Loose Leaf Notes

I arrived at Floydfest 13 during the downpour on Thursday.  After trudging around a bit in a raincoat and umbrella, I took cover under the Speakseasy tent to hear Michael Franti.

No one suffered.  Franti, along with virtuoso guitarist J Bowman, lifted spirits and filled hearts with stories of playing in Iraq for the children and soldiers.  He talked about his life philosophies (listen HERE), being adopted, his peace activism and his new Foundation “Do it for the Love,” which brings a full and free concert experience to individuals with life-threatening illnesses.  He also introduced a new song that he wrote for his 15 year old son who was recently diagnosed with a rare life threatening disease and will likely eventually require a kidney transplant. Listen HERE.

Franti, who later played on the main stage with his band Spearhead, mingled with the audience and graciously posed for pictures with happy fans.  I said to Joe, “He feels so familiar because he lets his human familiarity show.”

So yes, there were some big puddles.

But festival staffers were quick to attend to them, and, according to forecast reports, the rest of the weekend weather looks mostly good.

My traditional second stop is at the backstage VIP tent to get a beer and meet up with friends and family members. There is always a good  “On the Rise” band playing. Festival goers vote for their favorite and the winner plays on the main stage for pay next year and receives some other goodies.  HERE’S a clip of the band pictured: “Get it Right.”

The rain let up and I caught some eye-catching art vending. This was just one of a village of  appealing booths. Later, I saw the artist painting someone’s portrait.

There were several new timber-framed structures built by longtime festival partners Streamline Timber, Dreaming Creek and Sticks and Stones Construction, all based in Floyd.  I was told by my Floyd friend Elisha, one of the Blue Ridge Massage School Healing Arts hosts, that their new sign was painted by another Floyd Countian, Deb Wildman.

Only one beer, but I had to adjust my glasses to read this food court offering.

I headed down to the Global Village to the Imagine Teen Tent that my husband heads up and where my eldest son is doing collage journaling workshops.  On the way I stopped to watch a crew of staff and volunteers sorting compost from trash and recyclables and felt appreciative that Floydfest has always set a good example as a green festival.  Video clip HERE.

I also made a new friend with some snazzy face paint and promised her I’d be back for a Sonic Portal sound healing.  See the set up HERE.

At the teen tent the collage workshop was just getting underway. Here, a young festival goer checks out my son’s years full of collage art journaling.   See last year’s write-up on this Floydfest offering HERE.

I couldn’t get enough Michael Franti, and so after hanging out with some teen tent loungers and grabbing my favorite pesto mozzadilla quesadilla at Feel Good Foods, I went to Frantis’s main stage performance with his band Spearhead.  Wow! The man sure knows how to put on show.  It’s so early in the weekend and I can’t imagine what can top it!  More to come …