Sappyfest 8: Shotgun Jimmie

Sappyfest 8

Sackville, NB

Aug.3, 2013

One of the highlights of this year's Sappyfest was Shotgun Jimmie's set.  If you see him playing in your area, do yourself a favour and check him out.  Great stage presence, consistently well crafted lyrics, he's a solid live performer.  He did not disappoint that night!  Here's hoping that Sappyfest comes back next summer, fingers crossed!

Sappyfest 8: Long Shadows

Sappyfest 8

Sackville, NB

Ah, Sappyfest.....how I miss thee.   

Shot this one while waiting for scrumptious fish tacos from the Everyday Food Truck.  

Sappyfest 8: Step Right Up!

Sappyfest 8

Sackville, NB

Aug. 3, 2013

This collection of carnival games was a fundraiser for Struts & Faucet.  At first their were adults in those booths but eventually they were taken over by kids...except for the 'Shot in the Dark' booth which involved a toy gun.  That one had an adult in it all weekend. ^_^   

It was hilarious to watch the kids hustle the passing crowds, trying to get them to play their games.  The kids are all right!

Sappyfest 8: So many loafers

Sackville, NS

Aug. 4, 2013

Living outside of 'the city', I am blissfully unaware of the latest fashion trends.  Here's what the hipster set seem to dig:

• Loafers for the gents
• High waisted short shorts for the ladies.

Best twitter comment of the weekend courtesy of @dropthebeat, an accurate summary:  

"Sappyfest fashion tip.  My mom in 1992"

If we regress any further it's going to be stirrup pants and gummy shoes for everyone!  *shudders*

Sappyfest 8: It's only a flesh wound!

Sappyfest 8

Sackville, NS

Aug. 4, 2013

Sappyfest 8

Sackville, NS

Aug. 4, 2013

Cardboard knight battles and bicycle jousting were on offer at this free patch of grass off the Bridge St..  The bicycle jousting was very fun, I'm sure the paper horse head on the bike improved my performance. ;-)

I'm glad we took Andrew up on his offer to "suit up".  I wonder if the young onlookers enjoyed the show as much as those who participated?  Too cool for school, I guess.

Infinity Bridge

Confederation Bridge

Somewhere over the Gulf of St. Lawrence

March 2, 2013

A foggy bridge crossing made for a neat infinity effect.  Man, that bridge seems to go on forever!  Doesn't help matters when you can't see the end of the structure, nor much over the side.  Those concrete walls are the perfect height to shield most car drivers from the 'dangerous' view over the side.

Sappyfest 7: Backyard BBQ

Sappyfest 2012

Sackville, NB

Aug. 4, 2012

A candid shot from the backyard gig at Sappyfest 7.  Thanks to the president of Mount A. for letting us use the space!  The cool, soft grass and shade from the nearby trees were enjoyed by all in attendance....gad damn it was hot.

Sappyfest: Hiding from the sun

Sappyfest 2012

Sackville, NB

Aug. 5, 2012

This image was taken on a very, very hot Sunday in August.  As you can see, folks were scrambling for any available shade, especially the small group in the foreground.  It's hard to see, but in the background there is also a large crowd hiding under the shade of a tree.

It was the heat that eventually broke me that day and left me scurrying to the dehumidified coolness of my car as I drove back to the South Shore thinking of diving into the cold Atlantic ocean...

Return to Sappyfest 2012

Sappyfest Main Tent

Sackville, NB

Aug. 4, 2012

The warm weather this weekend put me in a summer mood, thought this shot of Sappyfest music lovers wearing shorts might help you remember the glorious month that was August.  Actually, July was pretty awesome as well!

My only complaint from this year's iteration of Sappyfest, no charcoal bbq pits!  FOR SHAME!

The Sappyfest Chronicles

Oh Sappyfest...you came and went like a pleasant daydream.  Wait, was it a dream?  No, it was real...I have the blisters on my feet to prove it.

Sappyfest is the only music festival on my radar these days.  It's within a 4 hour drive from my house, the crowd is there (mostly) to listen to music and I only recognize 3 or 4 of the bands in the lineup.

Sappyfest:  your port-a-potties were air freshened with well cured sinsemilla smoke rather than ammonia pucks.  Your festival guide told me to accept lineup changes:  "things change, get over it".  I did.

The drive to Sackville was hopeful, filled with anticipation.  This was my second foray into the fest' that is sappy so I had a vague idea of what, when and where to expect it.  

The air on the highway was hot and the windows were down.  I'm sure I wasn't the only driver who had a Don Quixote moment when passing the large wind power array at the NS/NB border.  

Once I crossed the Tantramar marshes (it was just like the Sappy Times handout said....utter those words like a mystical incantation:  tantramar marshes, tantramar marshes, tantramar marshes), it was as if I had entered Mordor.  Epic cumulus clouds and sunny skies were replaced with a thick blanket of grey fog that enshrouded my home away from home.  At the time, I thought I wanted more sun.  As it turns out, I didn't know what I wanted.

Skip ahead to the last day of the festival.  I sat in a shady corner of a parking lot, enjoying the support of the soft driver's seat in my car.  I felt like I was drowning.  It's not the heat, it's the humidity.  Actually, it was everything.  A weekend of sensory overload.  I was suffering from hipster fatigue.

I bolted.  

Staying in Sackville for another 4 hours quickly started to feel like getting up for work after a heavenly and relaxing long weekend.  I started assessing my festival experience the way day traders perform a price/earnings ratio analysis of stocks and bonds.  I realized how Sappy happy I felt.  I stopped thinking about getting my money's worth from my ticket the way ravenous diners approach a cheap buffet.

I couldn't stay any longer, so I didn't.  I escaped.

I fueled up my body and my car and hit the road.  I gave my new Eternal Summers cd a test run as I had another Don Quixote moment.  I was awake, alert and happy to be driving.  Maybe I was just happy to be in a comfortable, air conditioned seat.  

I ran.  I ran back to my cosy Lunenburg county home.  I ran back to the chilly embrace of my familiar Atlantic ocean.

I was happy to see a thick bank of fog greeting me as I crossed the county line.  I rolled down the windows.  I inhaled and exhaled.  I cooled down.

Thank you, Sappyfest.  See you next year.

(more pics and stories to follow)

Sappyfest 2011

This summer was my first visit to Sappyfest, certainly not my last. It was an incredible weekend, a great lineup of musicians, attentive audience (there for the music, not just to party) and friendly folk all around.

I didn't take many pictures that weekend, except for this one.

Shot across the street from my car, this nondescript strip of pavement quickly became an impromptu hangout and camping spot for festival goers.

This group of music fans, sitting on the stairs behind an permanently parked tractor trailer...painting and/or drawing in the warm afternoon on Sunday....pretty much sums up my Sappy experience.

I was impressed by the lack of hassle by the cops, especially with so much open alcohol in plain view. Also, Sackville bylaw enforcement appeared to turn a blind eye to the folks who were camping in the narrow strip of grass behind this parking lot. A refreshing change.