these things were slightly corrected. Some areas had time to dry up, some didn't. They tied trash bags to trees and barriers around the stage. I finally found one trash can at the the WWOZ stage. I even saw people walking around fairly early into the fest cleaning up. The sound seemed to be better on the main stage as well. The poor WWOZ stage didn't fair as well. There seemed to be sound issues on both days for almost all the bands. The sound completly cut out on Kermit Ruffins set on Sunday morning. He was the first one up.
As for the music? I saw some great acts, as well as some horrible acts. I really enjoyed Drive by Truckers, Ozomatli, Kings of Leon, Soul Rebels, Hot 8 Brass Band, and of course Cowboy Mouth. The Chili Peppers were okay. I can at least now say I have seen them. I wasn't a fan of the light show playing on the screen behind them. Also putting on a show was Flaming Lips. It was a spectical...the lead singer rolling through the audience in an huge inflatable ball, ballons bouncing through the crowds, streamers and confetti covering the audience, a group of dancing aliens and santa clauses, huge blow ups of aliens, spacemen and santa clauses. Notice I haven't said anything about the music? It was more about what was happening on stage rather than the music. A few songs were okay, nothing great. The Meters were alright as well. I love em to death however I have seen way better. I am glad that I got my tickets for cheap, I enjoyed hanging out with my dear friends Roger and Elyse all weekend.
It wasn't the best festival experience, but it wasn't all that bad.
Last Friday it decided to rain quite a bit. By the evening it had all cleared up. However it made for some very soggy grounds out at City Park. Other festivals have in the past *coughjazzfestcough* have dealt with soggy grounds by putting down some hay. Not at Voo Doo. In some areas they laid down some plywood, more like particle board on the swampy areas leading to the food/drink vendors. During the daylight areas, it wasn't that bad. You could navigate around the really muddy spots. The brainiac that I am, didn't put two and two together and wore flip flops. So yes my feet did get a bit muddy but nothing to bad. There were some areas where they had dug small trenches to run cables. They failed to cover these. As it got darker, they were harder to see. The swamp pits were harder to see. The only lights set up were at the food/drink vendors and at the stages. In between, you were on your own. There was a lot of in between. I lost my flip flops at least 3 times in the mud suction. By the time I left the fest that evening? My feet were covered in mud. You almost couldn't see the skin. Another issue I had was the lack of garbage cans. I think I counted 5 throughout the entire festival grounds. Trash piled up everywhere. So not only were you dodging the mud, but now also the trash. The sound at the mainstage? Was so unbelievably loud. We stood back a good way, I can't really guestimate how far back we were and that is where the sound was comfortable. If you got any closer? You were unable to hear yourself think. On Sunday some of these things were slightly corrected. Some areas had time to dry up, some didn't. They tied trash bags to trees and barriers around the stage. I finally found one trash can at the the WWOZ stage. I even saw people walking around fairly early into the fest cleaning up. The sound seemed to be better on the main stage as well. The poor WWOZ stage didn't fair as well. There seemed to be sound issues on both days for almost all the bands. The sound completly cut out on Kermit Ruffins set on Sunday morning. He was the first one up.
As for the music? I saw some great acts, as well as some horrible acts. I really enjoyed Drive by Truckers, Ozomatli, Kings of Leon, Soul Rebels, Hot 8 Brass Band, and of course Cowboy Mouth. The Chili Peppers were okay. I can at least now say I have seen them. I wasn't a fan of the light show playing on the screen behind them. Also putting on a show was Flaming Lips. It was a spectical...the lead singer rolling through the audience in an huge inflatable ball, ballons bouncing through the crowds, streamers and confetti covering the audience, a group of dancing aliens and santa clauses, huge blow ups of aliens, spacemen and santa clauses. Notice I haven't said anything about the music? It was more about what was happening on stage rather than the music. A few songs were okay, nothing great. The Meters were alright as well. I love em to death however I have seen way better. I am glad that I got my tickets for cheap, I enjoyed hanging out with my dear friends Roger and Elyse all weekend.
It wasn't the best festival experience, but it wasn't all that bad.
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