Band wifing

People lining up to get in before their set. 

This weekend The Band and Its Wives journeyed downstate to that festival they won the opportunity to play at a few weeks ago. (I wrote about all that at the bottom of this post.) From meeting in a diner parking lot at 7am on a Saturday to discovering the band tent full of fresh fruit, snacks, and cold beer, the whole day was full of new experiences.
We arrived at the fest at about 8:30. Tumbleweed Highway didn't start until noon, and already people were lining up. The guys went off to load their gear. Wait, scratch that. The guys went off to direct the hired crew where to put their gear. This was the first time ever Patrick did not have to hoist his 75-lb pedal steel onto stage himself. The wives investigated hospitality, where we had access to three free very tasty meals, clean, well-lighted bathrooms, and our own private tent, as mentioned above.

The band tent at hospitality.

We could all get used to this kind of treatment.

The guys on stage.

We had access to the VIP section, where we could watch their set.

The crowd. 

I couldn't believe how many people were there. The guys are used to playing for maybe 450 people at a good bar gig or a well-attended upstate festival. But this was unreal. And they were on the JumboTron. Unreal. 
We spent most of the rest of the day hanging out in our band tent, or on the deck nearby, from which we could hear the main stage perfectly, and look down upon The Masses, and generally feel special. 
I was able to persuade Patrick to ride the chair lift with me. The fest was at a ski resort, so-- of course-- the lift was open for joy rides. Pretty neat.

We were here.

This band-wifing business sure has its perks. 
I don't always love that Patrick has weekend commitments most weekends of the year, I don't always love his rehearsal schedule. But in the end, this passion of his adds so much interest to our lives-- he has funny stories to tell when he comes home from those weekend gigs, and sometimes not-so-funny stories, but still, stories. Life with a musician will never be boring, and for that I am so thankful. 

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