Weekend Update
I have a new obsession.
I was in Bloomington over the weekend, and, in a twist of fate, they were having their Lotus Festival. As we wandered down Kirkwood after dinner we came across the most amazing site: a bus unloading characters that looked like they could have stepped out of Alice in Wonderland. Wom
en in glittery short skirts and stripped tights. Men in tuxedo vests, top hats and T-shirts. Glittery lipstick and exotic blue eyeshadow. And best, not to mention strangest of all, stilts. At least a half dozen were on stilts.
I was in Bloomington over the weekend, and, in a twist of fate, they were having their Lotus Festival. As we wandered down Kirkwood after dinner we came across the most amazing site: a bus unloading characters that looked like they could have stepped out of Alice in Wonderland. Wom
en in glittery short skirts and stripped tights. Men in tuxedo vests, top hats and T-shirts. Glittery lipstick and exotic blue eyeshadow. And best, not to mention strangest of all, stilts. At least a half dozen were on stilts.A fantastic conglomeration of dancers and actors and musicians who perform to New Orleans Dixieland jazz with all the implied drums and brass. And then there are those amazing stilt walkers. They dance and sway do handstands and other impossible feats--all under a sliver of a moon and streetlights that made them gleam and glow and had the crowd dancing and clapping--and marching--along.
Truly wonderful and amazing. The minute I got home, I googled them. Born out of a Fat Tuesday celebration, they're out of Portland, so any of you in the Pacific Northwest--lucky you. Any viewings or stories, pass them on. Would love to bring these guys to Nashville.
Labels: M4, March Fourth
posted by Annie Solomon at
8:34 AM
10 Comments:
Wow, Annie this looks awesome. Isn't that the coolest experience--to come upon something like that unexpectedly? That's happened to me a few times and it was like magic had happened.
I would love to see them.
Hi, Annie, popping over from Romance Bandits to read your interesting post!
The March Forth Marching Bands sounds intriguing . . . and visually exciting! I'm from northern California, but I've never seen or heard of them. Thanks for sharing the pictures.
Annie, also popping over from the Bandits (( think we're setting up a sub-branch!) to say hi. Wow, those guys sound amazing! Weren't you lucky being in the right place at the right time?
Hey, all you Bandits! I had a crazy day and haven't had a chance to say howdy. Glad you came over. And yes, a subgroup is a great idea, Anna. Hmm...Bandits 2? Bandits, the sequel?
And yes, it was truly amazing and magical to come upon these guys out of the blue. It would be so cool to get them here.
You know, I've realized something from your blog--it's something I guess I've sort of known but I lose awareness of it most of the time and only a few times I've been brought back to it.
I noticed it the first time when you blogged about Doodle Soup. I know that was an awful day for you as far as hurting your ankles and then your back--but what a great way to fill the well--and the same with this band!
The crux of this is--I think my life has been lacking "magic." I don't mean the spell, woo woo kind--but the "OHHHH, my gosh, look at THAT" kind of magic--the surprises--the moments that seem to be sprinkled with a bit of faerie dust.
I experience those now and then even when I don't go looking-- it's those moments when something happens like a horse and buggy driving by the house and you just stop and stare and for a few moments you're held still. When I was in England I went for a walk around Kings College Kensington at night with the other students, and we came upon, quite unexpectedly, the most INCREDIBLE Japanes garden. It was like we'd stepped into a moonlit fairy tale. Nobody realized it was there and one of us noticed the (very small) sign, so we went in.
There was a moment once when a hummingbird actually landed on my finger after I stood still for about ten straight minutes by the feeder with my finger sticking out, just to see if the bird would do it. And it DID!
Or you know how when a butterfly lands on your arm and you stand still long enough to just watch it tasting the salt on your skin until it flies away?
Those little magic things happen now and then. I just figured out that all these little trips you've been taking--I bet they fill the well in a way few other things do--and they set you up to find the magic, don't they?
I'm not entirely sure how one goes about finding it on purpose, or even if you CAN. But unless you go looking, it's probably not gonna happen. I haven't been looking lately.
I think I'll blog about this magic next time on Romance Bandits maybe. Hmmmm. Maybe I need to go find some magic of my own first, ya think? ;0)
It was a kind of magical moment when we came across this crazy band, but I don't think it's something I would have thought about without your interesting perspective, Cassondra. I think anything that takes you out of the familiar can give you that magic, and maybe that's the way to "find" it. We get so used to the sound of our own breathing and the noise of our everyday world. Anything that breaks that pattern helps us "see" in a way we may never have before. So, take a different route home tomorrow. You never know what you'll find...
Actually made it to Annie's World, which was a journey in itself because, as you know, my world is not very technologically advanced. But was worth the trip.
Loved the stilts.
Loved the glitter.
Now I understand why Laura and Izzy want to get dry-wall stilts.
See, Joan? It all comes clear with the right info...
That does look really amazing! Is that your own picture of them? Did you actually, for once, remember to take your camera? It's a really good picture.
I remember once when I sitting in Bryant Park in NYC this marching band--no stilts, more like a hipster version of The Music Man--came swimming in around me, banging and blowing and skipping. It was so strange, but really cool too. And then poof! they were gone.
Anyway, wish I had been there!
Wish you had been there, too, Lucinda!
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