Road Journal: 05/01/2008

8 Days In April Roundup

8 Days of sun. 8 days of great music and great people. 8 days of staying up too late. 8 days of jam sessions with musical cross-pollination between bands. 8 days of madness!

Whoo! Year one is under our belts, and the festival was a huge success. From a jam-packed kickoff party at Pink's Alley with comedian Greg Aidala, The Ritmo Collective and The Laura Thomas Band all the way through the final bash at The Bar & Grill (so full of dancers that the floor was shaking in rhythm) featuring The Old Silver Band and the always mind-blowing Spiritual Rez, this was truly and epic affair. And a week to remember. Or at least, remember most of...

Many, many thanks to all the people who made it possible - first and foremost, Jon Albee for having the vision and the chutzpah to see it through, Kenny, for allowing The Bar & Grill to be the central nervous system for the festival, Nancilee at Pink's Alley for a fabulous location with great vibes (and great food!) Mulligan's for hosting acoustic happy hour every night, Kyle, for setting all the musicians up with great lodging at The Avalanche Hotel, Porno Tongue for use of their sweet light rig, Chappy for doing an incredible job manning the light board, Jamie and Chakra 5 Sound for the fat system and Lucas for his infinite patience and endless energy running sound every night, our sponsors Budweiser and The Equinox Hotel, all the great musicians who brought the real magic to the week, and finally, everyone who came to one or all of the concerts for supporting live music!

A special humongous thank you to Howard, for being Howard. And for the hospitality. And the late night jam sessions...

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Next up for The Grift is our Southern Tour, Spring '08! Check our gigs list for particulars, but we'll be making our way from Alexandria, VA down through the Carolinas between May 9th and 21st, so if you're in those parts, or know anyone who is, we'll see you on the road!