Weekend in Cleveland, Part 3

Headed out early from Jen’s on Sunday, figuring we’d be there in plenty of time to say hello to the guys before they took the stage at 3. Um, wrong. The drive was about 30 minutes. We had to wait a good 15 minutes to get into the parking lot, park, walk to the gate, stand in line for tickets, then stand in line to enter the gate….and we got to the stage just before the show started.

I have to say….while a Jackdaw show is always a good time, seeing them at 3 in the afternoon at an outdoor festival just isn’t quite the same as seeing them in their natural habitat (that would be a loud, crowded bar taking the stage at around 10:30 p.m.).

Everyone around us seemed to be having a good time. Jen and I stood near the front of the stage with the rest of the Buffalo contingent and danced. My only gripe is that I requested “Proofrock” and it was not played…

Mike made a special dedication to his “future ex-wife” (ha…funny guy). He covered for any potential damage from that statement by adding “I love ‘er with all my hearrrrrrrt.” (that’s a pirate growl in there, y’all.) Joe Davies was his usual happy-fiddlin’ self, George was looking hot as ever in his wife-beater (yes, I know that sentence should be an oxymoron…however…yow!), Tim was forgetting the words as usual (he sang one line of Pigtail Man at least five times), and our favorite skirt-wearing, accordion-playing dude was, of course, winning the hearts of all the women between the ages of 12 and 50. 😉

After the show, we wandered over to the merch table to pick up the new CD, Triple Crown. In typical dork fasion, I asked the boys to sign my CD. (Hey, they might be famous one day!) Jen told David that he needs to play “Proofrock” on my birthday (CD Release Party–August 14!), prompting him to sign the CD cover with “Happy 17th Birthday Erin.” Yeah, he’s a funny guy too…

Part 2.5 of “men being cute with little kids are sexy”–this way too cute little boy was dancing in front of the stage towards the end of the set. The guys brought him up on stage and let him dance in the center for the rest of the song. Awww…

It was while we were speaking to them at the table when we realized just how wasted they really were. Wow. They hid it well on stage.

We wandered over to get some greasy festival food, and chatted with Jen and Tim for a bit before they needed to head back home for their family dinner. We said our goodbyes, and then headed for a seat on a nearby bench. We watched the guys schmooze with the fans for a bit.

Part 3 of “men being cute with little kids are sexy”–David was chatting with some people who had several young children with them. He was goofing around with them, swinging them around by the arms, and jusg generally being adorable. He chased them over near where we were sitting, started to swing one of them around….and fell. So yeah, even a guy in a skirt landing on his ass in the middle of a gravel parking lot is sexy when playing with little kids. 😉

Carbon Leaf did another amazing set. I think I’ve determined that “Torn to Tattered” is my favorite, followed very closely by “Desperation Song.” We stuck around to say hello and have my CD signed by the band. (Yeah, again, I’m a dork…) They are such an amazingly nice group of guys. I even got my picture taken with Carter! 😉 (he’s apparently married. ah, well. shouldn’t married guys have to wear rings??) I asked Barry when they’re coming to Buffalo again, and he said there’s a Rochester show in the works for September/October and they’re trying to get a show in Buffalo on the same trip. If not? I’ll happily drive to Rochester to see them. I really would love to see these guys more.

The drive home was…long. Realizing that we hadn’t eaten much of anything all day (waffles for me and a bagel for Jen, and french fries at the festival) we stopped at a McD’s near Erie, where Jen had to tell the dumb little boy at the counter that I wanted to order. And then I had to ask about McNuggets, because they weren’t on the dollar menu. Pretty much par-for-the-course at McD’s, I find.

And then….sleep. But not nearly enough. 🙂

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