California Roots Festival @ Monterey Fairgrounds

[Drunk Monk]

My entire crew save 2 people are positive or had recovered just prior to CR. 

Make that one. Just one unscathed. My krew is only a dozen vols but it sux.

I heard from someone in self care. Their entire crew is positive except for one too. Damn.

[Drunk Monk]

I'm just grateful - SO GRATEFUL - that I don't have covid. Gotta give it a few days to be sure, tho...

I am no longer grateful. I should be at Stanford's Frost right now, listening to Phil play live. But no, I'm self quarantined. Fuck covid.

[Drunk Monk]

I've never worked Lightning in a Bottle because like BottleRock, it always coincides with CR. I've been invited. I think Zendo does it. 

[b]"Lightning in a Bottle"attendee speaks after festival deaths[/b]

---

by David Kaplan
Friday, June 3rd 2022



Lightning in a Bottle.PNG

[email=?subject=%22Lightning%20in%20a%20Bottle%22attendee%20speaks%20after%20festival%20deaths&body=Here%20is%20a%20bakersfieldnow.com%20article%20that%20you%20might%20like%20%0A%0Ahttps://bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/2-dead-24-taken-to-the-hospital-during-the-5-day-lightning-in-a-bottle-event][/email]

BUENA VISTA LAKE, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A "Lightning in a Bottle" event attendee who did not want to be identified said he got to the music festival at Buena Vista Lake, 13 miles from Taft, last Friday. By Saturday he was feeling dehydrated.
"Every other festival I've been too there's either water for sale or there's free water refill stations. This festival hardly had either," the Lightning in a Bottle attendee, said. "I couldn't find any water for sale, lot of alcohol for sale and they had one spicket for water, which looked like something you would clean your feet with. That was the only place you could get a coup and fill up water," he said.
He says he asked a bartender for ice, they said no. Then he asked if he could buy ice, but it was refused. Then he asked if he could buy ice but was refused.
He says a convenience store was selling ice for $15, but it was a 20 to 30 minute walk from all the dancing areas and the line was another half an hour wait.
He then went to the medical tent after feeling dehydrated.
"I was met rudely by one of the staff members who said we provide ice, you can buy that for $15 a bag, there is water refill, you can find that and you can go ask a bartender for a cup, so we are providing those amenities, there's no excuse," the Lightning in a Bottle attendee, said.
He says he then walked off the premises until he found a mini mart that had cold water and Gatorade. He then decided to leave the festival two days early.
The Kern County Fire Department announced over the five-day festival there were 30 emergency calls, 24 people transported to the hospital and two deaths.
The deaths were from what is being called "acute medical emergency".
Lighting in a Bottle event organizers gave Eyewitness News this statement:
"We are heartbroken to make our community aware of two medical emergencies that occurred in the Lightning in a Bottle campgrounds over the weekend that resulted in loss of life."
"Our deepest condolences are with the loved ones of these individuals. We grieve with you as members of this community..."
"My response to that is don't grieve. Grieving isn't caring. Take action, make changes, care, to make sure that this doesn't happen again," Lightning In A Bottle Attendee, said.
Lightning in A Bottle is not a new festival, but is newer to Kern County, first coming in 2019.
More than 27,000 people were right here last weekend.
The man says as it continues to grow, things need to change, to ensure everyone walks out safely.

[cranefly]

Ouch.

[Drunk Monk]

Cut off my wristband finally

That was the longest I’ve kept one on

Despite Covid, CRXI was epically irie. I will return next year. It feels like it was all worth it in the end for what it did to rejuvenate my spirit.

[Drunk Monk]

Cali Roots just announced that 2023 will go 4 days again. 

Hopefully without Covid

[Greg]

That would be better.

[Drunk Monk]

WU TANG WU TANG WU TANG

[King Bob]

Wu-Tang are busy - doing both that at Bottle Rock.

And I forgot about Matisyahu.

[Drunk Monk]

Some of the Marley sons did the same thing a while back - The CR-BR is a good way to make the most of Memorial Day weekend whilst on tour. I'm just hoping my ol' contacts to the RZA are still good. I'd love to touch base with him again. 

Matisyahu is ok. He's got a decent range of reggae, dancehall, hip hop, & beat box. He's grown past his gimmick to be a competant musician. He's not stellar but I'd try to catch his set if it isn't too much trouble.

[Drunk Monk]

Listening to the KKUP reggae show and starting to shift gears from TCEC to CR here and upon reviewing this here thread, I realized this will be my 10 year anniversary of working this festival. 

That's just crazy. Time is weird.

[King Bob]

Was listening to 70s funk for the drive to SF and heard some Earth, Wind & Fire, and got the idea that Steel Pulse is like the Earth, Wind & Fire of reggae - smooth vocals and a slight jazzy edge to the music.

[Drunk Monk]

Just reread this whole thread. Such memories. I should take all these festival D00M journals, change the names to protect the guilty, and write the great American tripper novel.

Yeah, that was my plan at the beginning of thr pandemic. I even started on it but didn’t get far.

I’m packed for CR but I just realized that I packed for 3 days not 4 so I must add another change of underwear. Festival life demands fresh underwear daily. 

I’ve completed all my tasks for all my jobs through to 6/1. I’ll use tomorrow’s work time to get a little ahead.

Tomorrow I head to svale for the usual mom chores. Then Wednesday I come home, then head out to insert on site.

I’m grateful that TCEC & CR aren’t back to back anymore. Two weeks to catch my breath were welcome.

[Drunk Monk]

I heard back from RZA’s rep, Tamika. She gave me the name of another rep that’s currently on the road with him - SliceI emailed him with a pic of me and RZA at Wudangshan. We shall see.

[Drunk Monk]

I’m in. Tents in some prime real estate, darth positioned well, Slice got back to me.

Everything is fine. Sun came out.