Summer of love

by Jon Sullivan - 2024-08-27 - Stories

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When I moved to Oregon I discovered a band I've come to love. They do a three day music festival every year. I was there last weekend.

The Garcia Birthday Band (GBB) is a Grateful Dead tribute band based out of Portland. At first it seemed like an odd band for Jon to enjoy. Very odd. I sometimes tell a story about first arriving in Eugene and having Marilee ask me if I wanted to join her and her boyfriend for a NYE concert with GBB. He asked me what sort of music I liked, which at the time was Japanese death metal, K-Pop, EDM, etc. I heard him whisper to Marilee, "Is this a good idea? I don't think he's even going to like GBB....". I did like it. In fact, that NYE weekend set me on a path I never could have predicted. I drove there as a solitary hermit, somewhat crippled by social anxiety. I left feeling part of a loving and joyous community.

I've written so much about Tribe in the last year or so. And there is no reason to go over it again. The archive of old posts is there if you want to read about it. This weekend's music festival was special in many ways, even as the magic becomes more normalized. It was a weekend of love. Like this -

-- My oldest friend joined us from Montana. Which was a bit worrisome. Like me when I went to that NYE concert, he is working his way out from a place of solitude and darkness. And GBB Fest is a place of love and joy and light. It is hundreds of exuberant and dank hippies who will be very in your face with joy. For those most comfortable with solitude, but wanting to test the waters of social fellowship..... It's pretty much the final boss. I was hoping he would feel the same transformative love and joy I had. It could be overwhelming. But it wasn't. He waded in and joined the smiling weirdos. No longer weird, just "us".

-- I've been writing in this blog for over 25 years. I do so just for myself, though it's nice to learn others enjoy my mad rambling torture of the English language. But something happened at Fest that made the blog become something it never was for me. A person I'd never met or even known about found me in the crowd and spent considerable time telling me how special my writing is, and how grateful she was for my posts, and how she felt compelled to find me and thank me. So...... (wiping away some tears.....) So I know friends and family like my blog, and I'm used to that. But I was suddenly struck by the idea that total strangers, people I might never meet, were out there in the world reading about my journey to peace light love joy. It seems obvious and of dubious value, but it filled my heart. Strangers out there love my writing. Wow..... Just wow. She was a very beautiful soul, and our interaction is one I'll always treasure.

-- There is no rule that you need to bring anything to Tribe events other than kindness. Those who can bring what's needed do so, and share with those in need. Part of my joy with Tribe is that they love my food. Sure, lots of people do. And I'm not ashamed to admit I have an egotistical pride in my cooking. My cooking style might even be called arrogant. I DARE YOU to not like my dishes. Which happens, such as with the notorious beet soup incident. And cooking at a music festival, from a camp stove out in the woods, is a bit risky. But this time it worked. I loudly asserted I would be serving the best avocado toast anyone had ever eaten. No one told me otherwise. Hell yes. Winning. Menu : Vegetarian samosas with mango chutney. Garlic avocado toast with salmon and shallot relish. Chili crisp udon with gochujang blackened salmon.

-- At Fest, GBB will unofficially always play a special "secret" set of someone else's music. Last year it was Led Zeppelin. And there is much eager discussion before the set trying to guess what it might be. I was holding out hope someone in the band had learned the flute and we'd get a mini Jethro Tull concert. As we gathered for the second set on Saturday there was a palpable murmuring..... The Velvet Underground? CCR? The Stones? And then it was revealed. The unmistakable "Riders on the Storm" rolled out over the woods. The Doors. And I wept, because I knew they'd do "LA Woman". And I knew it would be one of the most incredible live performances I'd ever experienced. And it was. Several people shared with me the possibility we'd heard one of the best Doors sets that ever was. I'd agree.

To the band and everyone who worked so hard to make this magic happen, know that I am so so so grateful to you. The logistics of this must border on insanity, and to me you are heroes. You brought so much joy to so many.

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