Hey Wanderers!
Opening weekend was last weekend, and it brought with it reunions with friends, the joy of returning to a beloved festival, and the excitement of a new season. It was lovely to see familiar faces from last year among the entertainers, vendors, crew, and patrons! It's an incredible blend of beginning of a college semester, an opening night, and returning to a job after vacation…
It's been a few years since I've been out on the road, and while there are definitely challenges and hardships, the magic is still there for me! I love seeing everything come together; seeing site crew make final adjustments to stages, seeing acts rehearse, seeing vendors set up their shops, seeing everyone get settled into their living situations, it's wonderful to see so many people focused on creating wonder and beauty!
The folks who work in the security booth have the custom of greeting all of us as we return to site with “Welcome home”. It's a small thing, but a very fine kindness, and a reminder that for all its flaws, we are part of a special community. It's a reminder that whatever is happening anywhere else, this is an oasis for so many.
Mark and I enjoyed getting a chance to share music with old and new friends, and in this time of so much uncertainty, it felt indescribably good to help a few folks to relax, smile, and enjoy extraordinary weather paired with songs that speak of our shared humanity and all its joys and sorrows. I hope the time here helped the patrons go back to the real world feeling a little less harried, a little less stressed, and a little more hopeful.
Whatever is going on, I hope you're taking time to remember the things that give you joy. I hope you're pausing to notice how a song lifts your mood, a smile from a stranger, the beauty in a sunset, or remembering why you love your favorite food. These are the things that help us through those moments when our life feels the most hopeless, and small acts of kindness and beauty are doing that for others, all the time.
Thanks for coming on this journey with me! I'll be posting to this blog somewhat regularly as I travel the country performing and experiencing this wonderful, and fraught, country. Please sign up for my email list for notifications as well as news of the (several) albums of new music I plan to release this year!
Jeremy