…a bunch of different things about this past weekend.

I Heard a Lion performed at The Center of the Universe Festival this weekend. I am overflowingly proud of my friends. It was truly one of the best shows I’ve ever seen those guys play. I felt pride like I’ve never felt before. Have you ever walked through huge crowds of people and had strangers stop and tell your boyfriend all about how cool he is? If you haven’t, you should find a way to make that happen. Because it is a stellar experience.
Here is a dump of not-great iPhone photos for you:

I’m going to take a minute to let you know that if you want to listen to I Heard a Lion, you can do so here. And if you want to buy a tote bag (I use mine for the produce section at the grocery store), cool t-shirt, or other neato swag, you can do that here. And these gentlemen will lovingly package your items and mail them to you with the deepest gratitude because these little purchases help them buy gasoline and van-repairs. It’s a win-win, really.

Pedicab! So on the first night, after walking 6 or 7 blocks from the car to the festival gates (uphill, both ways in 103 degree heat), the gatekeepers told us that our bags (the aforementioned IHAL totes) were too big to be allowed into the festival. Soooo Katie and I walked and bitched and moaned all the way back to the car. And we grabbed just the barest of necessities. She stuffed her pockets and I threw everything I could into the tiny bag that is usually reserved for discreetly transporting tampons and we begrudgingly embarked on the trek back to the festival. Just then, an adorable guy (who looked shockingly similar to our friend Dougie) with a lime-green pedicab pulled up to us and was like, “Can I interest you in a ride?” And at first I said, “How much??” but then I quickly said, “You know what, it doesn’t even matter–we’ll give you anything.” He said that he’s just driving for tips. So Katie and I pooled together wads of cash and I’m pretty sure we might have given him about $18 to drive us six blocks (uphill, both ways, on a bike, in 103 degree heat!). You know what? It was damn worth it. Also I got this great shot out of the deal:

I got introduced to so many new bands! The fun thing about this festival is that I didn’t hear any music that I didn’t love. Okay, so I could give or take AWOLNATION but that’s a personal preference. And I never actually got to hear them, I only got to experience their bass from a distance. Every little venue that we popped into had some incredible sounds happening.

Katie and I shared a hotel room with our good friends Eddy and Ange. You know you’re good friends when you don’t even care about things like farts and accidental spoonage. It’s just all a part of the deal. We got a hotel with a pool. This summer has been so mellow that finding a time to go swimming has been hard to come by but this weekend it was in the 100’s. So first things first, we checked into the hotel and then immediately checked into our bathing suits! Once the guys got into town, they got directly into the pool, too. The van that the band uses to haul their persons as well as their equipment doesn’t have any air conditioning and on a hot July day, a three and a half hour long drive in that thing isn’t the most comfortable experience. They couldn’t wait to take a dip and I was happy that we were able to give them that opportunity.  You give a little and you get a little in this life. For example, we get VIP tickets to a music festival because of you? We’ll break the rules and let you swim in the hotel pool when you’re on the brink of heat stroke. #becausefriends

My favorite part of the whole weekend, though, took place on Friday night. Ryan and I sat on the edge of a fountain and ate our dinner while we listened to Fly Golden Eagle put on their show. And it was a good show. Ryan ate a hamburger and I drank an $8.00 smoothie out of a hollowed out pineapple. Kids were behind us, splashing around and playing in the fountain. The temperature had cooled down. My person was leaning his body weight into me and my friends were just a few yards away laying in the grass. And I was probably the happiest I’ve been in a long, long time. It felt just utterly perfect to me.

xoxo,
lib.