Some Mountain Jam

On Saturday FGF had the opportunity to play at the inaugural Some Mountain Jam Festival, located in The Middle of Nowhere, Colorado. The event was a magical gathering of kind souls in South Park County, better known as the setting for the show South Park. Rather than try and describe the day in typical blog fashion, I'll provide a completely subjective time-line of what happened.

Friday Jul. 11- We played a really jumping show at The Lazy Dog in Boulder (playing there again tonight at The Pearl Street Pub) for lots of our friends. It proved to be the third night in a row with an awesome crowd after Dulcinea's on the 9th and Dillon Dam Brewery on the 10th. The band goes to sleep tired but ready to wake up and drive to South Park County for the festival in the morning.

Saturday Jul. 12, 9am - Band painfully wakes up in Boulder and stumbles, bleary-eyed, outside to the Tourmobile for departure to Some Mountain Jam. We have no idea what this gig involves other than word that lots of hippies, music lovers and ski bums with nothing to do in summertime will be travelling to a discrete location in the Colorado mountains for a gathering. The drive to South Park is mountainous and beautiful.

2pm - The Tourmobile takes a turn onto a dirt road and continues without seeing a soul for 11 miles into the hills. As we make the final turn into the valley where the festival will take place, the terrain opens up into a sunny expanse of land, completely empty except for the group of trailers and tents set opposite a hand-built wooden stage. The Tourmobile descends from the mountain, drives across the valley, and travels up the corner of the valley to the foot of the next adjacent mountain. Needless to say the location was picturesque and miles from civilization in all directions.

2:30pm - We find that our friends from summit county, Hustle, have already arrived and have joined the morning-long effort to erect a wooden stage, soundsystem, lights and generators. Carloads of people are trickeling into the valley, cause for celebration anytime the dusty cloud of a truck or RV is spotted across the valley. Hustle taps a keg in the backstage area where most of the bands camped, and Some Mountain Jam '08 is under way. Demonstrative of the immediate good vibes felt backstage, we unanimously decide to cancel our gig scheduled for Saturday night and enjoy the festival.

4pm - Frogs Gone Fishin' was slated to play first and we happily took the stage in the sunshine, greeted by a field of smiling faces. Playing music while looking at a stunning mountain valley is quite a different experience from our normal habitat of darkly-lit, smoky clubs and bars. As we groove, campers continue to fly down the mountain into the valley, set up their tents and make their way to the stage area. As we wrapped up our set, I fully realized the effect that four straight days of playing live music had on my body, quickly watched Mark Levy (drums, FGF) sit in with Laughing Bones, a fantastic bluegrass infused band from Summit County, and crashed heavily during Got Jababa's set in our tent.

7-11pm - My nap was the first of several dreamlike experiences that night, as I would briefly wake up and perceive the watery organ and soaring guitar lines of Got Jababa, a band I surely hope we get a chance to play with in the future. I emerged groggily from the tent as Hustle began their set to find that my perception of the festival grounds had completely changed.

It was no longer daylight and the stars and moon were illumunating the sky in pink and purple hues. The resourceful mountain campers had built a large bonfire in front of the stage to keep the energy high while dancing. A fire also burned mysteriously in the hills above our campsite, lit by forest dwellers who I had not yet perceived, holding their own secret ceremonies while music resonated through the valley. I wandered down to the primal fire dance and joined in the festivites. After Hustle concluded their set, it was decided by the musical elders that somewhat of a superjam should be initiated. Myself, Portwood (guitar, FGF), Dave (bass, Laughing Bones), Andrew (keys, Got Jababa) and Hollerin' Pete (drums, Hustle) led the late night jam ceremony until the fire bouncing off our pupils looked too inviting, and we could take no more.

3am- All who were still awake gathered around the flame and sang even more songs as acoustic guitars and drums were passed to all who would play. My face hurt from laughing as Wookie Foot, a well known head from the mountains sang songs about mountain men, Colorado, and a women who would only love him for his wookie foot (a fake cast set around an unbroken leg to sneak drugs into shows). I passed out as if floating on a cloud in the tent, oblivious to the intense morning heat that was just below the horizon.

7am- Too hot and foul in the tent, moved under a cool shady tree to continue sleeping.

11am- Frogs depart for Denver, thankful for the experience and ready to head to the Midwest this week for tour.