Day 2 working the balloon chain! Look how enamored the crowd was with the balloons. LOVE! We take the same shifts as yesterday, making the first chains to fly. It is 100 degrees. It’s hot, but we’re inspired! We meet tons of people. And…it’s the big night where we see Beyonce. All hail Queen B!!!
We go to the grounds early. Because we have artist’s wristbands, we can get into this VIP rose garden. There is food. And fancy toilets. YES.
Another day, another jumpsuit. The gardenerd in me is going nuts in this place.
It’s hot AF. We stop here in the shade and watch a set by Declan McKenna. They have a pretty good song on WFUV. See below.
Then it is our shift! Time to blow them up and send them out. Ben, the master, sets us up. We use my wingspan again as the distance between the balloons. I am honored when I look at the sky! Nile Rodgers and Chic accompany us. Everyone is singing along as there are so many hits! These are such good times!
We end our shift with this silliness. Now time to explore and catch a few bands.
Our friend Anna Hecker’s book. We flashed it around and took photos. A teen novel about a girl who falls in love with a DJ.
Randy Polumbo’s glorious and gorgeous piece Lodestar made of a plane! Balloon Chain in background. <3
Beloved David Byrne. Wow, so good!!! Happy vibes. Cohesive show. And the oldest crowd gathered that I saw (30-50). I loved they all wore the same thing and had their instruments attached to their bodies. Intense and fun choreography!
A small sample I caught of David Byrne:
The sun set. It was absolute perfection. We were dancing with our neighbors and all beaming with sheer happiness. David Byrne played on.
After the set, we happily, randomly, bumped into Sonia. Serendipitous kismet! We walked around then it was time for our shift. We worked during the sets from Fleet Foxes and Alt-J. Bliss. Have you heard this song (below) from Alt-J? Chill-worthy. Especially live in an open field! Romeo and Juliet inspired.
Then it is time to see the Queen. Confession: I have a candle with her name on it. I was on my own to see this. And did not have the energy to fight the crowds and get real close. But her show was extraordinary. A+. Top of her game. The pyramid set up! Her voice! Her dance off with Solange! I was blown away by her absolute perfection in performance. So much so that a kid barfed on my butt (luckily I stepped away or it would have been worse), and I CHOSE to stay for the whole show. Dedicated!!!! (Photo by Kevin Winter)
My candle at home to honor Queen B.
A sample. I love when artists sing riffs of other artist’s songs.
Then it was camp duties at 1:15am. And back to base camp. Again, so exhausted, that I happily fell asleep to loud camp Karaoke! I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar!
5
2 Comments
Such a grand day. It was so much fun to work the balloon chain with you.
oh my goodness! what a day. david byrne looks fantastic and sounds exactly the same! that airplane is amazing! and i dont understand…did you bring your friends book to promote it? read it yet? sounds like a good story. ILY!