It’s been 14 years since I’ve been to a concert. That’s right 14. Where have I been you ask? In some remote camp in Kāfiristān you ask? No, not exactly. I admit that concerts seem like too much of a hassle to me… too many people, waiting in long lines to park—just to walk a mile to the concert and find a seat waaaaay in the nosebleeds where the stage appears to be nothing more than a black speck in the universe. But when I heard about the Sun Valley Shakedown Festival held at the Meadows on Sun Valley Road, and that Bruce Hornsby (and the Noisemakers) were playing, I decided to give concerts another chance. Tickets were $48 (a bit steep in my opinion, but seems on the mark with ticket prices these days), and a portion of the proceeds benefitted the YMCA. A concert with a cause I can do.
The doors opened at 5pm and the Fox Street Allstars opened at 5:45. We live in town and avoided my parking nightmare (which didn’t look too bad actually) by walking to the event. No outside food or drink was allowed in however (with the exception of one sealed water bottle). I would have liked to bring a picnic with beverages, but I understand that the vendors are there for a reason.
Peter and I arrived with beach towels, hats (in case the Sun Valley sun was too much), jackets (for the cool mountain evenings), and low-back chairs—and there was no line to speak of. We found a spot and surveyed our surroundings. The stage was a bit far, maybe not a black speck in the universe, but more like a large planet. Soon after we sat down they opened up the VIP seating and people moved forward—including us. We managed to nab a spot just feet from the stage. Wonder of all wonders, I could hear and see!
left: Our "nosebleed seats" when we first arrived. right: Bruce Hornsby jamming on his accordion.
The Fox Street Allstars were fabulous—funky and jamming with a hint of Southern energy. We got a few beers ($4 each courtesy of Whiskey’s) and sat in our chairs and absorbed the fantastic energy that only an outdoor concert can produce. Around 7pm, Bruce (we are on a first name basis in my book) took the stage. We jumped up and went to the stage to stand (or dance—or in my case—sway) and see Bruce up close. Oh My God. I forgot how much fun concerts can be when not you are not trampled, touched inappropriately or vomited on! (I’ve been caught up in a few mosh pits in my day and they were not fun). Bruce played the piano (of course), the accordion and a mandolin-looking instrument. His voice had not changed in 20 years and he seemed relaxed and having fun. He played a few oldies (yay!) and several new songs from his latest album “Bride of the Noisemakers.” He opened up one of my favorite songs—“Old Valley Road” by changing the lyrics to Sun Valley Road—appropriately so. Bela Fleck joined Bruce on a few songs with his banjo and the jamming games began in earnest.
left: The Sun Valley Shakedown Festival at the Meadows field on Sun Valley Road. right: Bruce Hornsby and Bela Fleck.
While Bela Fleck took the stage around 8:45 pm we went in search of food with stomachs growling. Oh boy. Calle 75 Street Tacos—SOLD OUT. Tom’s Smoking BBQ—SOLD OUT. Rickshaw—SOLD OUT. Wood Fired Pizza’s were the only vendor still serving food. We ordered two half pizzas ($6 each) and were told the wait would be 30 minutes, and so we did what all hungry people do— got a few more beers (thank God Whiskey’s didn’t run out of beer!) and then proceeded to wait. This was the only bummer of the evening and I’m sure it proved to be a learning curve for next year’s Shakedown. The Wood Fire Pizza staff were slaving away and doing they best they could with their small wood fire oven which accommodated only a few pizzas at a time. Unfortunately not enough when they were the only game in town. At 9:30 our pizzas were still six orders back. An observant employee sensed our anxiety and informed us that they were running out of ingredients, would we be ok with one pizza? I would have eaten my shoe at that point and jumped at the chance. She proceeded to make us a special pizza with loads of toppings, including bacon, goat cheese, pesto and pine nuts and we ate within 20 minutes. Oh man, this pizza was out of this world—and not because we were starving and a little tipsy—the dough cooked in the wood fire with that particular blend of ingredients was pure, unadulterated, bliss. Kudos to the Wood Fire Pizza crew for staying clam and feeding the masses when the other vendors ran out of food.
Soon after we finished our pizza, Bruce took the stage again with Bela and once again, jamming ensued. We walked home after a fabulous night in Sun Valley, feeling flush with the sense of community that small towns so lovingly exude.
I’ve jumped back on the concert bandwagon and am looking forward to seeing Rickie Lee Jones this week at River Run. Fourteen years was a long time to wait, and I’m glad to be back.
