we made it home in the early morning hours of today, wednesday ...slept half the day today, blew off all responsibilites until tomorrow...
it was an amazing weekend & my only regret is not being able to get there a day earlier for ashara's b'day celebration & just not making it down to the poolroom for those late night sessions...i've always considered myself a nightowl but so many of you put me to shame...i think victor should win some sort of prize for sleeping the least/playing the most... a million trillion gazillion thanks to ashara for pulling together this very classy weekend...the full moon retreat was the perfect place for jonifest & i couldn't believe that when we checked in & got our info packets we all got coffee mugs with this years logo on it! how cool is that on top of all the other million details you had to do... i know jeff & i got lots of thanks for doing the stage managing but i must confess it was a very easy job...EVERYONE had their act so together that the whole thing ran so smoothly with no downtime between sets...so all of you who performed deserve a BIG THANK YOU for being so on top of it & extremely professional... in addition, there are 2 folks who really deserve a multitude of thanks for making the stage performances go so well (aside from our wonderful sound man, john, i think was his name?)...that is paz & chuck e who brought lots of equipment & made sure it was working & that everyone who got up on stage had everything they needed...paz & chuck e thank you SO much for making our job so easy!!!! it is impossible to list all of the great performances that we were privileged to witness...suffice it to say that i was really blown away as everyone who performed as so many have already attested to...those of you who were not there really ought to get copies of the video when they are available & hopefully you will understand... there were many spontaneous standing ovations which were so well deserved! special thanks to the musicians who played with me - les, chris, chuck e.... you all are so talented...it was such a joyous pleasure to have you helping me out! it was wonderful to get the chance to do a songwriting workshop & to everyone who participated thank you thank you!!!! it was such a joy to hear all of your songs & everyone's astute observations...joni influenced songwriters sure write some amazing songs!!!!!! oh, another regret- i never made it to any of the other workshops...i'd planned to go to all of them but somehow needed to eat & have some downtime in between all of the activity...the time definately went by way to fast to fit everything in.... it was wonderful to get the chance to connect with so many folks in bits & pieces, some more than others...there were many who i kept meaning to connect with for a bit but before i knew it, time had run out...hopefully next year everyone will return & more of you who were not able to make it this year will realize that it is something not to be missed! in a way i really feel like i connected with each one of you as part of the whole experience, & also getting to hear you in your performances both formal & informal... i was so happy to see so many folks get up on stage who did not do so last year...each & every performance was so moving in its own special way... the song circles were soooooooooooooooooooooooo wonderful! thank you thank you thank you all for participating & making it so magical! it was so wonderful to pick up with those who i had met last year & to meet new friends this year...it was really a special treat to have 2 special jmdlers members join us- marian & sue who have done so much work on the guitar site of the jmdl...getting to meet & hear you both was a major highlight... oh but there were sooo many higlights it would take me 3 more days to list them all...so i won't even try, however i must mention something that no one has mentioned yet- bob mueller you ROCK on drums! i could not believe how you kept up that wipeout bongo beat for so long! the crowd was on their feet dancing!!!! the day after----i had a mission to find big pink (the band house)...found out from the owner of full moon that it was in saugerties where we were visiting family before & after the fest...i couldn't get any exact directions out of either of the full moon folks who knew where it was...but i was able to find the street name & photo from a quick google search & so jeff & i took off to find it before our flight left late tuesday out of albany...we were really really close & drove around the neighborhood for about an hour or so...but even though we found the street where it was on the map we had...we could not find the actual street!!! twice we asked some folks out in their yards (for the street not for big pink) & they pointed us in the direction with some vague idea of where it should be but we never found it...both jeff & i suspect that folks have agreed not to help anyone who may be searching for this street...knowing what they must be looking for...but i know we were within a mile of the place & it was frustrating to run out of time before we find it...i'm doing my research & next year i will find it!!!!! ******************************************** Kate Bennett: www.katebennett.com Sponsored by Polysonics/Atlantis Sound Labs Over the Moon- "bringing the melancholy world of twilight to life almost like magic" All Music Guide ********************************************
