Create Our World

HONK Festival Parade in Somerville.

“Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.” –  Albert Einstein

Honking for Four Years!

For the past four years in Somerville, Massachusetts, a different sort of music festival has been taking place.  There are not stages or amplifiers.  No speakers or microphones and no admission fees.  The HONK! Festival, is a festival of Activist Street Bands!  

Boogeying to the Rainbow!

Smattered around the Square, are multi-colored marching bands, boogeying, as they Honk their music.  The crowds stomp their feet and wiggle to the beats.  

According to the Honk website, “they honk their horns for the same reasons motorists honk theirs: to arouse fellow travelers, to warn of danger, to celebrate milestones, and to just plain have fun.”

Why Honk?

The bands blur the line between “the audience and performer,” as many bands have  folks linking arms and kicking up their heels with members of the band.  Also, between accepting all types of sound, “No Sound is Illegal!”   Not to mention, all of the bands seem to have a wider message to convey about peace and coming together as people.  Read a more in-depth description on their website.

Here are some photographs of the HONK! Parade from Somerville to Harvard Square.

The Importance of Fun!

 Watching people cut loose, wear funky clothes, and move their bodies in jiggly ways, made me realize how important it is to have fun in your Life.  Stress is abound!  With our jobs or our finances or our relationships or our health, there is always something to worry about or another challenge to face.  Fun gets lost or even gets a bad rap as childish or immature.  

Attending this festival, helped me just get perspective on the aspects of Life that are really important.  People!  

Create Our World.

Ben

“If it’s not fun, you are not doing it right.” – Bob Basso

The Gambler Nun & Radio plays the Oneonta Theatre.

“Strangers are just friends waiting to happen.” – Anonymous

 The Gambler, the Nun, and the Radio.

Ernest Hemingway wrote a short story about a Mexican gambler, a nun, and a writer who constantly listens to the radio.  The moral is that “all people need opium to keep them from suffering too much.”

I think this is Rusty. The Gambler's cat.

Back to Oneonta.

Well, I am not back there, but I never said much about the place, although I spent a week there.  After Bruce had dropped me off here, I had planned to move on the next day.  That was until I met Trevor.

Trevor introduced himself at the local pizza joint.

The Gambler Nun & Radio.

Trevor is the lead singer of the local Oneonta band named The Gambler Nun & Radio.  Trevor is also a pizza dude at the local pizza restaurant, Cosmos.  This is where we met.  I was grabbing a couple slices of pizza before I was going to camp nearby.  Trevor introduced me to his roommate and the bass player in the Gambler, Dan, whom after some conversation offered their pad as a place to crash.  We struck up a bond!  

Playing some pool with Eric, Dan, Jamey, and Dylan

A Packed House.

Trevor, Dan, Eric, Dylan, Jamey, and another Dan are all the members of the Gambler and all live in the same house with a rehearsal space on the main floor.  They also live with Nick, a friend, Kevin, their energetic dog, Rusty, their cat, and another cat whose name escapes me.  Although, the house was no mansion and my living space was a couch that was a bit grimy, it was more than enough for me.  After a couple days, I decided to prolong my stay till Saturday when they were playing at a local theatre.  

Dan & Eric took me to the get some of the best ice cream "east of the Mississippi."

It felt great to have a Home for a week and a fun, hospitable, and enlightening group of friends.  Good music too, if you like rock and roll that is a bit psychedelic, check out their website or their myspace page.

That is Dan, the keyboard player with origami on his head.

Thank you to the men of the Gambler Nun & Radio and all their friends!!!

I kinda snuck out after a week, because I was embarrassed at how melancholy I was feeling about leaving.  Plus, I felt like, this is not goodbye… but till we meet again.

Create Our World.

Ben

“Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.” – Aristotle

“Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to be a certain way.  Be Unique.  Be what you feel.” – Melissa Ethridge

***

I am going to Invent my own “Musical Instrument” & I encourage you too as well.

Metaphorically speaking, of course.  

I attended the Ypsilanti Jamboree recently.  A two day event with live music, local food, and beverages, that was donating all of the profits to help keep the city parks in good working order.  My cousin’s band, Hullaballo, and her fiance’s band, Back Forty were a part of the first year event set in the heart of Ypsilanti, along the Huron River. 

That 1 Guy

“That 1 Guy” inspired me.  He is a one-man band from Las Vegas that tours nationally.  He designed his own instrument, a tall skinny pipe that has another pipe attached.  It is hooked up to some sort of computer system, because all sorts of interesting sounds come out as he taps here or bops there.  He reminds me of the Blue Man Group, with less members and no blue-ness.  He does magic tricks through.

His music is good.  His act is interesting to watch.  He created a niche for himself, by going his own.  He is remarkable.  He is “That 1 Guy” because he is unique.  I was thinking how I and how other people could apply what “That 1 Guy” has done.

Invent your own musical instrument.

Here is a short 10 second clip for you to get a feel from the show & if you dig it, watch a music video of his below.

Mustaches:

What are your thoughts?

Create Our World.

Ben

“Every man and woman is born into the world to do something unique and something distinctive and if he or she does not do it, it will never be done.” – Benjamin E. Mays