Green River Festival, 2007!

So this weekend was our great local outdoor concert and hot-air balloon festival. Saturday was the Big Day, with about as much hot air as you’ll find outside the Beltway and skads of great music!

Here’s the main stage (there were two, for non-stop dancing:

That’s Niko Case and her band, who put on a great show.

Rani Arbo fiddled and sang her heart out with her band Daisy Mayhem:

Everything excellent in that set – if you’re not yet a fan, think “Allison Krause”, with gorgeous vocal harmonies and some real fine musicianship.

Then Erin McKeown wowed ’em with her inimitable style

…though I hate to admit that I prefer the quirky production values of her recorded stuff to the straight-ahead show she did here.

Next up, British Soul Man Extraordinaire James Hunter, doing a very creditable job of channeling the Late Great James Brown.

KILLER horn section there, James!

Then we were treated to a Mardi Gras Parade (don’t ask) of children in masks they had just made in a “workshop” that afternoon, interspersed with some really cool ‘Gras-style characters powered by hidden chillunz:

…all led by Primate Fiasco, a cool, eccentric young group of horn players who in this case were layin’ down a great version of When The Saints Come Marching In.

Next up were my personal faves, Southern Culture On The Skids!!! HYAWWWWWWWW!

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, think of them as “Surfabilly.” On steroids. With beaucoups talent. And fried chicken!

Then came the big balloon launch, with dozens of these magical beasties soaring off into the sunset (well, they actually were last seen heading southeast):

Very cool indeed, with a fluffy blue sky, a gentle breeze, and beautiful women everywhere one looked. OK, ya caught me lookin’ 😉

The climax of the night was a great set by

MISTER!

BUDDY!

GUY!!!!!!!!!

Gawd Damn that man can play! And his BAND kicked ass too! Gotta love it when a fossil has the juice to keep up with the guys half his age, non?

All in all an excellent day in the sun, complete with margaritas on ice in a Camelback in my pack! Keeps the kidneys cool, the whistle whet 😉 and the mojo flowin’! I’m not a dancer, but on this beautiful day I just had. no. choice! 😆