Whoa... I just got done counting. All and all (including myself) there were **FIFTY-SIX** performers that contributed their fine musical talents to yesterdays amazingly successful Music in The [Madison] Meadow extravaganza. Everyone was pretty darned incredible, and it was truly an event to remember. The players loved it, their families loved it, the neighbors loved it, my fellow activists in attendance loved it, and Jen and I LOVED it. Eight hours of continuous nonstop music, and counting the three hours setting up and that morning and an hour breaking down afterward all amounted to eleven hours on my feet without a break. It was a lot of work, but SO worth it. And I could *not* have done it alone. Of course, many many thanks to my sweet Jen N Ifer for co-producing this and helping design the program and brainstorming *so* many details that I would never have had the headspace to keep track of this past crazy week, and also for coordinating the conversation circles and making some very informative announcements from the stage regarding the benefit and the purpose of the Nightingale Health Sanctuary. And once more, major props to Katie Parentice for the fantastic poster that so beautifully glorified our event to the public and the media and all our friends and families. Thanks too to Wayne Martin for providing sandwich fixings and all you who chipped in to be sure there was good food for those who didnt get a chance or have the means to pack a picnic. Thank you to Ken Neubeck from the Human Rights Commission for tabling on behalf of the HRC and also making a very nice speech on behalf of all of our efforts. And thanks also to City Councilor George Brown for being there, that really meant a lot for him to show up and hang out for more than a while! And of course, thank you to all the performers and their families who helped make this an unforgettable occasion: Nicholas Prazniak... Toby, Addie, & Micah (w/ Lara Sheridan & Sadie Ann)... the Scotty Perey To The Office (Youre In Trouble) band, recently named The Troublemakers (w/Julie Voelker-Morris)... AB/CD and their wonderfully received Boring Day Blues... the Chocolate Broccoli band (w/Megan Bassett, Matt Keenan, Cindy Schiavello, Jen Swinehart Thoennes, & Ross Schwarz), the Freak of Nature band, the Thursday Group (w/Amelina Dawning), Nightshade (playing one the days highlights, We Just Switched Brains w/Mari Livie & Josh Livie), Joshua Nash-Galpern with his sister Sarah and his mom Debra Nash-Galpern, Steve Hiatt and his band Moonshine Clan, Naomi Cotler (FreeTheBanjoGirl), Sparrow RainGarden, Casey Beasely-Bennett, the Green Man Billy Scudder & his daughter Taryn, Leni Ament, my own special musical family of almost a quarter-decade The Sugar Beets (w/ Megan Bassett, Matt Keenan, Halie Loren, Brian West, Jerremy Wegner, & Marty Chilla... extra special thanks to Jeremy and Brian who made the extra effort to be there under some pretty extenuating circumstances!), Halie & The Moon (Halie Loren & Daniel Gallo), John Shipe, Stella Drapkin, Aaron OGara (w/Robin OGara), Keera Puett (w/ Kirsten Lind Puett), Emily & McKayla (w/ Emily Sangder & Greta Sangder), Zera (w/ Jasper Freedom, Silas Boyd Mitcheltree, Keenan Hansen, Kiri Phillips, & Maceo Gutierrez-Higgins), and of course the amazing Walker T Ryan whose blues guitar pickin and singing was resonating throughout the Meadow and the surrounding blocks with crystal clarity that put a big smile on everyones faces. Also, thank you to those who helped table and represent the coalition and other groups, including Mary Broadhurst, Vickie Mindel Nelson, Michael Carrigan, Catherine Siskron, Wayne Martin, David Strahan and his wife Kim, Lisa, Michael Gannon, Ron Nelson, Christina Bellini, Karen Occupy, Sabra Marcroft, Reagan Clark, Hedin Manus Brugh, David Zupan, Carla Bulotti Newbre, Sue Sierralupe, David Geitgey Sierralupe, Barbara Date, Jain Elliott, Majeska Seese-Green, Justine Cooper, David Knowlton, Tree Knowlton, and Diane Sciacca. Thanks to Jana Thrift & Lynn Porter for taking some video clips of the performances. ....and the Whovillians who came to the event Ryan, Red, Todd, Jake, Jack, Tucker. And finally, a big shout out to the set-up/break-down crew Tracy Forest, Lucky Jackson, my neighbor and friend Litton, and Whovillians Todd and Red Whoville Livefree). This was truly a COMMUNITY effort, one for the books really... and I dont mean to end on a bit of a downer after all that, but I have to mention to everyone that not even a day has past before Todd and Red and at least three other Whovillians now find themselves in Lane County Jail after the camp was raided this afternoon by the EPD, and their survival gear confiscated by ODOT (albeit, with offers of assistance). Details are sketchy. Thanks to Tracy, Sabra, Steve Hiatts van and Wayne Martin and Waynes friend AJ who helped rescue some of the gear. Coincidentally, CAHOOTS showed up looking for Whoville just in time to assist one of our advocates who was rescuing bikes and to give her a ride. (Thanks again Tracy!) Our special buddy Keegan Keppner (aka Keegans Kindness) was also in town searching for his friend Red and the Whoville gang... and a double-thanks to Sabra for *totally* having the Whos back today. So as it turns out, these arrests and Todds car getting impounded --- without ANY notice! Is that even legal? I honestly dont think so --- will all fall under Nightingale expenses, so after all is said and done the money we raised with all this effort that we had hoped would go toward portapotties and tarps and other nomadic camping expenses may, ironically, have to be mostly redirected to car impoundment fees. We had hoped that camping on state ODOT properties would afford people 10-days notice, as is legally required. (Incidentally, this issue about legally distinguishing trespassing vs. camping brings up a difficult issue for the unhoused: when camping on city property, City of Eugenes Attorney Glenn Klein is insistent that it is fine to give no notice at all when 24-hours of notice are afforded the unhoused under state statute whenever a no camping sign is posted. Please let the City Attorney know you *dont* agree with his poorly construed and misguided opinion, whether assessed on either the letter *or* the spirit of the law. We certainly dont.) But to paraphrase Monty Python, This is a CELEBRATION... lets not argue about who trespassed Who... ha ha ha. Lets end this thank-you announcement on the positive note that it deserves---> We created this event to share community and blend many communities who dont normally get to meet up, and in that regard the show was a resounding success (literally, even... the Meadow has a real nice natural reverb to it!). We hope you had fun. We hope you made some new friends. The Meadow seemed to be dancing and singing as the wind played in the trees even in the moments captured in the video Lynn Porter just posted. Thanks SO much everyone... as The Sugar Beets would say, *you* all helped make it real! Much love, ~scotty P.S. Jen says, The beautiful meadow was blessed yesterday by all who come to be musical, share in music and support the unhoused. Many thanks to each and every one of you for being present and bearing witness. May you have summer days like Saturday all season long!
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 06:22:52 +0000
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