This weekend I checked out LouFest with Karen and if you're not interested and stop right here, that's a-ok, but just read it was amazing. Great music. Great people. Great atmosphere. Great weather. Bam. (Now feel free to scroll to the bottom for the photos.)
For the longer version:
Karen & I pretty much share zero interests.
This means anytime we hang out together compromising is a necessity.
That's what happened last weekend.
*I was pretty excited about LouFest's line-up and back in May asked Karen to come with me if I went to StL for it. (Sososo many of my favs played.) She said she'd go even though she heard of 2 bands.
*I also picked the Saturday brunch location.
*I suggested getting standing room tickets to the Cardinals game Friday night. Then I realized they're playing the Pirates and figured it'd be pretty popular (we were racing them for the #1 spot) so I asked Karen to pick-up some coupons from a gas station that has 50% off coupons in StL. She looked it up & I was all for standing room, but she was so excited about the all-inclusive areas. I was all excited about seeing Joe Kelly pitch.
So you're starting to think I planned the whole weekend & it was all about me. (I may have even said Sunday she should bring a lunch since we wouldn't have time to walk over to the "Nosh Pit." Yeah, I said that.) I was starting to think that too and that's where we always have trouble. I took a breath and said, "You plan Friday night. Whatever you want to do, I will."
She planned Friday night. And I got to plan Saturday and Sunday.
Enter our weekend!
Brunch: Rooster
After a delicious brunch... time for the main event!
The line-up. Oh the line-up:
The Killers * Wilco * Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros * Brick + Mortar * Jim James * Wild Belle * The National * Toro Y Moi * Desert Noises * Fitz and the Tantrums * Ra Ra Riot * Space Capone * Trampled by the Turtles * Robert DeLong * MODOC * J. Roddy Walston & the Business * Jukebox the Ghost * Kentucky Knife Fight * Alabama Shakes * Icona Pop * Wild Club * Local Natives * Walk the Moon * Tef Poe * Court Yard Hounds * Twin Shadow * Andrea Davidson * Youngblood Hawke * The Mowgli's * The Lonely Biscuits
bolded are the bands we got to see
The majority of the bands we saw I really wanted to see and I got to check out a few new favs too.
They had a program if you collected a bag (insert: BIG) of recycling they would give you a free tshirt. I mean, I probably would have done it without the tshirt. I do think I got a work out as the bag became quite heavy. Karen helped pick-up the forgotten bottles on the ground and I pretty much just walked around with the bag as bands finished and made friends. (Everyone was very appreciative. One guy literally patted me on the back.)
Before we headed over to LouFest Sunday, Karen & I went to go buy her some fruit (on my insistence). She was pretty sick and I was dead set on her eating an orange.
Convo:
Me: How you feeling today?
Karen: My feet hurt. I'm sick. I'm still tired. I'm burnt. How about you?
Me: I feel refreshed, rested, my feet don't hurt anymore. I'm ready for another day!
Then as we walked to the gate (and it literally stopped raining at 11:45 with a 12:15 start - can't ask for more than that) I started skipping and jumping up and down clapping and said "I'm. So. Excited!"
Karen just laughed.
(I do think she was a bit happier during Day 2 with her little chair. She'd sit and I would stand next to her.)
I saw the drummer from Walk the Moon walking around the fest and I almost said how excited I was to see their set, but then didn't want to bother him. I don't know any musicians or know if they like being called out all the time or if they want to just blend. Oh well.
I also saw one of the lead singers from The Mowgli's during Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, but there he was clearly wanting to listen to music so I knew to leave him alone. That one was an easy decision.
LouFest did such a great job! I mean in all aspects! Plenty of bathrooms. Everything vegetarian was marked (and there were a bunch of options). Focus on local. Amazing water filling station (I do wish it was dead center, rather than off to the side, but it was still amazing).
I wasn't necessarily a huge fan of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (until now), man they killed it. To quote a random guy we walked by: "They killed it. F**k the killers. Let's hear another set from them!" Seriously listening to "Home" could have been the perfect ending to LouFest. (The Killers were good too, their cover of "I think we're alone now" was so perfect.)
They kept it local! Which I was a super fan of!
And the trend to have a strengthening sense of dread increase as Sunday night begins and the next week looms so closely continues... sigh
Oh well.
Took my 6am flight back to reality with wonderful music still bouncing around in my head. The airport was packed! Good thing I'm A-list & jumped the security line with the suited men.
Absolutely worth it!
As I kept repeating to Karen all weekend: This is a no judgement zone.
And I think this was my official end to summer. Good bye summer 2013.
I'm so excited to scrapbook this (with many more details than this)!
 |
| ohhhhh we were so grateful for the clouds in 95ºs (there weren't many on Saturday) |
Karen & I pretty much share zero interests.
This means anytime we hang out together compromising is a necessity.
That's what happened last weekend.
*I was pretty excited about LouFest's line-up and back in May asked Karen to come with me if I went to StL for it. (Sososo many of my favs played.) She said she'd go even though she heard of 2 bands.
*I also picked the Saturday brunch location.
*I suggested getting standing room tickets to the Cardinals game Friday night. Then I realized they're playing the Pirates and figured it'd be pretty popular (we were racing them for the #1 spot) so I asked Karen to pick-up some coupons from a gas station that has 50% off coupons in StL. She looked it up & I was all for standing room, but she was so excited about the all-inclusive areas. I was all excited about seeing Joe Kelly pitch.
So you're starting to think I planned the whole weekend & it was all about me. (I may have even said Sunday she should bring a lunch since we wouldn't have time to walk over to the "Nosh Pit." Yeah, I said that.) I was starting to think that too and that's where we always have trouble. I took a breath and said, "You plan Friday night. Whatever you want to do, I will."
She planned Friday night. And I got to plan Saturday and Sunday.
Enter our weekend!
 |
| i sat in seat 19! (the 19th's my bday) it was fireworks friday... and we won! |
after we went to the Flying Saucer
one of those million draft places
I had a Perennial Saison for a total of $4!
Brunch: Rooster
Just as I finished talking with Karen about how nice everyone was in St. Louis we look over and two tables across the walkway started talking. One table started putting some dishes on the other table for them to try. Then before you know it, us and the table next to us are all drawn into the 4 table conversation. Nice.
The line-up. Oh the line-up:
The Killers * Wilco * Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros * Brick + Mortar * Jim James * Wild Belle * The National * Toro Y Moi * Desert Noises * Fitz and the Tantrums * Ra Ra Riot * Space Capone * Trampled by the Turtles * Robert DeLong * MODOC * J. Roddy Walston & the Business * Jukebox the Ghost * Kentucky Knife Fight * Alabama Shakes * Icona Pop * Wild Club * Local Natives * Walk the Moon * Tef Poe * Court Yard Hounds * Twin Shadow * Andrea Davidson * Youngblood Hawke * The Mowgli's * The Lonely Biscuits
bolded are the bands we got to see
The majority of the bands we saw I really wanted to see and I got to check out a few new favs too.
They had a program if you collected a bag (insert: BIG) of recycling they would give you a free tshirt. I mean, I probably would have done it without the tshirt. I do think I got a work out as the bag became quite heavy. Karen helped pick-up the forgotten bottles on the ground and I pretty much just walked around with the bag as bands finished and made friends. (Everyone was very appreciative. One guy literally patted me on the back.)
Before we headed over to LouFest Sunday, Karen & I went to go buy her some fruit (on my insistence). She was pretty sick and I was dead set on her eating an orange.
 |
| yes, my apple was probably the size of a head it was honeycrisp though... hello fall |
Me: How you feeling today?
Karen: My feet hurt. I'm sick. I'm still tired. I'm burnt. How about you?
 |
| yes, my dear sister got quite a burn in the intense sun of day 1 |
Then as we walked to the gate (and it literally stopped raining at 11:45 with a 12:15 start - can't ask for more than that) I started skipping and jumping up and down clapping and said "I'm. So. Excited!"
Karen just laughed.
(I do think she was a bit happier during Day 2 with her little chair. She'd sit and I would stand next to her.)
I saw the drummer from Walk the Moon walking around the fest and I almost said how excited I was to see their set, but then didn't want to bother him. I don't know any musicians or know if they like being called out all the time or if they want to just blend. Oh well.
 |
| you can call me a creeper for this one. i didn't want to take a photo of him while he was walking by so i waited until he passed |
 |
| Yeah, we got to Walk the Moon early to be close and this fan painted SO many faces. Props to you fellow fan! |
 |
| what up walk the moon |
 |
| nice photo @jessloofer |
I wasn't necessarily a huge fan of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (until now), man they killed it. To quote a random guy we walked by: "They killed it. F**k the killers. Let's hear another set from them!" Seriously listening to "Home" could have been the perfect ending to LouFest. (The Killers were good too, their cover of "I think we're alone now" was so perfect.)
They kept it local! Which I was a super fan of!
 |
| we were pretty big fans of the Kölsch which was pretty light and summery it sold out... quickly |
 |
| moving on to the Hefeweizen |
Day 1 - Dressel's Pub Vegetarian Banger (yum!) | Day 2 - Cleveland-Health Home Grown Tomato & Quinoa Salad (also very delicious)
And it was all reasonably priced!
Speaking of local places. The Market Square had a bunch of small businesses, mostly local, too. I even bought a poster from Colette Paperie! And I laughed out loud at many of her cards as Karen took a seat on the lawn. "Ok, you enjoy yourself looking at cards, I'm going to go have a seat right there." :) |
| Ra Ra Riot! |
Oh well.
Took my 6am flight back to reality with wonderful music still bouncing around in my head. The airport was packed! Good thing I'm A-list & jumped the security line with the suited men.
Absolutely worth it!
As I kept repeating to Karen all weekend: This is a no judgement zone.
I'm so excited to scrapbook this (with many more details than this)!
 |
| thanks CK you were a sport! |
Haha, I just figured you were being a good Samaritan and helping out with the recycle bag - but I'm glad you also got a t-shirt out of it. That's a clever idea - more festivals should do that!
ReplyDeleteit was genius. not only was it recycling, but it kept the areas clean and safe. I mean, you can't put a recycling container in the middle of the crowd... that would get knocked down immediately.
Delete