Nearfest 2006

[Roger -Dot- Lee(Admin)]

What would be a Nearfest 2006 thread if Dr. Dot didn't weigh in? Especially considering he was there?

Well, quieter, if nothing else.

Alas, it isn't to be.

Dr. Dot's view of NearFest 2006.

First, let me say that it was wonderful meeting each and every last one of you. Yes, Rick, even you.

I won't bore the assembled with minutae involving a 1/2 mile long line for Security at ATL (and that's no exageration, either). I shall only say that it speaks very well of the TSA at Atlanta that they were able to plough through that line in 15 minutes, one end to the other.

I hopped on the Delta bird and made my way up to Philly. I surprised Vax in that I was actually on time (well, Delta was on time -- I had very little to do with this rare occurance), and got to chatting with some of the locals. I was surprised at the kindness and openness (in their own way) of Philly natives. They're quick with a laugh and quite down to earth. I could get to like these people very easily. I will have to make it up there some time to just rub elbows with the locals. They have the humor and no-nonsense aura of New York without the abrasiveness and nastiness.

But I digress. Or have you noticed?

Anyway, meeting the wonderous Vaxman and the Lovely Martha was a wonderful way of starting this adventure. After having kvetched about Billyware and working together to get any number of projects up and running together, it was outstanding to finally meet in person. I'd say that Martha's too good for him, but a) he already knows this, b) so does she, and c) neither of them seem to mind. If I could only be so lucky. Anyway, Kris, good natured kid that he is (must get his temperment, like his looks, from Mom ) was also a pleasure to be around. His only flaw that I spotted was his case of "Interruptus-whenus-others-of-us-are-talkingus" -- a very common condition that afflicts the young. Fortunately, he shows all the signs of outgrowing it in due course. Polite, witty, intelligent, and girlfriend-encumbered. All that we can expect from someone his age and more. Good job on that one, Vax and Mrs. Vax!

Oh, and Vax: pass the word to Kris, if you would please:

Buck up, boy, or we'll make you sit next to Rick.

(inside joke, #117b).

Oh, and I fully expect to see Kevin joining us as he grows up. He is his father's son, in all possible ways. Whether you should rejoice or fear depends entirely upon the reader. Personally, I see it to be a good thing.

Anyway, the five of us made our merry way to an Irish pub somewhere in Philly. Good grub and good company was had by one and all. I'll fast forward to the trip to The Venue(TM), glossing over the rather uneventful trip (Aside to Vax: tell Ma I made it in one piece. ). After room checking-in and baggage-dumping-off had been successfully executed, we made our way to the Comfort Suites to meet up with other Moon types. This is where I first met up with Rick. I must say, he was very much what I expected him to be. Next to arrive was He Who Started It All, Mr. Davin Flateau and his Lovely Wife, Karen. They're both as nice as I am abrasive, and I love them both dearly.

But enough of this silliness. On to my assessment of the shows on Friday night.

Tony Levin and co. tore the place down. Left it a smoking ruin. Went up one side, back down the other, and left nothing in between untouched.

The entire thing was out of control. He did things with Electric Cellos, fretless bass guitars, and Chapman Stick(TM)age that were illegal in at least 12 states (and possibly in the District of Colombia as well). The entire set had life. It moved. It rocked. It was technically challenging without being pretentious.

Hatfield and the North, who I (and others) thought was actually the leadoff band and not the headliner. I personally felt this to be a reversal of The Way Things Ought To Be. Musically, they were quite clean. This was to be expected, however, since, in my opinion, their music wasn't very challenging, technically. But moreso because they spent more time looking at one another for cues than actually playing for the audience. One of the first thing one learns when doing their Jr. High School drama club play is that one does not turn one's back to the audience. The only member of Hatfield and the North that followed this rule was the drummer (who really couldn't turn unless he turned his entire set). Now if their music was so mind-blowingly complex that this type of attention and setting was necessary, one could understand it. But it really wasn't. It was little more than slightly more complex than average Canturbury-ish prog. Nothing to write home about. Arguably the weakest band of the show. I could have accomplished exactly what was done by sitting at home and listening to their CDs.

But then, I didn't go on Friday to see them. I went to see Tony Levin who, as I said earlier, ripped the joint apart and left little more than a smouldering shell.

Anyway, during Hatfield, probably during their third song, I'd about had enough and went out into the lobby. I found Vax and we ended up talking with a small group. I kvetched for a bit about Hatfield, and one of the ladies in the group seemed to be fishing for a compliment for Tony. I made it abundantly clear that I certainly wasn't here for Hatfield, and that THE reason I came up from Atlanta a day early was to see Tony. He did not disappoint. As the conversation went on, we discussed computers, synthesizers, and history and the like. The guy looked awful familiar, but I couldn't place the face. He wandered over and had a few words with Tony Levin (I was waiting for him to free up so I could shake his hand and thank him for the wonderful job he and the gang did), and I took a quick look at the program. Yep, the guy Vax and I were talking to was none other than Larry Fast, synth of Tony's band (and the lady was, I believe, his wife/girlfriend).

This illustrates a recurring theme within the entire Nearfest experience, and (as I found) prog in general. Would something like that happen with Spittney 'nArrears? Or any of the other Plastic Pop Princesses out there? Mathematically speaking, I believe the chances of that happening could be summed up thus:

diddly
-------- = chance of that happening with Plastic Pop
squat

Anyway, that's about it for Friday night. I received a call from Tom Gagliardi making damn sure I'd made it up here (or he'd do some rather nasty things to my person when we DID meet -- I assured him I'd made it in one piece and we'd get together tomorrow). I also received a note from Nadina letting me know she'd made it in one piece, found the accomodations, and was looking forward to things tomorrow.

All in all, Friday Just Didn't Suck. Quite the contrary. There were a few bad things (some not even related to Nearfest), but overall, any expectations I'd had were either met, wildly exceeded, or demolished with extreme prejudice.

Next: Saturday, or "Wow. How the HELL did they manage to do THAT with ONLY ten fingers and ONLY ONE INSTRUMENT?!?"