[img_assist|nid=437|title=Family Force 5|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=144|height=212]Rain.
Regular festival attendees like myself know that it is rare to experience Creation East without some rain. But right now, my fellow villagers are working out how to dry off belongings that are wet and keep the rest dry. Sleeping arrangements have been changed due to leaky wet tents. Scattered showers dampened the evening.
[img_assist|nid=430|title=Village at Creation|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=126|height=184]Sweat and dirt.
Setting up the campsite at Creation is a good way to submerge oneself into what will become normal by the end of the week. Experiencing the sweat of a humid summer afternoon is not always the norm here at Agape Farm in Pennsylvania. But it is common. Today was a prime example. Add the dust and dirt flying off the myriad of roads and paths, and you will know you have made it to Creation East.
[img_assist|nid=428|title=Crowd at Creation fest|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=122|height=170]
Some people ask me if I am going to Creation this year. My normal reply - "Is the sky blue?" Yes it is true that other festivals such as Cornerstone may fit my musical tastes better.
Yes, we admit, the album reviews here at inReview have been lacking lately. We hope that will change soon. It is not because the albums have stopped coming to our door. No, in fact the pile continues to grow.
Until I attended the GMA awards as a member of the press for the first time three years ago, I did not pay much attention to the awards. I do remember listening to the awards on the radio for a portion of the evening while I was driving around. It has been several years since that sort of live broadcast has been made available. And by the time the event is shown on television months later, in May and June, I have lost interest.
I generally don't join in on the latest trend as fast as others around me. Some people may determine I am not "cool" because I don't always dress or talk in a way that is popular. And I am OK with that. Eventually, if I can see practical value in a trend, I may join in. And once in a while I like what happens to be the current trend. For instance, camo seems to be all over the clothing stores. And I admit, I recently purchased a few articles of clothing with the camo theme. But I like camo even when it is not popular.
I am what many consider a huge fan of Switchfoot. And to be clear, I did not join the bandwagon when The Beautiful Letdown was released in 2003. I have enjoyed the surfer dude's music from the very first time I saw them live in 1997. Friends first began to describe me as a fan about the time I first talked with the guys at length in 2000. And if you ask the likes of Katers, Sharon, JohnnyUps, or gotswitchfoot?
So today is the release of the long anticipated Leeland CD. I have had a pre-release copy since I was introduced to the band at GMA week in April. But since then, I have been promoting this new band from TX using my own little street team. Me. It helps to be a youth group leader. Stick the kids in my car, hit play, and introduce them to some good new music. Experiencing good new music is so rare these days. But I digress...
I have been attending music festivals for well, let's just say many years. And more recently I have worked as a volunteer for most of the festivals I have attended. With that, I have learned to appreciate all that goes in to putting on such an event. Plus, the more engrossed I become in the music industry, the more I understand what is involved in the making of a festival.