Langerado Day 1: The calm before the music - Festivals

Posted by Brian Waters

Langerado :: 03.06 :: Big Cypress :: Florida

To begin this year's Langerado music festival, it was not that surprising to be commenced with a long wait in line. Most festival goers are just happy to be off the interstate for the final stretch, after coming from distances as far as Wisconsin, California, and even a lonely license plate from Toronto. So far we have been inching forward in the car to only make slight turns to find new endless looking lines upon us. At this point, we have been waiting in line for the last 2 hours, only to move about 6 out of 15 miles to the everglades' Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. The first thing I notice while in line was how tan my left arm has become during the 14 hour trek. My arm went from computer guy pale to crimson red within a few hours. So to start off the 6^th annual Langerado festival, I will be strapped with one tan left arm. Hopefully this will lead to some respect from other campers for my driver's side tan I have acquired from Nashville.

Soon after passing the "Welcome to Langerado" sign, a Florida down pour struck us for the next four hours. Looking for members of the Seminole tribe in the distance possible performing satirical type of rain dance, cars would keep releasing the break to slightly shift in the direction the camp grounds. The 2008 Langerado festival will be the first time that I will have the unfortunate ability to set up a tent while a tornado watch is in effect. The Seminole tribe might have had the idea of unifying neighbors with their rain break dance routine that forced campers helped spike down each others' tents during the storm. Later these campsite allies would be repaid with undercooked propane burgers, advice on debatable bands to see, and slightly chilled cooler beer. After the storm departed, most festival partakers would just put on a dry shirt on and headed to the festival grounds after hearing the start of music from their camp grounds.

The first band that really kicked off the 2008 Langerado would be Claypool, which was no surprise to most fans. It could of been the five plus dueling bass and xylophone solos or the costume changes between songs. It is difficult to put my finger on my favorite costume Les Claypool supported during the set. He started with a Cyrano de Bergerac nose, a pig mask for the song "Mr. Kringle", then a change to monkey mask, and finally changed into a plastic Elvis wig for the encore. The crowd was entertaining as well, by stirring up after each song with talk of what Primus song they are positive that Les is going to be playing, as if they just got off the phone with him before the show. Les Claypool ended the set with saying "I have not seen any gators yet, but I will be damn if I don’t wrestle one before I go."

The last group to finish off the night might be one of the most popular bands in its subgenera. Dark Star Orchestra is a Grateful Dead cover band that has been performing for dead heads since 1997. Now 3 out of 5 colleges has a Grateful Dead cover band, but Dark Star Orchestra the one able to climb out of their small town to move up to be playing shows and festival. Dark Star Orchestra should be able to keep the Dead fans at bay until Phil Lesh plays on Sunday. On the first night of a Langerado, it seems like it is not that critical who is playing as long as it's jammy enough to dance to. Most people are just double fisting five-dollar beers that allow them to dance around until they get dizzy or have finally reach the point of intoxicated. By the end of the night, they might actually have the advantage when heading back to a nice wet campsite.