Saturday, August 1, 2009

At Reggae Rising 2009

Photo by Kim Sallaway kimbacan.com
The artist on stage is "Luciano".

The tickets to Reggae Rising sold out yesterday. So if you don't have a ticket, don't come to the event. Many changes have been made this year. They moved the shirt booth back to make more audience room. Everything is set up nicely, and they were very strict about how people set their booths up. The event seems to have, both, more people and more room.

The event organizers strategically sold “Early-bird-special' tickets at a reduced price to encourage early sales. After the early bird sales they only raised the tickets slightly, due to the poor economy. The highest price was asked at the gate. So the smart ones bought their tickets early and often.

The 20' x 40' beer walk-in maintained is optimal 32 deg. Temperature in spite of the 105 deg. weather. It took a little assistance from a garden hose to keep the condensers cool, but there seemed to be plenty of people on hand to assist in the group effort. The weather has been cooling off, and is now down in the low nineties, so the temps are maintained without help. The walk-in has 260 kegs of beer, and @600 gals of Hurricane Punch.

The back stage kitchen got a new five door cooler that maintains 34 deg. without any assistance in any kind of weather. I put twice the size refrigeration unit that was called for. The new cooler eliminated the smelly noisy truck refrigeration that everybody hated.

The crowd seems to be mostly college kids, young “working” people, and old stoners. The food has all been palatable, albeit expensive. Did I mention that the beer is so cold that it hurts your teeth?

It is great to see the event “happening”. It appears to have a great future. I saw many people there that I didn't expect to see. They all seem to want to put the pain of the past “Reggae Producers Divorce'' behind them. KMUD was broadcasting the event live. It was nice to see that no matter what their personal feelings are, they owe the community, and the world, the chance to hear the music.

This is Ernie, live from the beer booth at Reggae Rising, signing off for now


15 comments:

Bunny said...

Thanks Ernie, I WAS wondering. I'm listening on KMUD. Most songs seem to have some ganja reference. Be careful someone doesn't slip you some pot in one of those cold beers.

Ernie Branscomb said...

I heard a rumor that Suzy Blah Blah was in the crowd of Reggae revelers, but I didn't see her. I learned from Olmanriver not to ask every girl that I see if she is Suzy.

It seems that every car was accommodated this year. There was ZERO spare parking space. Everybody must have driven in this year. It seemed that everybody must have brought two cars with them...

“Pardon me Ma'am, but could that be a parking space over there?”

“Nope, see those cones? That means that you can't park there”.

“Are you sure? Because it looks like somebody just put those cones there. I don't see any reason that I couldn't park there”.

“Don't do it, or you will become toad and be pounded. It will take a special incantation while passing money from your hand to the car pounders hand to reinstate you back into the real world”.

“But I have to check to make sure the beer refrigeration is working and I have a 'working vehicle permit'. I don't want to be in the way or anything. In the past, there was plenty of room to park right beside the beer box.”

“Sure no problem sir. we are so glad that you are here. I love icy cold beer. Just park anywhere, but not in the cones or the road. Have a nice day”.

“Isn't this where I came in?” Are you sure this is not Ground Hog Day?”

I occurred to me that they should have gas pumps for the circling cars. Maybe that would be a good fund raiser for a non-profit. Is it possible to sell gas in Humboldt without making a profit?

Robin Shelley said...

Are you sure the "No Parking Girl" wasn't Suzy, Ernie? Hmmmm?

Ernie Branscomb said...

Hmmm...

Ernie Branscomb said...

Suzy doesn't sound like the type to be vindictive, but then again, I did chase her out of my work area.

Ernie Branscomb said...

I looked for a red rav. There must be at least a hundred of them there.

homr said...

suz is a shape-shifter. i wuzn't going to spill her secrets yesterday, but i was upstream of reggae when she flew directly overhead. i watched her, lookin' fine in her white hat at that time, as she flew reggaeward. (blush) cutest white tailfeathers, i might add.
who gnows what "vehicle" she uses at reggae!

Carol said...

My daughter, Andrea, was there for the weekend. I can't wait to hear all about the event!

Ernie Branscomb said...

Carol, did she come home yet? The last I saw her she was leaving town with a dreadlocked dude with a volkswagon full of drums and bongs.

(kidding)

\ said...

Ernie, if u install some shift-shaping software on yr truck's hard-drive then when you shift into low gear while holding in the cigarette lighter a hyperlink will form and send u 2 where it has shaped a parking spot right next to the cold beer. You may have to sign out by firing up a joint when yr lighter pops out but don't worry, u don't have to inhale and you can trade it for a pair of hurting teeth.

Carol said...

LOL, Ernie! Yes, she made it home fine and fell asleep. She had a good time!

Anonymous said...

So, Ernie....Are you going to be there for the Dwight Yoakum concert on August 29th? If so, check out the band backing up Wanda Jackson on the same bill.

That's all I can say...gotta go!

-Ekov...er, Anonymous.

Ernie Branscomb said...

Congrats, Eko!!!
I hope to be there. There is a variety of things that could stop me, but in would have to be more than a team of wild horses.

FauxReal said...

This is the first picture from Reggae Rising 2009 I could find on the net.

I had a lot of fun, even while working. If you need volunteers to periodically check the beer for proper cooling next year I'm your man!

Anonymous said...

will our schools finally get paid .Did you get paid? The word on the street all the checks are bouncing .Staff stormed the office yesterday and demanded cash