Festivals all come at once. It’s the busy season for this Minnesota cover band! Fortunately for this week, it was two local festivals on opposite sides of the metro.
Chaska River City Days wasn’t new to us. It was our second year there, but first time we’ve played on the Friday. Don, Billie and crew welcomed us with Ham/ Pear/ Cheese sandwiches and mac n cheese from the food trucks. They moved and expanded the stage area and were really catering to the entertainment. It was a humid evening. The crowd milled in and out and Cicero (our superfan) bought glow sticks for the kids. They danced until dusk and then only the hearty were left! But enthusiastic. That’s what we love. The spirit in the people there. We dedicated songs to those long-lasting fans and closed out the night sweaty, but happy.
Slice of Shoreview was new to us. Steve, one of the main organizers, brought his “Minnie Winnie” Winnebago to the backstage and made it into an air-conditioned green room complete with water and snacks. We needed the respite as temperatures hit 90 degrees during the day. The evening started pleasantly with families in chairs and kids tumbling on the wooden dancefloor. It was after dark when the teens and adults took over. During Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” the dancefloor packed to beyond capacity. There were dance contests, acrobatics, crowd surfing. The crowd jumped feverishly to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and kept their intensity going until we had to stop for the National Anthem. Beth sang it a cappella, and surprisingly, the crowd calmed to a dull roar and joined in the singing. Perfectly timed ending for Steve radioed the fireworks committee to begin at the end of the song…. And the crowd went wild.
What a weekend.