*This piece is a dedication towards collaboration within this community that I adore. It features components of conversations and interactions with attendees, like myself, which I intend to reverberate outwards and impactfully inspire others on their journeys. If I can use my verbosity and insight from others to help your progression, and show you some cool stuff, I certainly will. Part 2, of Rendezvous, coming through. Let’s goooooo!
There were many blessings besides the performances emanating from the Suwannee Amphitheater that made Rendezvous a one-of-a-kind experience. At the top of the list, for me, is time spent among the community surrounding. Enjoying time with friends, both classic and contemporary, and meeting new faces through shared spaces had my heart singing blissful notes of gratitude. Thankful and blessed. Throughout the weekend, I connected with a bevy of characters just as lively and vivacious as myself. That’s one of the best and most beautiful things about adventuring and exploring: you never know who, or what, you might encounter along the way. Saddle up, bud. These words are about to become a loving and encouraging fuel source for engaging your own escapades and endeavors.
Even before my arrival at The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park and Campground, I was already enjoying an exceptional expedition. Alongside friend and Shred brother Maxwell, we departed the Chicagoland area about 7:45pm on a Tuesday, destined for Panama City Beach. Our plan was to give ourselves plenty of time to arrive without needing to rush to Rendezvous. It’s a fifteen-hour drive, straight through, without traffic, so we elected to hit the beach beforehand for some R+R and delicious seafood. Good choices. While wading amidst sea green waters, stress and worries fall away and one begins feeling quite at ease at the perspective of how small we are in comparison to the vast bodies of water encircling our globe. The seemingly infinite grains of sand outnumber the infinitesimal concerns that humans have trouble separating themselves from. Bills, jobs, money, relationships, rent. How about we instead fous on pancakes and waffles for lunch and seafood for dinner. Life, left to its own devices, finds a way. Worry less, live more.
After not one, but two jaunts into the Gulf of Mexico (and one Wednesday morning to wake us up), Max and I departed Panama City Beach a bit before eleven on Thursday. At least, that’s what we thought. Our phones never changed time zones from Central. Malfunction? Naw, man, as it turns out, Florida has two time zones. Once we entered Tallahassee, we jumped two hours ahead. Time traveling, baby! We fueled ourselves and filled coolers with flavors and foods before covering the remaining ground between us and the campground at Live Oak, expeditiously.
This weekend would see more than several firsts, for me. I’ve been festivaling for over a decade, and this would be my inaugural experience as part of a vending team. Yup, I’m a noob, but also a quick study. A big thank you to my good friend, Mikey, and Cerebral Concepts for the opportunity to work alongside him, his family, and another wonderful and gifted friend of ours, Trey. I’ll catch you next time, Joe. I called it work, but it rarely at any point felt as such. It was an absolute blast inviting folks to come in and peruse the shop and wares. Inspiration is found many places. At one point, I asked Mike what his motivation was. His answer? He likes shapes, and cutting them into, onto, and out of things. Absolutely brilliant, and me too! This became the basis for how I encouraged explorers to enter our fun and friendly ecosystem. Do you like shapes? Come on in! Seriously, who doesn’t like shapes? You, reading this, most definintely do, as you have your own personification of lovely geometry.
Back to checking-in, it took about thirty minutes total to park, acquire wristbands, and on-site parking pass (only $25) before moving onto loop camping to convene with our mates in a deposited RV. Seriously, this is an awesome and powerful move that if possible, should be employed wherever one goes. Yea, cabins are cool, but if you can get a towny to deliver and set you up a RV, friggin’ do it! You’ll save money and support a local, and who the heck doesn’t like that? This space served our group well with a host of amenities like air-conditioning, refrigerator, microwave/oven, cook top, 48″ LED TV, hidden pantry, shower and toilet (I mostly used the brick and mortar facility not far from our site to avoid stinking up the joint), and comfortably slept five of us throughout the weekend. The only thing it lacked was a dope sound system and rave lighting, but we came prepared with those neccessities ourselves. After settling in, I made my way to help Mike and his team set-up shop for the weekend.
Cerebral Concepts offers a variety of services through their sign shop located in Ellwood City, PA. Art collaboration, custom CNC routing and laser engraving, 3D & product design, graphics and vinyl signs, stage and art installations, and screen print and heat transfers to create customized t-shirts. Like I said, just a few select services aimed at assisting fellow sentient organisms in acquiring and creating unique, high quality products. These talented folks are pleasant, and erecting the tent was a breeze, barely an inconvenience (Ryan George rocks). Through coordinated efforts, we hooked up lighting, assembled tables and product displays, and populated the surfaces with a variety of brilliant items. Laser engraved flasks, leather work journals, sketch pads, and wallets, CNC designed artwork and cutting boards, jewelry, pins, bottle openers, crystal grids, coasters, treasure boxes, and we even brought some of mom’s awesome soaps. Friggin’ shapes, bro. Come get some of these amazing shapes, yo!
“If you like shapes, come check out ours”, was my slogan for the weekend, to the delight of many. Most ears who heard my call found it entertaining and engaging, and the homies of Datagrama Visuals stationed next door complimented my style. One good turn deserves another, so let me represent a passion both myself and the Datagrama dudes and dudettes share. Super comfortable and soft, eye-catching, awesome socks. Dope af, babe. Literally, one of my absolute favorite fashion items in the entire world is socks. Black socks, dress socks, rave socks, psychedelic socks, crew socks, knee socks, ankle sock, and White Sox, too! They all have their place in my heart and on my feet. However, not all socks are made equal. There are those that stand above the rest through feel and fashion, and these offerings certainly earn elevation apart from the rest. Quite literally, I will travel far to acquire a good pair of socks. Japan? Always wanted to visit, maybe I can catch Allen Mock and Herbalistek while I’m there. How fortuitous it is, that life bestows right next to me a group of wonderful creatures who crave amazing stockings just as much as I. Thanks, G-man.
Coming in two color patterns, varitions of charcoal, khaki, and black, these socks are adorned with Datagrama’s signature pattern. Composed of 80% combed cotton, 15% nylon, and 5% spandex, they breathe exceptionally well and look great with a variety of footwear. I paired them with my Adidas Terrex Unity hiking boots. Not too tight, these socks felt like the soft caress of a maseuse addressing my arches. I was ready for whatever the world had in store for me. What did I get? Plenty of fun and community interaction. To date, since I’ve returned, they’ve been through the wash twice, have not shrunk, faded, nor deteriorated in any way, and I’ll soon be wearing these to Boogie T and other events throughout the Midwest for additional field testing.
But wait, there’s more! Datagrama Visuals are also purveyors of other fine items like Turkish towels, stickers, hats, clothing, and accessories. Additionally, as if socks to assist killing the game aren’t enough, DV also provided direct visual support throughout the weekend for afterhours Ambient sets. w00t!!! Seriously, talk about a cool collective I’ll be happy to cross paths with, anytime. Check out their store. I made every mention of their name throughout this piece an accessible hyperlink to their socials and website for your convenience. You’re welcome, my friend. I love this community, and your feet deserve a nice pair of socks.
Speaking of community, I had many excellent conversations that I continue to reflect on. Through Cerebral Concepts, I found myself fortunate in crossing paths with a variety of pleasant, and talented, folks. Shoutout to Nar, aka Nic Ramirez, who combined talents with Bonezz to produce some exceptionally beautiful pins. Narbonezz. They didn’t last long, but at least I was able to score a couple for myself and homie, Max. Furthermore, his/their artwork were featured on journals and sketchbooks throughout Cerebral’s shop. I had my eye on a blue sketchbook emblazoned with Tipper imagery, but someone else was quicker on the trigger than I. That’s cool, I think I know where I can get another one. In addition to crafting attractive and eye-catching artistry, Nic was patient with my overly energetic self. I’ve a reputation as an eager and hyper bear, at times. My mind is constantly racing, and I’m often plotting several directions and tangents, at once. Stories are always developing in my head, would you like my help in writing yours? He imparted some sagely wisdom to my benefit. Sometimes the situation calls for Chris Farley energy, and other times it calls for David Spade’s output. Very Nar, Nic.
Among aspects of festivals I’ve come to appreciate more and more as I continue forth are artists, artwork, and artistry, of which Rendezvous offered a gaggle. Visual dreamers featured their talents throughout the crowd and venue grounds and a nearby gallery curated by Tribe13 offered beautiful pieces of exposition for sale. I purchased an 8″ x 8″ canvas from amongst Hayley Furman’s collection, attached a lanyard to it, and wore it around like a pendant for a few hours on Sunday before committing it to the safety of the camper at the conclusion of Tipper’s set.
Incredible Talents like Tom Loranz, The Whimsical Libra, Rosa Beryl, Chris Bohl, Bill Bee, Adam W, Cosmic Berry, Kirstie Connon, Sean Zenner, Zach Julen, Sofi Rami, Stephen Kruse, Emily Moss, Rae Grand, and many others contributed their illustrative craft to the weekends entertainment. I very much enjoy watching artists work. A beautiful creation, or even an ugly one (matter of perspective), takes time and measure to manifest. As me and the homies headed to enjoy Foxtail’s ambient set around 3am Saturday morning, we were drawn like moths to a flame to spectating Rae Grand‘s painting. We became transfixed in her process as she deftly dabbed her brush upon canvas in forming her vision. For roughly five minutes, we hung on her every movement. Sensational. Additionally, Rae was wonderful the entire weekend. Humorous and playful, she was affable and pleasant to be around, as were all of the other creators who I encountered as they made themselves and their processes accessible to inspire those around them. Support artists, however you can. They are entrepeneurs forging their own paths through this world. Travel expenses and art supplies are part of the business, and not covered by festivals, so if you see a piece of art you like, buy it! It’s the best way to encourage them, and they also appreciate kind words and sharing examples of their work through social media.
Speaking of supporting others, during Jade Cicada, I ended up next to a spirited contingent of lovely beings. I got to talking with a pleasant Michelle within this wild setting, where we got to sharing pursuits. Many of us are building businesses and personalized pathways towards success. As we enjoyed the sounds of Jade Cicada’s glitchhopping dubby DnB (that’s how I describe it) among incredible projection mapping drawing shapes and faces across leaves and trees, we detailed aspirations and goals. I want to entertain and enlighten through stories and words for a living, she’s the owner of an already successful and growing dog walking and pet sitting business. Hey all you artists of various walks of life out there, and normal regular people too, if you need a reliable professional to keep an eye on your dog, cat, goldfish, or other lovely critter in the Indianapolis, IN or Raleigh/Durham, NC areas while you do your thing, check out Dogs N Digs, a qualified LLC. She and her team will be happy to make arrangements and accommodations for the care and consideration of your dog or cat, and possibly Betta, fishies, guinea pigs, chinchillas, bearded dragons, uromastyx, or other animals you love and need looked after. I like turtles! This kit-kat is going places, and taking your good boy, or girl, for a walk with her.
I can’t help it, but I’m a sucker for romance and relationships. A couple entered the Cerebral Concepts shop on Friday, and fella’s outfit was popping. This is where I met Cassie and Johnathan, and she introduced me to the concept of what she calls, girlfriend glow-ups. I am absolutely here for it. There was a lot of affection between these two, and I invited them to sit down with me to chat about themselves, Tipper, and the communities we call our own. They graciously accepted, and on Sunday around 1:30pm we settled in the dome constructed by Cerebral Concepts and home to Hannah’s hideout.
Before I share with you some of the tidbits from our conversation, I’d like to take a moment to speak about the hideout which serves as memorial to Hannah Paulsen‘s memory. Hannah was a huge fan and supporter of Tipper, and beloved by the community. Taken before her time, she was the epitome of positivity, spreading love and inspiration wherever she went. Beloved by the Tipper fellowship, she won’t be forgotten. Attendees who explored this space were encouraged to share messages and reflections about life and loved one’s through writings on post-it notes, of which hundreds adorned the surfaces of the dome. This would be the perfect place for Johnathan, Cassie, and myself to cover a variety of topics, most of which centered around this caring and compassionate community we call our own.
Now, I will not reproduce the entirety of this discussion, here. It lasted over half-an-hour, and the transcript exceeds well over 3000 words. Instead, I’m going to share with you some of my favorite portions from our discussion. Remember how I mentioned girlfriend glow-ups? That’s where our exchange essentially began, and the details resonated with me. She shared this about Johnathan’s sense of style and how she’s impacted his wardrobe, definitely for the better.
“When we first started dating, he dressed like a narc, and wore exclusively long sleeve button downs and jeans. I was like, we live in Florida, that’s not gonna happen. He was uncomfortable, everywhere we went. I broached the topic, why don’t we get you some short sleeve button downs? And he was like, NO! So then I just risked it for the brisket, and then started buying him some that were like cool funky prints and it took off from there. That’s pretty much it, cool funky prints.”
Johnathan has been dressed quite dapper, all weekend. Today, he’s sporting a comfortable button down emblazoned with a graphic of a cowboy atop a horse amidst a rural country landscape paired with what I’m speculating are salmon colored shorts. Girlfriend glow-up, mission accomplished. Since we’re at Rendezvous, formerly Tipper and Friends, I inquired about their passion for Dave’s music to which Johnathan shared his listening preferences and what he’s hoping for from Tipper’s set. “I don’t listen to specific songs, I listen to full albums. [I ask if he prefers downtempo or up-tempo] Both. It really depends on what I’m doing or how I feel that day. So for tonight, [Cassie] wants up, I want down. His sound quality is absolutely ridiculous.”
Cassie, a fan of punk music, especially Jawbreaker, detailed her own origin story into this scene. “When we were at Tipper and Friends last year, that was my first Tipper event, and for whatever reason it all just kind of clicked during his set where it was like, oh! It makes sense now. Since then, I’ve kind of noticed myself getting more into it and tuning more in rather than tuning out. I don’t know if I would have had that experience if it wasn’t for Tipper. He was the one who kind of jumped me into it.”
Everybody’s got their own unique sense of style, but what’s even better is what we bring to share with one another. Johnathan began, “We have a whole thing, we have bits, y’ know, to gift out to people. We have so many different bits. For Hulaween, we had Barbies and Kens, out here. We had these [tiny pink cowboy hats] for the Barbies and horses for the Kens.” Cassie added. “We call ourselves the gift goblins, and we tell people, if you find us again, we have another gift for you, but you have to find it.” I commented that it sounds kind of like a treasure hunt of sorts to which Johnathan solidified, “That’s literally what it is.”
They delved into details about several of the bits they play, some of which were still currently underway. Games. They’re largely playful, and I’m confident they are received as such, wherein Johnathan delineated this observation. “It helps revitalize that child like wonder that you had. Remember, as a kid, the way you would play with each other is completely different than how you play with people as adults. There’s more rules now. People expect certain kinds of dynamics. It’s too in a box. I don’t know where that spirits gone to, why it doesn’t exist.”
This is a community that’s important to me. To see friends and loved ones, as well as strangers, thriving, living, and enjoying every moment is a godsend. Cassie shared these thoughts of encouragement. “Be your most authentic self and be more present in the moment. Connect with your neighbors and talk to people. There’s so many amazing people that come to these things.” Johnathan added, “Be comfy.”
Before ending, I’ll share this last reflection from our conversation. It’s a note I think all should take a moment to consider. Purpose and intent are two items that aren’t always recognized, but I do believe when they are naturalized, they orient a person’s direction through life. I questioned whether this intelligent couple felt that happiness comes from purpose. Cassie posited, “I think that’s part of it. I think that you have to live a purpose or belief aligned life in order to be fully integrated.” Johnathan added, “You have to have conviction about something.” I reciprocated about being honest and putting forth authenticity to which Johnathan answered my call, “And hopefully you inspire people to show up the same way.”
Rendezvous officially marked the beginning of my festival season, this year. There’s much to look forward to, and a high bar has been set for others to follow. However, it’s not just about what a festival provides as far as entertainment and services. These are also spaces for convseration and growth. As I leave you with my final words from this piece, I hope you will remember that we each are adventurers on our own voyages through this cosmic voyage called life. Be your best self, share your passions and talents, look out for one another, and do whatever you can to encourage a positive and supportive environment for all to entertain, enjoy, and explore. Me and Max? We headed to Mammoth Cave, before returning home.
Be well, be successful. Bear Swiftly.
–Electro Scribe–
