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"but it should have been THE MOST historic and I'm not satisfied with anything but utter perfection!!!"
But it’s fair to call a spade a spade. If you’re going to promote something as historic and unique, it should be just that.
For me it was pretty historic and unique. I get what you're saying but I don't think the backing band downplays what actually happened in the set. It's not like Newport marketed it as "only female and no male talents" or anything. We had plenty on here arguing that this could be a Justin Vernon led set lol
"but it should have been THE MOST historic and I'm not satisfied with anything but utter perfection!!!"
Nobody is asking for perfection. Nobody is saying that the set wasn’t fantastic. I loved the second half of it (the first half, IMO, was a little dull. Two repeat songs... No guests who were not already on the lineup); maybe the greatest 45 minutes in modern Newport history.
But it’s fair to call a spade a spade. If you’re going to promote something as historic and unique, it should be just that.
We’re doing a disservice if we think gender disparity exists solely at the lead artist level. It is much deeper than that. It exists at the songwriting level. It exists at the backing musician level. It exists at the producer level. It exists at the sound engineer level. Brandi had a chance of addressing this from top to bottom. Whether out of convenience or planned, she stopped at the top / most obvious level (and ironically, the level that she’s at).
(In many cases, gender disparity gets worse when you dive into songwriting, production, instrumental, and sound engineering credits).
I may be crazy but I even have a little bit of a problem that they had men help write songs on Highwomen album. If Brandi can't write without a man (she always has the twins) they should have brought in women that can do it all themselves. There are plenty of them out there.
Post by Vinnie the Eel on Jul 30, 2019 18:02:37 GMT -5
Why do y’all care that men were involved? Does it lessen the music to you that a man was involved? If the movement is about empowering women, isn’t it within their empowerment to choose to work with men?
Why do y’all care that men were involved? Does it lessen the music to you that a man was involved? If the movement is about empowering women, isn’t it within their empowerment to choose to work with men?
I love what they're doing. I just wanted them to go all the way in with it.
Post by averagestmanonearth on Jul 30, 2019 18:52:19 GMT -5
Hi everyone,
Been lurking for a while and decided to post since two of my friends have been doing the same. First NFF in the books, and it was excellent. I really can’t believe some of you are complaining.
Top moments for me: 1: I will always love you. I lost control of a few tears during this one. 2: Amanda Shires’ song about her dad. That one hit me in the feels for sure. Especially when Maren took over the last couple lines when I think shires started to choke up 3: “I was a Highwoman” - the second those words came out of Brandi’s mouth, I lost it. So glad they reworked this song. One of my favorites. 4: Surprise rendition of The Joke during Hozier’s set. 5: Devon Gilfillian. This guy is going places. That set was incredible and my biggest surprise of the weekend. 6: Charlie Crockett’s band unplugging. I fully expect to see him on a bigger stage in the next few years. He fits in very nicely with the modern country/blues artists that are gaining popularity like the Sturgill’s of the world. 7: Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle covering Cher. That was excellent as was the entire set. 8: Jeff Tweedy’s commentary. His dry humor is excellent t as are the songs. 9: LSD. Not ashamed to say it despite all the haters on here. Rachel’s voice is great and the songs are fun and relatable. I love the jazz influence and Bridget’s bass lines are so good. 10: Tallest Man showing up throughout the weekend.
Only complaint: not being able to see Todd Snider. He’s so good and absolutely hilarious. I hope they bring him back and pair him against some less critical sets.
All in all, best festival experience of my life. I liked every minute and will be back.
8: Jeff Tweedy’s commentary. His dry humor is excellent t as are the songs.
He had some funny stuff where the plane flying overhead was "distracting" him. Great set. I didn't stay for the full set but got enough of what I wanted before heading to another stage.
8: Jeff Tweedy’s commentary. His dry humor is excellent t as are the songs. 9: LSD. Not ashamed to say it despite all the haters on here. Rachel’s voice is great and the songs are fun and relatable. I love the jazz influence and Bridget’s bass lines are so good. [/quote]
Agree with Both of these. LSD killed it, was a fun, high energy set. Tweedy surprised me with the humor. Was not expecting that! Great set as well!
Also...post more often now that you’ve broken the seal. We like new faces and opinions here. We all have them, and like hearing everyone’s thoughts.
10. Prayer/Yonatan Gat and the Eastern Medicine Singers-An unexpected moment of community to end a most unique and spiritual set.
9. Lowlands Away/Bonny Light Horseman-Such a great set; could have picked any song. I hope there is a CD.
8. Faraway Look/Yola-What a voice!
7. Keep Your Eyes on the Prize/Mavis Staples, Our Native Daughters, Hozier, Jason Isbell, Phil Cook and Pres Hall-That moment at the end with Mavis and Rhiannon......
6. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes/Robin Pecknold, Eric D. Johnson, James Mercer, Judy Collins, and Jason Isbell-Great, loose version of this song made even more fabulous thanks to Judy's story after the song.
5. My Favorite Mistake/Sheryl Crow-Love this song and was afraid my expectations were too high. Nope!
4. Find the Cost of Freedom,Masters of War/Warren Haynes, Jason Isbell, Lukas Nelson and Jonathan Wilson-Old songs that sadly still resonate.
3. Everything is Broken/Sheryl Crow and Jason Isbell-See #4....
2. Turn, Turn, Turn/Judy Collins and Robin Pecknold-Such a beautiful version of this song which friends sang at our wedding in 1981.
1. Mama's Cryin' Long/Our Native Daughters-No one there will ever forget this moment. May we never forget or ignore the suffering of one another.
Need to digest. There's definitely some sets i regret missing. For the most part I saw the ones I wanted.
When I saw Dolly and Brandi singing 'I will always love you' it occurred to me that Bradi is this generations Dolly.
'Songs for beginners' isn't mentioned enough. There were great moments during that set. Tallest Man was great. So were Anias and The Milk Carton kids.
My kid and I caught Colin Meloy reading about Pete Seeger to kids and having a 'we shall overcome' sing a long.
Happened to be in garden with friends when a text message alerted me that the Milk Carton Kids were about to play beside me.
Rainbow Connection has been stuck in my head since the fest. Loved seeing the joy that brought. Genius. The beautiful little song book.
First time seeing Judy Collins. What a great story teller and singer. And damn. That's Robin Pecknold. And they're all singing 'Judy blue eyes'.
Warren Haynes, Jason Isbell, Jonathan Wilson and Lukas Nelson singing “Masters of War”. Felt like Farm Aid for a while. The power of them all arranged in a line on stage.
Sheryl Crow and James Taylor. Great story.
The fun had by the highwomen during their historic set. Hearing those great songs for the first time. The joking around with each other and Isbell. Their versions of highwayman and the chain.
Best running of the folk in years.
Linda Perry and the crowd roaring out What's Up.
Dolly. What can you say. I could have listend to her stories all night. Her voice as good as ever. Everyone on stage with her glowing to be in her presence. Brandi and Jay almost knocking each other hugging with excitement at the end. You were seeing friends celebrating their hard work paying off.
Only heard Maggie from way back but looked liked she threw tons of enery into it and gave it her all.
Kacey with all those guys in blue. The guy with the pride flag. I thought kacey was great. That album is amazing and i loved hearing the songs live. Saw her last year and this was way better. Slow Burn is awesome. Saw her glow in an interview with Elton John when he told her the album was amazing.
Adia Victoria, Yola, Jade Bird, and JS Ondara all with fantastic Newport debuts. Expecting great things. Really impressed.
Stephen Marley. Loved it. It was what I needed that day at that time. First time hearing a lot of those songs live. He definitely inherited some of his Dads voice. He carries the torch well.
Illiterate light and the Oh Mys. Both great sets.
So many other great moments. If I could time travel i could go back. Watch different sets and yet have an equally amazing Newport Folk Featival experience. Says a lot.
There are still many questions left unanswered. Where was Jay going with those comments name dropping hip hop stars? Is the Country/Americana focus permanent or will be see a swing back to Indie Folk Rock. Soon the 2020 guessing game will begin but this week is reflecting on what an amazing job Jay did again and wondering where this weekend ranks in the Sweet era.
Rachel is not just poppy. She can also be a wonderful jazz stylist, sort of in the mode of 40's-50's jazz, and has the pipes, training and stylizations for today's music. Physically white, suburban background -- that was the lot she drew at birth. Does that mean she can't sing a civil rights classic? I don't see why not (nor did Jon Batiste), but I am very open to the idea that writers and musicians excel creating art that reflects their life experiences. And there is a social statement involved, I guess. But I'd really rather not get too deeply into this. &
Does it mean she can’t sing civil rights classics? No. But if you have some amazing women of color right there then why choose her over them?
It reminds me of how Batiste talked about Brandi covering Dylan last year and he said “you don’t really wanna get somebody who’s not part of that lineage to sing that song” but then tries to explain why he chose Rachel in the same interview.
I’ll admit that I am certainly biased against her as I just get tired of the vibrato on every single note she sings.
Rachel is not just poppy. She can also be a wonderful jazz stylist, sort of in the mode of 40's-50's jazz, and has the pipes, training and stylizations for today's music. Physically white, suburban background -- that was the lot she drew at birth. Does that mean she can't sing a civil rights classic? I don't see why not (nor did Jon Batiste), but I am very open to the idea that writers and musicians excel creating art that reflects their life experiences. And there is a social statement involved, I guess. But I'd really rather not get too deeply into this. &
Does it mean she can’t sing civil rights classics? No. But if you have some amazing women of color right there then why choose her over them?
It reminds me of how Batiste talked about Brandi covering Dylan last year and he said “you don’t really wanna get somebody who’s not part of that lineage to sing that song” but then tries to explain why he chose Rachel in the same interview.
I’ll admit that I am certainly biased against her as I just get tired of the vibrato on every single note she sings.
I like the discussion; it is everywhere these days. Should two white men even be a consideration for the Democratic Party nomination? How about an all-female cast in Macbeth coming to off-Broadway? Can a white woman receive equal consideration when singing a civil rights song (depending on the song, of course)? Would a women be able to sing "I Ain't Marching Anymore" for a long overdue Phil Ochs celebration? (women didn't serve as combatants in the early wars; however, they were as involved and scarred by war as any man).
I also enjoy comments on the bands because it helps me learn more about them. And less boring than Facebook: I like, I love, I agree, check out this cartoon. There is spirit here.
Perhaps someone remembers I came to LSD's defense at the time of their booking. Fell in love with them and their story after seeing the "I Want You Back" video on the streets of Boston, and then their 2014 NFF premiere, then a year later at Central Park summer stage, and Seeger's Hudson River Revival. But I was getting bored, so intended to miss them this year. My son insisted I see their performance and played me a bunch of their tunes-- along with the Oh My's and Chance. And I loved their show at Newport. Was just wondering, having been to more Jazz fests (including in NY) than my five NFF's, how that band would fare with a blues singer.
And finally, yes, would have been nice to have had an all female band. I thought about it during the performance, but let's not forget Linda Perry, who was not a big hither when the leaks began, is a brilliant composer, producer and musician. If she thought there were issues I'm sure she could have put something together. It is not easy to just hire a band and tell them to work with so many disparate musicians who have their own versions and crazy time schedules. An out of place cymbal can take a band into a swing zone when we least expect it, or clobber someone's vocals.
Brandi and Sheryl and Dolly and Kermit -- Roger Waters and others -- have not only set a higher bar for poor Jay, I think more people will say I want to play there. Still think if there is ever a CSNY reunion, it will be at Newport. Thanks, Jay! Thank you all for keeping me informed. Thanks to the young ones who kept making sure this old man was holding up lol...and who loved my Third Man Records tee-shirt.
Tonight: Giddens, Courtney Marie Andrews, Valerie Simpson weather permitting at Lincoln Center Out of Doors. Blood Orange tomorrow. Yola August 10.
So, have come back to a lot of work and didn't have the opportunity to write up a more lengthy reflections post until now. Will try to avoid echoing what others have already written which, unfortunately, will take away from the tone being as full of awe and gratitude as it should. There were so many great sets of music which I enjoyed with a full heart, smiles and sometimes tears.
Musical moments that haven't been mentioned to the extent that I feel they deserve to be:
Jupiter & Okwess. I went to this set due to a colleague saying it would be worthwhile but I hadn't really attached to their music beforehand. Apparently that was the case with most of the festival as there were still open seats in the front section of the quad at the start of the show. Boy, was it the biggest surprise of the festival for me. From the first moment of their set, we were all on our feet and danced the entire time. They got people to fill the walkway in front of the stage about midway through (much to securities chagrin) and it was packed for the show. So much joy. It reminded me of Low Cut Connie's set last year.
People have mentioned Jeff Tweedy's humor. It was such a contrast to his attitude during the Wilco set two year's ago and I was so happy for him. Between his autobiography and two very reflective solo albums, it seems he has done a lot of work on himself and it showed with the ease and happiness that he carried himself. Also pretty amazing that one guy with a guitar can pull of the second to last set on Saturday on the Fort stage and do it well. I was surprised to not see any other mic's for guests and initially a little disappointed, but left really satisfied.
Our Native Daughters... a lot of people already commented on them. However, I have thought a lot about that set since seeing it so want to add to the discussion. On Friday we went from the Highwomen set to see Phil Lesh and the change in energy really hurt Phil in my eyes. We couldn't sit through it for more than a song and a half before bailing. After seeing Our Native Daughters we went to see Trey and the same thing happened. Which got me thinking to the parallels between the Highwomen and Our Native Daughters. They both feature four women who have very distinct personas that have songs that have a message at their core. It's just that Our Native Daughters did it with such authenticity and the songs are so good. SO good. Each song at that album is enjoyable. Was disappointed that they didn't include 'Better Git Your Learning' but wouldn't have taken anything out. 'Moon Meets the Sun' was so hopeful after the pain and suffering that was represented in 'Mama's Crying Long'. Also really welcomed their explicit political message around a number of things but particularly the statement around children at the border.
On that point... last year I wrote up a longish post on how Newport needed to work harder to represent women at the festival. Suggested a set at the museum curated by women. Talked about bringing young girls in to perform with acts. So, was so happy to see the fest this year and the incredible steps in that direction. As already discussed in the thread, there is still work to be done, but this was a big step in the right direction.
But, I obviously think that my posts are like prayers that go straight to Jay's ears, so here goes my feedback based on this past weekend's experience. (* And I should say, the festival is really really good at taking feedback and constantly improving. It seems like each year you can see little tweaks that are improvements from the prior year. Take moving the food back to a different area as an example.)
So, here is my main gripe. There was too much talk of gardening as a metaphor.
Stay with me for a minute.
Preparing for the festival I added a lot of old Pete Seeger to my playlist. It was eye opening for me just how directly political so many of the songs he sung were. "What did you learn in school today", "We shall overcome", when he tells the story of "Guantanamenra", "Solidarity Forever", "My Dirty Stream". Couple that with the interview in the Bluegrass situation (https://thebluegrasssituation.com/read/pete-seeger-effecting-change-with-music-part-2-of-2/) about Jay's reverence for Pete and I was expecting this festival to be more directly political in that same vein. And, in today's world, with the state of the country, it feels like it is even more important to stand up and speak out.
Then, all through the first two days of the festival there was almost no direct reference to anything political. There was a lot of talk of gardening. Phil Cook's metaphor's on watering your garden, Haley Heyndericks had two songs on gardening, The Highwomen talked about gardening, and it was in at least two more songs. Gardening is fine and the metaphor about healing our souls and taking care of ourselves and our communities is all good and well, but I was looking for something more than entertainment. I think of Pete's work with the Freedom Riders and how it was about more than the songs, it was about action. The only references on those first two days about politics were from the older generation: Graham Nash's Songs for Beginners album had several moving political songs and Judy Collins Resist Necklace. It felt like a real opportunity in both the HighWomen and the Female Collaboration to directly address issues of equal pay and the lack of female headliners at festivals but the message was fairly anodyne if delivered at all.
It wasn't until Our Native Daughters that it started to come more explicitly. And it came strong and people were on their feet shouting Amen. It carried over into If I Had A Song as well. So, there was some recovery on this front. Of course, this also could be just the fluke of the artists I selected. I didn't see the Warren Haynes set which sounded like it had some of what I am talking about.
That being said, I have some ideas for next year:
- Next year, instead of (or in addition to) having the artists select an organization to donate to, have them put out a call to action. For example, Lukas Nelson calls to action by raising awareness around the struggle of illegal immigrants. Phil Cook calls to action to plant community gardens. Brandi Carlisle calls you to enable music education for girls. Then, we, as fans, can take the action and send in our stories to the foundation. These stories can be featured on the screens between performances. The artists can share their favorite stories during their sets. Hell, they can even invite fans up on stage that went above and beyond. Then we can all have something more to talk to each other about when we are holed up in the holding pen before the running of the folk.
- Next year, similar to the series of Mavis birthday party shows, they should have a series of shows in swing states on Saturday's with special recognition of some sort for anyone who was out registering folks to vote during the day.
- Add a day of action before or after the fest where folks (including artists) engage in political activism... letter writing, phone banking, etc.. It would be exciting to phone bank alongside Phil Cook and would help build the community at the festival. - This is one of my favorite. "Folk the Polls"...Call on volunteers around the country to arrange a day of live performances at the polls on election day. Let's turn election day into a party with live music.
- For a special curated set, have it be "A letter to our current and future president". This doesn't have to name Trump in any explicit way and can be done every four years regardless of who is in office. But use the theme to bring people together to sing songs directed to who is in office today and who may be in office after the election. There are some great songs that come to mind. Anais Mitchell "Why do we build the wall", "Jumbo" - Punch Brothers, Kyle Craft's "Before the Wall", There are dozens more and more to come in the coming year.
- A similar curated set that honors the influence of music from immigrants Guantanamera, Slave rooted music, Irish, Italian, Scottish, Jewish, etc. Would love to see Rhiannon Giddens curate that set.
Some of these ideas could be unified under the theme of "Folk the Vote". Though they might have issues with the Rock the Vote org.
As I thought of these ideas I found myself getting really excited for some of them. Maybe I am asking too much of a music festival, but I already feel like it is about more than entertainment. It is a community and it has a set of shared values. Those values can be made more explicit and we can celebrate them together.
If Jay or any of the hardworking foundation folks are reading this, it doesn't have to be you who puts the volunteer stuff together. Just call on the community to self-organize with your implicit endorsement.
Some other feedback that we thought of that isn't as cohesive or well thought out:
The rules (Be Open, Be Present, Be Kind, Be Together) are great. Really great. Maybe they already do this, but it would be good for these to be shared with the artists and their guests as well. We should think of it as a shared compact between us all. The best performances are when the artist brings their heart to it. This is what makes Newport completely different from any other event. Was frustrating to see so many people in the fort balconies and sides with their phones out during the sets. Would love to see the festival expand on the 'no phones out' message. Jay said it in his pre-fest speeches, but it should be on signs and repeated.
Also, while we are on the topic, tell people to be kind to short people in the fort pit. I am average but see so many tall dudes in the front that are completely oblivious to the short women behind them. This was particularly offensive during the Saturday night set.
Get Jay a better megaphone for his pre-fest speech.
Aftershow ticket sales were really frustrating. They all sold out while the system was glitchy in about ten minutes. Is there a better way?
I know the festival is doing more than other festivals to fight ticket resellers, but it still feels like the crowd is mostly one of relative privilege. It is expensive to stay in Newport that weekend so even if tickets are relatively affordable, the event itself is an indulgence that many can't afford. Can more be done to diversify and make it more accessible? One idea is to honor the regions best music teachers by giving them free passes.
I love the festival. I obsess over it a little too much but it feels like one of the few areas where genuine magic happens in real life. Let's all do our part to keep making it special.
Post by straineryou on Jul 31, 2019 14:23:28 GMT -5
Very thoughtful reflection. IMHO, politics are divisive and should stay out of the festival. I love the focus on the festival as a community and community action. And I really love the idea of the multi-cultural sets.
1) The Highwomen 2) Jupiter and Okwess 3) Ruston Kelly 4) Dawes 5) Billy and Molly 6) The Collaboration 7) If I Had a Song 8) Lucy Dacus 9) JS Ondara 10) The O'My's
Surprisingly, I didn't see a bad set all weekend. I had mentioned my disappointment in Kacey's set. I was also underimpressed by Phil's set.
Last Edit: Jul 31, 2019 15:43:08 GMT -5 by k2b - Back to Top
Post by martiancat on Jul 31, 2019 15:42:22 GMT -5
I completely agree with increasing the political mindedness of Newport. It’s just kind of hokey to have a set like A change is gonna come but to completely de-fang it. Are their people at Newport that support using racist rhetoric to garner votes or to demonize immigrants? People that think Brandi shouldn’t be allowed to marry whom she loves nor for them to raise children together? That people in a position of power are outright lying to people to take advantage of them? The point isn’t to shake these people. Just to voice support for the people that need support. And if viewers are offended by these ideas, then maybe that’s on them, but if it helps to broaden a mind then that’s what counts. At the very least, if you’re going to sing a song like Jumbo or A Hard Rain is Gonna Fall, don’t be coy. Speak out. Use your platform. Otherwise it’s just a sea of white people buying beers and t shirts and feeling vaguely self-righteous. So I hope that it continues to be a bit outspoken, but if not, I kind of want it to just knock off the talk completely. Half asking it somehow seems like the worst option.
One of the best sets I’ve seen at Newport was with Billy Bragg the year Trump was elected and he was very vocal, very concrete (none of this vague, poetic, “garden” stuff) and it was so powerful it’s the only set that ever brought me to tears. I’m not thinking every act needs to bring that mentality, but some goes a long way.
Very thoughtful reflection. IMHO, politics are divisive and should stay out of the festival. I love the focus on the festival as a community and community action. And I really love the idea of the multi-cultural sets.
I don't know; folk has always been a politically-infused genre. Woody Guthrie's guitar didn't say "This machine is neutral when it comes to fascism."
I suppose politics are divisive, but if your take is that things like human rights and trying to protect the environment are political footballs, I don't know - an event whose patron saint is Pete Seeger maybe isn't the place to be.
Very thoughtful reflection. IMHO, politics are divisive and should stay out of the festival. I love the focus on the festival as a community and community action. And I really love the idea of the multi-cultural sets.
I don't know; folk has always been a politically-infused genre. Woodie Guthrie's guitar didn't say "This machine is neutral when it comes to fascism."
I suppose politics are divisive, but if your take is that things like human rights and trying to protect the environment are political footballs, I don't know - an event whose patron saint is Pete Seeger maybe isn't the place to be.
Agreed. It would be weird to see politics withheld from festivals like Newport and Afropunk.
I think Newport should be unapologetically okay with being political. The modern popular folk music revolution in this country started with the labor and union movements. It's roots themselves are political.
Went in mid-afternoon this year both friday and sunday so took advantage of the off-hour bus rides. Both rides and a few times while waiting for fuds/Dels and entry, had the unpleasure of groups of younger males, clearly intoxicated, and talking non-festival crap (loudly). The latter being the eesh part. Felt in-my-face that these gents were just there to be there (or the beer pier) like a county fair rather then for all that is NFF. Made me a bit sad that folks that really want to be there get shut out to peeps that don't appear to give two sh8ts about the music. (Not meaning to single out a demographic-it's just what i observed.) Thankfully most are there for the love of music.
Excellent post by JB. But this is where I want to simply say thank you again to Dolly. You hear stories about where her head and heart truly are, and she does so much in so many ways, that while her appearing at Newport is not exactly the Dixie Chicks speaking out, and won't muss anyone's hair because she defrays so well (I don't know much about politics, but those darn kids are singing their hearts out and how could you not want to visit Rhode Island). Dolly used a very well-honed, polished "machine" to make a quiet statement statement to the country music crowd. For some performers, being at Newport, often for a huge discount, or free, being their is their statement. For many, talking is uneasy, so they let their music do it.
Ditto on more social action, teach-ins perhaps off the grounds, or in the museum. But remember, American folk music has been political; world folk music is often simply about people sharing experiences. And that's fine with me.
But we sure as hell will need something next year!
Went in mid-afternoon this year both friday and sunday so took advantage of the off-hour bus rides. Both rides and a few times while waiting for fuds/Dels and entry, had the unpleasure of groups of younger males, clearly intoxicated, and talking non-festival crap (loudly). The latter being the eesh part. Felt in-my-face that these gents were just there to be there (or the beer pier) like a county fair rather then for all that is NFF. Made me a bit sad that folks that really want to be there get shut out to peeps that don't appear to give two sh8ts about the music. (Not meaning to single out a demographic-it's just what i observed.) Thankfully most are there for the love of music.
Also saw some drunken sods whom I think snuck in from their boats. Not only unpleasant, but considering what happened in California on Sunday -- and seeing those surgical field MASH-type tents strewn across the hills walking back to Lot 4 -- I now understand why security needs to be tight, including along the shore.
Wouldn't be surprised if there had been threats. Man, surgical tents outside the NFF. What is happening to us?
Post by martiancat on Jul 31, 2019 17:28:33 GMT -5
My first thought, after seeing the heightened security on Sunday, had also been that a threat had been made of the police had some sort of tip. I hate that this is my first thought when something like extra bag checks happen but it’s the truth. Then to learn that an attack had occurred at at a Garlic festival elsewhere was heartbreaking.
On a much lighter note: did anyone else notice a ton of dogs at the festival on Sunday? Especially on the beer pier? Some dogs were clearly service animals, but there was a ton that just seemed to be roaming around. I didn’t think they allowed emotional support animals but I’m wondering if I’m mistaken? I love dogs, so this isn’t a complaint, I’m just curious. Although the cynical part of me wondered if it was just people that had kayaked or boated over and snuck in.
